ROCKINGHAM — A week featuring two Mid-South Conference matches against the top two teams in the standings started with a loss for the Richmond Senior High School girls’ soccer team Tuesday.
Hosting Overhills High School, the Lady Raiders couldn’t funnel a wealth of offensive momentum into enough scoring, which resulted in a 5-1 loss.
The Lady Jaguars, who are in second place in the MSC standings, scored four goals in the first half.
Richmond cut its deficit to three goals early in the second half, but a late goal by Overhills secured the four-goal differential.
Head coach Chris Larsen said Richmond was its own biggest opponent Tuesday, saying too many scoring chances were left unfinished. He added that making adjustments was a part of a better second half played by the team.
“(Overhills) got us for four goals in the first half because they played with such a high line and tonight was the first time we’ve seen something like that this season,” Larsen explained. “It took some time to adjust to that and the speed that (Overhills) had up top.
“The girls played a much better second half after we made some adjustments and switched some things around,” he continued. “Our opportunities to score were there tonight, but we kind of shot ourselves in the foot by not scoring on several 1v1 chances.”
Larsen also said the final score “wasn’t indicative” to how the game could have turned out had the Lady Raiders “gotten a goal or a lucky bounce here or there.”
Overhills scored its first-half goals in the seventh, 23rd, 34th and 38th minutes.
Part of the better-played second half for Richmond, sophomore Cadence Gazoo had the team’s first quality look on a shot that was just left of the net in the 42nd minute.
In the 47th minute, the Lady Jaguars were called for a foul inside the box. Junior Mariana Gonzalez, who was the player taken down, was given the green light by Larsen for the penalty kick opportunity.
Sending a blast toward the upper netting along the left post, Gonzalez scored on the PK and got the Lady Raiders back within three goals.
Keeping up the offensive pressure in the second half, Richmond had scoring chances on frame that were saved by junior Colbie Covington, sophomore Erin Drumwright and senior Ella Gibson.
The Lady Raiders had a couple of other scoring opportunities late, but both times were flagged for being offsides. Larsen said he disagreed with both calls, but shared that “that’s the way it goes sometimes.”
Overhills netted its final goal of the match in the 71st minute.
With one more match scheduled ahead of spring break, the Lady Raiders (3-7-2, 0-3-1 MSC) will close the first round of regular-season conference action Thursday.
They’ll travel to conference leader Pinecrest High School (10-0-2, 4-0 MSC) and begin at 7 p.m.
Click here to read about the JV girls’ soccer team’s loss to Overhills Tuesday.
