ROCKINGHAM — Set pieces played a big role in the Richmond Senior High School’s girls soccer team’s second straight win to start the season.
Competing in their home opener Thursday, the Lady Raiders broke a halftime tie to earn a 3-2 win over visiting Uwharrie Charter Academy.
Continuing her strong start to her senior season, forward Allie Rodgers tallied a pair of goals, giving her five strikes through two matches.
Recording the other goal for Richmond was senior midfielder Gabby Lutz, her first of the season, who put Richmond back ahead by a goal midway through the first half.
“We were able to pull one out tonight and Allie and Gabby both stepped up to score goals,” head coach Chris Larsen said. “We’re still trying to figure out our movement and find the best way to work together as 11 girls on the field.
“At times we do a good job of connecting passes, while other times we revert back to kicking and running down the field,” he continued. “We’re trying to find that happy-medium. I was pleased with how the girls stepped their game up in the second half.”
Early in the match, junior goalkeeper Quanna Bostic kept the game scoreless when she made a sliding stop on Reese Craven inside the box.
Less than three minutes later, Rodgers scored her first goal of the match to make it 1-0 in the 10th minute.
Junior forward Ashly Gonzalez sent a corner kick from the right side into the box where Rodgers got her head on it and redirected it just under the crossbar from 10 yards out.
Similar to its win over Jack Britt Tuesday, Richmond didn’t hold the lead long. Jazmin Palma, who scored both of the Lady Eagles’ goals, struck for the first time to tie it 1-1 in the 14th minute.
Continuing to keep the offensive pressure turned up, the Lady Raiders caught a break when Uwharrie Charter was whistled for a handball in the box.
Lutz was designated to take the penalty kick and she made it a 2-1 lead in the 22nd minute with a low strike that went between the left post and the keeper.
Bostic made a pair of diving saves in the closing eight minutes, but Palma knotted the score 2-2 with 35 seconds remaining in the first half.
Making adjustments at halftime, the Lady Raiders needed just the first 10 minutes of the second half to score the game-winning goal.
On a rush into the offensive zone, freshman Mariana Gonzalez sent a through ball to Rodgers, who blasted the shot into the net.
With the one-goal advantage, Larsen wanted to make sure it stayed that way and he made some changes to Richmond’s formations.
“Ava (Thompson) wasn’t with us tonight so we shifted some girls around on the back line,” Larsen closed. “I knew it was going to be a bit of a learning curve for a while, but Samantha Barnes stepped in to play center back.
“Once we got the lead in the second half, we were able to change formations a little bit to preserve the win. It was a good win and we have a couple of big challenges this weekend and next week to get us ready for conference play.”
Richmond (2-0) will travel to Terry Sanford High School Saturday to close out its first week of play.
The Lady Raiders will face Gray’s Creek High School (1-0) at 4 p.m. as part of an early-season jamboree.
