ROCKINGHAM — One hundred minutes of soccer wasn’t enough time to determine a winner during Wednesday’s Sandhills Athletic Conference match.
Richmond Senior High School’s boys’ soccer team played 80 minutes of regulation and two 10-minute overtime periods and drew even with Union Pines High School.
Despite a more aggressive attack by the Raiders in the second half and overtime, they ended in a 0-0 draw with the Vikings.
“We just really couldn’t capitalize tonight,” head coach Chris Larsen said. “Both teams missed a PK opportunity and we got out of the rhythm that we had last week. I don’t know if it’s because we had a long delay of playing or if it was something else.
“In the first half, we didn’t play like we had been. We missed some chances by doing that and weren’t able to score on some chances we had. I thought we held onto the ball a little too long at times tonight.”
Richmond and Union Pines both missed a penalty kick opportunity in the first half following fouls in the box.
The Vikings’ shot wasn’t on frame and went wide right in the 15th minute, while senior Gonzalo Gonzalez banged his shot off the crossbar in the 29th minute. He followed his shot and got his head on a redirect but it was stopped.
Junior goalkeeper Camden Williams made the start in net and had a stellar diving save in the third minute to keep Union Pines off the board.
Senior Noah Gil had the team’s second-best chance to score in the first half, but his shot from the left side of the box went into the side netting. Williams timed up a long arcing shot and tipped in over the bar for a crucial save in the 35th minute.
The Raiders turned up the intensity in the second half, maintaining possession in the midfield to open up scoring runs.
Junior Memphis Jacobs sent a dart on frame just 25 seconds into the second half, but it was stopped. Gil attempted a redirect on a Landon Summerlin free kick in the 48th minute, but it was just off the mark.
Williams made a series of modest saves in the second half, as Richmond’s defensive line kept the Vikings (4-5-1, 1-0-1 SAC) at bay.
Sophomore Daniel Gomez laid out with a diving header attempt in the 57th minute within the six-yard box and Gil made a run down the right side and put a shot high in the 64th minute.
The first overtime period was light for both teams, as neither Richmond or Union Pines made any significant runs in the attacking zone.
Two more chances for the Raiders to find the net came in the second overtime stanza. First, Gil went just over the bar on a laser following a corner kick. Later, another corner kick bounced around in the box but was scooped up.
The Vikings made a final push in the closing 15 seconds on a throw-in. However, Jacobs intercepted a pass and dribbled it out into open space to let the clock expire.
Richmond tallied nine shots, four by Gil, to Union Pines’ 11 shots on goal. Williams made six quality saves for the Raiders.
“In the second half, we dominated a little bit more,” Larsen explained. “There were opportunities around the box that we just couldn’t connect on. But on the flip side, we didn’t give up anything to allow them to score.
“We’re still not back in the win column, but we’ve gotten back-to-back ties,” he closed. “It’s going to be that kind of year in conference play where if you’re on that night, it could be your night. That’s what we keep preaching to the guys — continue to play and continue to do the correct things.”
The Raiders (1-8-2, 0-2-1 SAC) play away at Lee County High School (4-7, 1-2 SAC) Monday, the first of three matches next week. The match is slated to start at 7 p.m.
JV Raiders pull away in second half
A trio of goals in the second half of Wednesday’s junior varsity soccer match ended in a 3-0 win for Richmond over Union Pines.
A scoreless first half by both teams saw a couple of chances each way late. Freshman Allen Franco took a penalty kick in the 26th minute following a foul, but his shot was stopped.
Three minutes later, Union Pines had a second chance shot on a corner kick. There to stop it was sophomore center back Ashton Mabe, who made a sweeping kick as the ball bounced toward the open goalmouth.
Freshman Javeon Littlejohn netted Richmond’s first goal early in the second half.
Making a 20-yard rush down the middle of the field, Littlejohn weaved around a final defender before blasting a shot 1v1 past the keeper. His tally made it 1-0 in the 41st minute.
Richmond took advantage of a turnover by the JV Vikings in the attacking third four minutes later.
Freshman Martin Lopez took a shot from the top of the 18-yard box, which was deflected by a defender and curled into the net for an own-goal.
Netting the final goal, freshman Ari McLendon scored a similar goal to Littlejohn’s.
Finding himself open in space at the top right of the box, McLendon sent a rocket on the run that creased the net just under the crossbar. The third goal came with 4:50 left in regulation.
“We’ve got to take the first half as seriously as the second half against quality teams,” head coach Bennie Howard said. “We’ve got to be ready to play. It’s a 70-minute game, not 35 minutes.”
The JV Raiders (5-4-2, 2-0-1 SAC) travel to Lee County Monday and start at 5 p.m.
