FAYETTEVILLE — Monday’s road trip for the Richmond Senior High School boys’ soccer team proved to be beneficial one, as the Raiders inched one step closer to ending the regular season on a high note.
Having spent the past month trying to clamber out of an early-season hole and climb back up the Sandhills Athletic Conference standings, the Raiders helped their cause and pitched their first regulation shutout of the season with a 3-0 win over Seventy-First High School.
The win marked the team’s seventh win in its last nine games against conference opponents, and the Raiders (8-9-2, 8-5 SAC) now sit alone in third place and one game ahead of Jack Britt High School, a team they’ve beaten twice this season.
The last time the Raiders played the Falcons (6-13, 1-12 SAC), they notched a season-high five goals. But three goals from three different players would be enough on Monday.
Senior Drew Davis would give the Raiders a 1-0 lead in the 17th minute when he headed the ball past senior goalkeeper Zakion Dillard. Davis’ goal would come off a set piece, seeing sophomore Alex Medina send a corner kick inside the box for the tally.
Adding on to the lead in the 39th minute just before halftime was junior Noah Aiken. Bringing the ball into the offensive zone, Aiken managed to create space around the defense and rip a shot past Dillard in the closing minute of the first half. That tally would end the first 40 minutes’ scoring, and the Raiders took a 2-0 lead into the halftime break.
Neither team had much success finding the net in the second half, by Richmond’s Kevyn Leviner would add an insurance goal in the 54th minute to help secure the win. It served as Leviner’s first goal of the year, and came off a Medina assist, his second of the night.
Richmond will now prepare to close the end of the regular season at home on Wednesday against rival Scotland High School (3-13-1, 1-11 SAC). The Raiders will host their annual senior night, with this season’s 13 seniors set to be recognized ahead of the star of the game. Richmond and Scotland will get underway at 7 p.m.
