ROCKINGHAM — Lady Raider head soccer coach Chris Larsen said there was a “sliver of hope” his team would get a first-round bye in the 2019 state playoffs.
He said that following his team’s loss in the Sandhills Athletic Conference tournament championship Friday to Pinecrest High School. But that sliver proved to be enough, as the Lady Raiders earned Richmond Senior High School’s first-ever bye in either girls’ or boys’ soccer.
The North Carolina High School Athletic Association released its playoff brackets Monday morning, starting with its preliminary projections just before 10:30 a.m.
Larsen’s Lady Raiders, who went 15-4 during the regular season and took second place outright in the SAC standings, earned a No. 8 seed in the 4A West bracket. That seeding wouldn’t change when the NCHSAA released its finalized brackets later in the morning.
According to the NCHSAA’s final adjusted Maxpreps rankings, the Lady Raiders jumped up to the No. 13 seed. Using the state’s guidelines, that was good enough to land Richmond a guaranteed spot in the second round.
“It’s a wonderful feeling to know that the work you have done during the regular season has paid off to get to the second round automatically,” Larsen commented. “This group of girls has worked very hard for the last three and four years to get to this point and have this type of accomplishment.
“The girls should be proud of the progress they have made over the season and it shows in their growth by being able to win some tight games and compete in the others,” he added. “I believe they had a realization against Pinecrest Friday that if they have the right mindset and a never-give-up attitude, they can be competitive with anyone they play.”
Richmond will bypass a first-round opponent and look to take its momentum into the second round. Following its title game loss to the Lady Patriots, Larsen called it one of the “best performances” his team had put together in its 19 games this season.
At the onset of the season, Larsen noted one of his goals was for the Lady Raiders to break into the middle rounds of the state playoffs. Since the girls’ soccer program began in 1994, the Lady Raiders have never made it out of the second round.
Richmond has made it to the second round twice, the last time being in 2004 when it was a No. 2 seed. The No. 8 seed they earned this spring is the second-highest placement Richmond has ever received.
The 2004 playoff appearance didn’t see Richmond get a bye, as the Lady Raiders were upset by Jacksonville High School in the second round.
In the 2018 state playoffs, the Lady Raiders entered the first-round as the No. 13 seed and fresh off a 17-win season, still the most in program history. Despite a solid effort at home, Richmond was upset and eliminated by No. 20 Porter Ridge High School.
When the Lady Raiders take the field during the second round at home on Friday, it will be the fifth consecutive season of making the playoffs. A win would mark the first home playoff victory since 1997 when Richmond earned a 3-0 win over New Hanover High School.
As Larsen’s first full season at the helm of the Lady Raider program draws to a close, there are 11 seniors who are trying and help Richmond continue to etch its name in the history books.
“I would hope that the girls take advantage of the high seeding and the first-round bye,” Larsen said. “We want to use this as a momentum booster to capitalize on the opportunity to make it to the third round for the first time in school history.”
The Lady Raiders’ defense has played well all season, and is limiting opponents to just 2.31 goals per game. The back line and sophomore goalkeeper Kelly Hoffman have recorded five shutouts, while allowing two or fewer goals in 15 of its 19 games.
On the flip side, the Lady Raider offense has been equally impressive, notching an average of 3.53 goals per game. The team put together two six-game winning streaks, and have scored three or more goals in 11 contests.
“The biggest things that will help us make it to the middle rounds of the playoffs are going to be limiting mistakes, capitalizing when we have opportunities and playing a full 80 minutes,” Larsen noted.
“Many of the goals that we have given up this year have been because we’ve had mental lapses in terms of marking up, not passing or playing the ball early or trying to do too much. We have got to capitalize by putting shots on frame and in the back of the net.”
There were three other SAC schools to make the NCHSAA 4A state playoffs, as Pinecrest is the only one who will join Richmond in the West as a No. 2 seed. In the East bracket, it’s No. 18 Jack Britt High School and No. 19 Purnell Swett High School.
The Lady Raiders will use the extra couple of days to practice and work on preparation for facing either No. 9 East Forsyth High School (10-5-2, Central Piedmont) or No. 24 South Caldwell High School (8-10-1, Northwestern).
“Having to wait until Friday means that we have the opportunity to come to practice a few more times and get better at our skill,” Larsen closed. “We should have fresh legs and heal up any bumps and bruises.
“I think the fact that the girls will be playing in the second round for the first game of the playoffs will bring excitement, as only a few other girls’ teams at Richmond have been presented the opportunity.”
Round two of the NCHSAA playoffs will get started on Friday in Rockingham at 7 p.m.
