ROCKINGHAM — Inclement weather disrupted Richmond Senior High School’s soccer match Friday.
The Lady Raiders played host to non-conference Clinton High School and nearly played a complete match before lightning ended it early.
Richmond and the Lady Dark Horses ended in a 1-1 draw.
Play was suspended with 2:15 left in regulation, and after several more lightning strikes, both head coaches decided to end the match.
A scoreless first half was an even battle through the opening 20 minutes. Richmond turned up the offensive pressure in the final 15 minutes of half, starting with a 1v1 opportunity by sophomore Mariana Gonzalez in the box.
As a heavy rain began to fall for the remainder of the first half, senior Yarely Vargas had two chances to score. Her first was a dart on frame from 15 yards that was stopped in the 29th minute, and the other was a hard roller wide of the right post in the 36th minute.
Sophomore Colbie Covington sent a corner kick into the danger zone in the closing minutes, but it skipped through untouched.
It was the Lady Raiders who struck twine first to begin the second half. Gonzalez netted a goal in the 45th minute, assisted by her sister Ashly Gonzalez, to make it a 1-0 lead.
Starting the scoring run was a throw-in by junior Jentry Denson to senior Ashly Gonzalez. Creating space and moving up the middle of the field, Ashly Gonzalez found Mariana on a through ball between two defenders.
Spinning around a defender while maintaining possession, Mariana Gonzalez blasted a shot with her left foot from the top of the 18-yard box that whizzed inside of the left post.
Richmond had two more quality scoring opportunities in quick succession. In the 48th minute, senior Hanna Smith one-timed a corner kick from Denson inside the six-yard box that was caught by the keeper.
Covington had the other scoring chance five minutes later, banging a shot from the left third off the upper right corner of the goal on a shot in transition.
Just 24 seconds after Covington’s shot attempt, the Lady Dark Horses (10-7-3) scored on a second-chance ball from close range that was initially stopped by senior goalkeeper Sa’Quanna Bostic.
Before the game was delayed then ultimately called, Smith had two more near chances on net. She sent a tight-angled shot just high and wide in the 67th minute and sent a one-hopper from 25 yards out on frame in the 70th minute.
Richmond (8-10-2) will start its final week of the regular season with a home non-conference match against Sun Valley High School (12-5-2). The match will start at 5:30 p.m.
The season will conclude next Wednesday on the road at Central Academy of Technology and Arts. That match will begin at 6 p.m.
