FAYETTEVILLE — For the second time this season, the Lady Raider soccer team responded after a loss with a convincing win over Jack Britt High School.
On the road against the Lady Buccaneers for another Sandhills Athletic Conference contest, 80 minutes wasn’t enough to determine a winner.
Richmond returned to the win column in double-overtime fashion, using two goals in the extra periods to earn a 4-2 victory.
The Lady Raiders erased a one-goal deficit early in the first half, before letting a one-goal lead slip late in regulation.
“I told the girls I was proud of the way they responded even after we let up a silly goal late in the game,” head coach Chris Larsen said. “I’m happy we played well in the two overtime periods, scoring two goals in 20 minutes, the same as we scored in 80 minutes.
“We made adjustments at halftime and we really took it to Jack Britt, we just couldn’t capitalize as much as we wanted to,” he added. “We always know it’s a hard game when we come to Jack Britt, and this victory will go a long way in helping us close out the season.”
Senior forward Jayla McDougald and junior outside midfielder Kaitlyn Huff scored two goals each. Both had a goal in regulation, before cementing the crucial conference win with a tally each in the 20 minutes of extra time.
“It feels good to be back in the win column,” McDougald, who scored her sixth and seventh goals of the season, said. “We’re trying to make the state playoffs, so we knew what we had to do tonight. And I think we did a good job.
“Jack Britt is always aggressive, but we stepped up the aggressiveness on our end,” she added. “We didn’t worry about the fans or the refs, we just played our game and that showed at the end.”
Jack Britt would take an early lead in the 10th minute, using a goal from Tiona Meacham. On a breakaway up the middle, Meacham beat goalkeeper Kelly Hoffman with a shot low and to the left.
McDougald answered in the 15th minute, using an assist from junior Paxlee Faircloth. Teammate Ellie Buck made a throw-in on the right side to Faircloth, who passed it ahead to a charging McDougald.
Once inside the 18-yard box, McDougald went to the far post and found the inside of the net from 10 yards out.
Both teams would play out the remainder of the first half and much of the second half without scoring again.
Huff scored her first goal of the night in the 76th minute to put the Lady Raiders up 2-1. Her goal was started on a throw-in by Cheyenne Jacobs to Destiny Barrick, who crossed the ball to Huff at the top of the 18-yard box.
Taking a touch, Huff laced a shot into the goal, beating keeper Rebecca Karis to the top right corner.
The Lady Buccaneers (4-3-2 SAC) answered less than a minute later, using a goal from Kiera Meacham to equalize the game and send it to overtime.
Playing two 10-minute periods, Huff struck again with the game-winner three minutes into the first overtime block, her team-leading ninth goal of the season. Taking a through ball from Jennifer Gomez, Huff cut into the box and beat Karis, this time to the left side.
“When I scored my two goals tonight, I felt like it really lit our fire and raised out momentum,” Huff explained. “After that, everyone really started playing with more energy and wanted to put the game away.
“The loss to Pinecrest (on Monday) didn’t bring us down, and tonight showed we’re still trying to get more wins and keep climbing the board.”
McDougald added an insurance goal in the second overtime period, using an assist from Talayeh Covington. Taking a pass in stride from Covington down the left side, McDougald cut back to the middle of the field between two defenders in open space.
Making a turning shot from 20 yards out, McDougald placed the ball to the left corner past Karis.
“Every win is a big one as we try to get second place and that automatic bid to the playoffs,” Larsen explained. “Jayla and Kaitlyn play well together and have a good dynamic. The last time we played (at Jack Britt) before we got shut down, they both scored in that game.
“They have been our goal leaders all year long and luckily they both found the back of the net twice tonight,” he added. “Jayla played up top, which is a different role for her, but she adjusted well. Kaitlyn was slid to the outside, and that gives us some options moving forward.”
The second-place Lady Raiders (7-2 SAC) will return to action Wednesday to play Lumberton High School (1-5-1) at home.
It’s the first of three games next week for Larsen and company, who will also host Purnell Swett High School (4-3-1) on Thursday, before traveling to Hoke County High School (4-3) for a Saturday game.
“The cushion we have right now isn’t definite, but it’s a good position to be in,” Larsen closed. “If we play and win the games we’re supposed to, like tonight’s game, that gets us closer to the postseason.”
JV Lady Raiders roll past Terry Sanford
The Richmond junior varsity girls’ soccer team traveled to non-conference Terry Sanford High School on Wednesday, cruising to a 6-2 win.
Freshman Allie Rodgers scored five goals for the Lady Raiders, improving her team-leading goal total to 12 this spring. Fellow freshman Gabby Lutz added the other goal, and now has six tallies this spring.
Richmond jumped out to a 4-1 lead in the first half, before added two insurance goals late. Coach Tad Hamilton said it was “an overall strong performance” by the team.
The JV Lady Raiders now have a 4-2 overall record.
