ROCKINGHAM — Continuing a strong showing by Richmond Senior High School’s spring sports teams this year, the Lady Raider soccer program qualified for the postseason Friday.
Joining the boys’ tennis and boys’ golf teams, as well as the baseball and softball programs, the Lady Raiders earned a spot in the 7A state playoffs.
Returning to the North Carolina High School Athletic Association postseason for the third straight season, Richmond snuck in as one of the 7A West’s final teams. The NCHSAA released its final brackets mid-morning Friday.
The Lady Raiders received the No. 23 seed in the 7A West, and will travel to face No. 10 Cuthbertson High School in the first round Monday.
Teams from across the state in each classification earned playoff berths based on their final ratings percentage index (RPI). The NCHSAA makes a ranking based on a team’s winning percentage, its opponents’ winning percentage and its opponents’ opponents winning percentage.
Richmond finished the regular season as the No. 43 ranked 7A team in final RPI (0.47245). The Lady Cavaliers were ranked higher in the final rankings at No. 21 (0.56579).
Head coach Chris Larsen said following Richmond’s final regular season game Tuesday that a goal for the program every season is to be competitive and make the playoffs. He said both were achieved this season, with hopefully more soccer still on the horizon.
“We always talk about wanting to improve as a team throughout the season with the end goal being to make the playoffs,” Larsen said. “I’m happy for the girls for getting that chance this season.
“We play a tough non-conference schedule, and that is by design. We may not have won as many games as we would have liked, but playing schools with higher RPIs gives us a better chance at making the playoffs.”
Richmond (5-11-4) enters the postseason having drawn even in a pair of scoreless matches to end the regular season, while the Lady Cavaliers (8-8-1) have won their three previous matches before the playoffs.
While scoring has come at a premium this season, the Lady Raiders have made it count when needed. They’re averaging 1.9 goals per game and allowing 2.1 goals against.
Richmond’s leading scorers this season have been junior Colbie Covington (eight goals) and freshman Kaylea Peele (six goals). Junior goalkeeper Kenley Smith has been strong between the posts, not having allowed a goal in the last 180 minutes played.
Cuthbertson, which is coached by Kelsey Perrell, is averaging 1.8 goals per match and has allowed 1.9 goals against on average.
In conference play, the Lady Raiders were fifth in the Mid-South Conference and Cuthbertson was fourth in the Southern Carolina Conference.
With the board wiped clean and every team looking to advance one game at a time, Larsen believes Richmond’s back row will be its strongest catalyst in the postseason.
“We’ve earned the opportunity to be in the playoffs and we’re going to see what we can do to maybe shake up the brackets,” Larsen said. “Our defense and goalkeeping has been playing great lately, now we just have to find that confidence to score.
“Eighty minutes is a lot of soccer, and if we can defend like we have, and give ourselves a few good chances on net, we have the ability to win and advance,” he closed. “We will definitely try to bring our A game against Cuthbertson.”
The No. 23 Lady Raiders and No. 10 Lady Cavaliers will start Monday’s match in Waxhaw at 7 p.m.
