FAYETTEVILLE — Starting a season with a pair of consecutive wins for the first time since 2019, the Lady Raider soccer team used another four goal scorers on Wednesday.
On the road, Richmond scored two goals in each half to defeat Cape Fear High School 4-2.
Finding the net for the Lady Raiders were sophomores Hanna Smith and Ashly Gonzalez, junior Allie Rodger and senior Jenifer Gomez.
Smith, along with senior teammate Cheyenne Jacobs, both recorded an assist in the victory.
“Hanna’s goal was good for us because over the last couple of years we’ve struggled to put ball in back of net early in games,” head coach Chris Larsen said. “That gave us an opportunity to play with lead and that helped get rid of some of those early-season jitters.
“It was a back-and-forth match and our girls are still figuring out how to play as a team,” he added. “We played a great first half until the last three minutes when a few mistakes led to a 1v1 situation and a crazy bounce that Quanna (Bostic) got her hands on but didn’t stop.”
In the fourth minute, Smith scored her first goal of the season. Richmond moved the ball up the field and a pass diagonally across the pitch found Smith on the right wing.
Taking a touch inside the 18-yard box, Smith slotted a shot into the net for the early lead.
Gonzalez made it a 2-0 lead in the 33rd minute when she collected a loose ball inside the box. Creating enough space, she directed the ball on frame for her second goal in as many games this spring.
Cape Fear cut its deficit in half with its first goal of the game with 44 seconds left in the opening 40 minutes.
Not wasting any time to make it a two-goal cushion again, Rodgers netted her second goal of the season to start the second half.
Smith got the run started down the left side of the field, sending a cross to Rodgers in the box. Able to “contort her body,” Rodgers volleyed a shot into the top left corner in the 45th minute.
In the 73rd minute, the Lady Colts (0-1) found the back of the net one more time to make it a 3-2 Richmond advantage. The goal came when Richmond failed to clear a corner kick out of its own end.
Just three minutes later, Gomez and Jacobs teamed up on a set piece to add an insurance goal.
Jacobs took a corner kick from the right corner, sending the ball to the near post where Gomez one-timed her shot low and into the net. Through two matches this season, Jacobs has two assists.
“The team has gotten better each minute we’ve been out there, and the girls played better in the second half,” Larsen said. “We got that little cushion with Allie scoring and Jenifer came up big with that last goal.
“The girls are still learning and still getting their game legs,” he closed. “We’re glad to be 2-0, see what we can do in practice and hopefully finish our first week of the season with three wins.”
Improving to 2-0 on the season, the Lady Raiders will round out their three-match opening week on Saturday.
Richmond will play non-conference South View High School (1-0) as part of a jamboree at Cape Fear High School. The match will begin at 4 p.m.
JV Lady Raiders open season with a loss
Playing its first match of the season on Wednesday, the Richmond junior varsity girls’ soccer team lost 1-0 to Cape Fear.
The JV Lady Colts netted a goal in the first half, while Richmond outshot their opponent 8-3.
“It’s the start of a new season and we have a lot of new pieces we’re trying to fit together,” head coach Bennie Howard said. “The girls played better in the second half and we’ll get back to practice to correct our mistakes.”
Returning to the pitch on Monday, the JV Lady Raiders (0-1) will host non-conference Lumberton High School at 5:15 p.m.
