ROCKINGHAM - The Richmond Senior High School varsity soccer team hosted non-conference opponent Porter Ridge High School in its home opener Wednesday, and even though the Raiders were kept scoreless, first-year head coach Chris Larsen was proud of his team’s performance.
Two days after falling to Central Academy of Technology and Arts on the road to open the season, the Raiders fell to the Pirates in another close contest 1-0. The lone goal on the night was scored by Pirates’ senior midfielder Erick Sanchez in the 66th minute on a penalty kick.
“I thought the guys played extremely well, which is ironic to say when we didn’t win,” Larsen said following the game. “But they gave me 110 percent from the first whistle to the final whistle, and I can’t ask for much more than that.”
Entering the night, Porter Ridge (Indian Trail, N.C.) had already competed in three matches on the young season, and with the win over Richmond, head coach Rod Ladimir’s team improved to 3-1. For Larsen and the Raiders, their first win of the season will have to wait for another day.
In what Larsen described as a “physical game,” the Raiders (0-2) found themselves in some personnel trouble early. Junior defender Drew Davis received a yellow card in the match’s opening minutes, and senior forward Carlos Alcocer picked up one of his own midway through the first half.
Junior Chandler Sinclair was also warranted a yellow card in the match, and with it, Larsen noted that his team was forced to play a little bit more conservatively throughout, but explained that it “didn’t hold back” scoring opportunities.
Despite not being able to put the ball in the back of the net, Richmond’s players impressed their head coach with their sense of urgency and tenacity on defense. Senior goalkeeper Jackson Haley held his own, while getting some timely support from senior defenders Nolan Allen and Evan Hudson.
“It was a back-and-forth game,” Larsen said. “Porter Ridge had a handful of shots from close range that could have been goals if it wasn’t for our defense. Evan and Nolan both had a couple of times where they came in and slid to block a shot. They played really well in front of Jackson tonight.
“I’ve never seen Jackson play as well as he did tonight,” he continued about his keeper. “It was a hard-fought, quality soccer match. I have nothing but praise for the guys even if we weren’t victorious. Right now we have to keep our drive, pace and game plan intact, and once we do, I think we’re going to start winning a lot of games. We’ve just got to break the ice and stay in that win column.”
The first half was scoreless for both teams, and Sanchez’s goal came in the final 15 minutes of the match. Larsen explained that the game-winning goal was a result of Haley coming out to play the ball, as well as Davis closing in on a Porter Ridge player. After contact was made inside the box, Richmond was whistled for a foul, allowing for Sanchez to punch one in on a penalty kick.
The Raiders weren’t without their fair share of scoring opportunities against the Pirates, as Larsen said his team had “several balls played across the net that we couldn’t get a touch on.” He added that his squad put together “a few decent shots from outside the box,” as Alcocer and fellow senior Jose Fonseca each had numerous “open looks.”
In another scoring chance off a corner kick, the ball came within inches of Noah Jordan, but the junior midfielder was just out of reach from making contact along the back post.
Through its first two games, Richmond has only netted one goal, thanks to senior Evyn Brower blasting a goal in the fifth minute against CATA. Dating back to the three preseason scrimmages, the Raiders have only tallied two total goals. And while it’s too early in the season for Larsen to hit the panic button, he knows that it’s only a matter of time before his players strike scoring gold.
“It’s a chemistry thing right now,” Larsen said of the lack of scoring. “It’s only our fifth game together (dating back to preseason scrimmages). Our ball movement tonight was much better, and it’s just a matter of hitting our passes that will lead to goal-scoring opportunities.
“I talked to my assistant coaches (Tad Hamilton and Daniel Webb), and we discussed how we’re slowing momentum down with passes back instead of forward,” he continued. “We’ve got to get the ball forward and guys in box to score goals, and we saw more of that tonight.”
Larsen compared scoring goals in high school soccer to shooting free throws in basketball -- even during a cold spell, all it takes is a couple of good shots into the net to right the ship.
“If the guys keep shooting, the ball will go in,” Larsen said. “We just need to have a breakout game and that will hopefully carry over and build our confidence and swagger for future games.”
Larsen hopes that the breakout game will come during Thursday’s match, Richmond’s third of the week, as the Raiders will host non-conference opponent Forest Hills High School (Marshville, N.C.). The Yellow Jackets are 0-4 in 2018, and have been outscored 17-8 in those matches.
“The team has built a lot of confidence in our first two matches, and I’m hoping to get fresher guys in the game,” Larsen said of Thursday’s game. “I think if we build off of our first two games and take another step forward, we’ll have a break out night.
“I’ve told the guys that as a season, we don’t have many teams that aren’t going to be a tough night,” he concluded. “We’re going to have to show up and play every night, and our tough non-conference schedule will benefit us and teach our guys how to respond when conference play starts.”
Thursday’s match against Forest Hills is slated for a 6 p.m. start.
Note: The Richmond junior varsity team also lost its match to the Pirates to even its record to 1-1 on the season. Freshman Alex Medina scored the first goal of the game on a penalty kick, before Porter Ridge scored two unanswered goals for a 2-1 victory.
