ROCKINGHAM — The passing and scoring lanes were wide open for the Richmond Senior High School girls soccer team Monday.
Taking full advantage, the No. 4 Lady Raiders advanced in the Sandhills Athletic Conference tournament.
Using five different scorers, Richmond defeated No. 5 Southern Lee High School 6-0. It was the second time in three tries this season the Lady Raiders defeated the Lady Cavaliers.
Scoring a goal in the first half was freshman Colbie Covington, her fourth goal in two matches.
Junior Hanna Smith scored early in the second half, which started a five-goal explosion for the Lady Raiders in the final 40 minutes of play.
Sophomore Makayla Brown led the way with two goals late in the match, including her first career varsity tally. Also scoring for Richmond were junior Yarely Vargas and sophomore Ella Gibson.
Despite only scoring one goal in the first half, Richmond kept its offensive pressure up and peppered the goal with a number of quality chances.
Through the opening 10 minutes, sophomore Yulissa Avalos, freshman Mariana Gonzlaez and Smith each had a shot on frame.
Junior goalkeeper Quanna Bostic, who recorded the clean sheet, made a save on a low shot by Ryan Phillips to keep the match scoreless.
Southern Lee (10-10) was whistled for a foul in the 12th minute roughly 30 yards from the net. Gonzalez took a free kick and sent it into the box, where Covington collected the loose ball and tapped it high and into the net just inside the left post.
Bostic made another stop a few minutes later, Southern Lee’s last quality chance of the half, which was followed by shots on goal by senior Gabby Lutz, Covington and Gonzalez before the buzzer.
Six minutes into the second half, Covington made a run down the left side of the field and crossed the ball into the box. The initial shot bounced into traffic and off the far post, but Smith was there to use her right foot and score her goal.
In the 53rd minute, Brown got Richmond’s next scoring run started. Passing the Lady Raider bench, she sent a perfect through ball to an advancing Gibson in the middle of the field.
Gibson ripped on frame but her shot was deflected. There to redirect it into the net on a one-time shot was Vargas to make it 3-0, with Gibson getting the assist.
Fifteen minutes would chip off the clock before the Lady Raiders tallied their fourth goal, Brown’s first of the match.
Gibson earned her second assist on a give-and-go with Brown, who made a move around a defender and made a tight-angled shot from 10 yards along the right side of the box. She went high and to the back post for her first varsity goal.
The two sophomores, Brown and Gibson, continued their connecting of passes to combine for the Lady Raiders’ final two scores.
Gibson joined the scoring parade in the 77th minute, sending a low shot inside the left post on a assist from Brown along the right side.
Just 67 seconds later, Brown found herself in space on another deep run into the right corner. Getting the keeper to misstep her line, Brown found twine for the second time with a wide-open net.
The No. 4 Lady Raiders (9-11-3) will look to upend No. 1 Union Pines High School in the semifinal round Tuesday. The Lady Vikings (14-3-2) had a first-round bye.
Starting at 6 p.m., the match will be played at North Moore High School due to a number of athletic events already scheduled at Union Pines.
The Richmond Observer will publish a photo gallery of Monday’s win soon.
