ROCKINGHAM — There may not have been a lot of flashy plays during Thursday’s non-conference soccer game, but Richmond Senior High School head coach Chris Larsen noted it was “a quality soccer match between two really good teams.”
Playing for the third time in four nights to close out the week, the Raiders welcomed in Pine Forest High School. Despite plenty of scoring opportunities on both sides of the ball, neither team would find the back of the net, resulting in a 0-0 tie.
Dating back to the 2014 season, Thursday’s meeting was just the sixth time the two schools have met. During that span, it was the first draw between the Raiders and the Trojans. The two teams have traditionally kept the scoring low in their matchups, seeing the winner in three of the last five games win by one tally.
“It was a really good match tonight,” Larsen commented. “We both use similar styles and both teams knocked the ball around pretty evenly. Our guys played really well and had plenty of good opportunities to put the ball in the back of the net.
“It seemed like we could get the ball close but just couldn’t connect on a final pass or put the ball on frame,” he added. “Our defense played really well and kept (Pine Forest) shut down even though we hadn’t seen their formation this year.”
Larsen explained that Pine Forest used its outside midfielders “more like forwards,” playing farther up on the field than other opponents have this fall. Utilizing a wider offense, Pine Forest stretched Richmond’s defense, and Larsen said his backfield “made the necessary adjustments” to keep the Trojans from scoring.
Getting his second start in as many nights between the posts was sophomore goalkeeper Jadin Wilson, who put forth another stellar performance. The night before, he allowed just one goal to Jack Britt High School, and picked up his first career shutout against Pine Forest. In the closing minutes of the first half, Wilson made two diving saves on shots to preserve the scoreless tie.
The Raiders’ back line of senior center back Drew Davis, along with fellow backs Justyn and Kevyn Leviner and Evan Baxley, played stout defense in front of Wilson. Defensively, the Raiders shut down a Pine Forest offense that had scored 18 goals in its previous three matches.
“Jadin came out and gobbled a couple of shots that could have led to scoring chances,” Larsen said. “But it was pretty even for both keepers. We had a lot more scoring chances in the second half and we kept the pressure on.”
According to Larsen, Richmond’s best scoring chance game in the 78th minute when senior striker Lee Hayden corralled a loose ball inside the box. He shot would go just wide, and Larsen noted “that’s the way it goes some nights.”
Having faced three tough opponents in Pinecrest, Jack Britt and Pine Forest high schools this week, Larsen said the tie with the Trojans isn’t as deflating as some people might perceive. While wanting a win was the top priority, the draw proved to him and his players they can compete with any team on any given night.
“The last few nights have shown the guys we’re starting to figure it out and that we’re moving in the right direction,” he explained. “We’ll take this, throw it in the bank and move forward to next week.”
Richmond (1-4-1, 1-1 Sandhills Athletic Conference) will get three more chances next week to add to the win column. The Raiders will start at Hoke County High School (7-1, 3-0 SAC) on Monday, host Lumberton High School (4-3, 1-1 SAC) and travel to non-conference Terry Sanford High School (3-3-1) on Thursday. All matches will begin at 7 p.m.
Note: The junior varsity soccer game between Richmond and Pine Forest was canceled early Thursday. The game will not be made up. Head coach Tad Hamilton and the JV Raiders will continue play on Monday at Hoke County at 5:15 p.m.
