RAEFORD, N.C. – If the pre-game presentation was any inclination of how the Lady Raiders soccer team would play Wednesday night, it’s safe to say they “rocked” the Hoke County High School Lady Bucks by scoring their most goals in a game this season.
Before the 6-1 Sandhills Athletic Conference win for Richmond (5-1, 2-1 SAC), head coach Bennie Howard, who is in his 24th and final year at the helm of the Lady Raiders’ program, was honored by Hoke County with a porch rocker emblazoned with the Richmond diamond.
But those were the only pleasantries exchanged, as the two teams battled high winds in a tough physical matchup. It was a Richmond-dominated game, as the Lady Raiders maintained possession deep in Hoke’s defensive territory for a majority of the game.
Senior striker Hanna Millen, who entered the night with just one goal on the season, netted a hat trick to give her a team-best four goals through six games. Sophomore defender Avy Lucero tacked on two more goals of her own, and fellow tenth-grade midfielder Emily Buie capped off the night’s scoring.
Richmond only led 2-0 at the recess, and came out of the break to explode for four goals.
“The cold had some bearing on our slow start,” Howard said after the game. “But we came out of the half and put together some good soccer to score four goals. Everyone got some playing time, and I was pleased with the efforts of Hanna, Avy, Emily and the whole team.”
Lucero got the scoring started in the 23rd minute when she scored on a penalty kick following a Hoke County (1-5, 1-2) foul in the box. Just under five minutes later, Millen notched her first goal of the night, thanks to some quick footwork and an assist from junior midfielder Jayana Nicholson.
After the Lady Bucks failed to clear the ball, Nicholson corralled it, deked two defenders and chipped a lead pass to Millen in the box, who redirected it past freshman goalkeeper Melissa Torres.
Richmond had several other scoring opportunities in the first half, as Lucero ripped a free kick wide, Chloe Wiggins sent one over the crossbar and Jessi Graham and Morgan Hooks had close calls in the box.
One of Howard’s go-to phrases on the sideline when a player has a near-miss is “unlucky,” but Buie found herself on the other side, as she snagged her second goal of the year thanks to some help from Torres. In the 45th minute, she ripped a shot on frame from 30 yards and Torres got both hands on the ball, but it was just high enough, and the ball deflected into the net.
The scoring duo of Millen and Lucero struck again, first in the 61st minute when Lucero sent a dart through traffic from the right side of the field just outside the 18-yard box. Millen scored exactly a minute and a half later, beating Torres from close range in the box.
With the score 5-0, Millen tabbed her third goal with just under 16 minutes left in regulation. Hoke’s sophomore midfielder Josslyn Branch took the shutout off the board, as she lobbed a shot over backup goalkeeper Kelly Hoffman’s head with 7:33 to go.
In junior varsity play, head coach Chris Larsen’s team made easy work of the Lady Bucks, beating them 4-1. Freshman Jayla McDougald had three goals, her second hat trick of the season, and fellow freshman Jakerra Covington added the other goal.
Both teams are back in SAC action Friday, as they’ll head to Jack Britt High School. The Lady Buccaneers beat Purnell Swett High School 1-0 in overtime Wednesday. Junior varsity will get things started at 5:30 p.m., followed by varsity at 7 p.m.
