ASHEBORO — One goal was all the Richmond Senior High School girls’ soccer team needed to win Friday.
Continuing to “trend in the right direction,” according to head coach Chris Larsen, the Lady Raiders defeated non-conference opponent Uwharrie Charter Academy 1-0.
The win was the first victory for Richmond in its last four matches (three losses, one tie) and the tally marked the team’s first goal during that same stretch.
Sophomore Colbie Covington scored the only goal of the match, her team-leading third score this season. The match was played at the Cone Health ZooCity Sportsplex.
“We played well and picked up where we left off from last night,” Larsen said. “The field was as wide as our field and it worked to our advantage. That allowed us to do what we do, which is to get wide on the wings and break lines to get the ball back to the middle of the field.
“I’m happy for the girls to get back in the win column,” he added. “It was a back and forth game and the girls are starting to understand and apply the concepts we’ve been working on. We are looking more and more like a quality soccer team”
Near the midway point of the first half, Covington used her speed down the left sideline to take possession on a through ball on a diagonal run. Working against a defender, she created space and ripped the shot into the net.
Larsen credited the defense and the work of senior goalkeeper Sa’Quanna Bostic, which led to Richmond’s first shutout win of the season.
“(Uwharrie Charter) had a good forward up top, but our defense contained her,” he explained. “Samantha Barnes and Ava Thompson did a good job shutting her down and moving her to the outside where Nevaeh Harris and Jentry Denson didn’t allow clean looks.
“Quanna made two really big stops, one in each half. With a couple minutes left in the first half, she stopped a free kick outside the box and absorbed contact from a player. Her other big stop was similar in the final 10 minutes of the game.
“Having Quanna in goal and her level of confidence, that keeps us ahead as a team,” Larsen closed. “We are getting to where we want to be, and we have three more chances to get wins next week.”
The Lady Raiders (3-6-1, 1-3 Sandhills Athletic Conference) will return to conference play Tuesday at Scotland High School (0-5, 0-4 SAC), which hasn’t scored a goal all season. Action will start at 6 p.m.
Sports editor’s note: Statistics and game information provided by head coach Chris Larsen. The Richmond junior varsity girls’ soccer team didn’t play Friday.
