ROCKINGHAM — Coming down to the wire Wednesday, the Richmond Senior High School boys’ soccer team earned what head coach Chris Larsen called a victory over a “quality opponent.”
After knocking on the door in several matches this fall, the Raiders persevered on their home pitch to break a scoreless draw late against Cape Fear High School.
Netting a goal in the 75th minute, Richmond secured a 1-0 win over the Colts for their second win this season.
Scoring the match’s only goal was senior forward Memphis Jacobs, who finished a run started by sophomore teammate Allen Franco.
Making the start in net was junior goalkeeper Eric Legrand, who played all 80 minutes and was credited with the shutout.
A scoreless first half was a balanced back-and-forth affair between both teams. Richmond possessed the ball better in the opening 20 minutes than its opponent.
Legrand stopped a few lazy shots in the first 15 minutes, thanks in part to the defense limiting the Colts’ chances by forcing long shots.
The Raiders’ first scoring chance came in the 17th minute when junior Patrick Smith won a foot race down the right side. Sending a high arcing cross into the box, Smith’s pass couldn’t connect with a teammate and had to be scooped up by the keeper.
Six minutes later, junior Cailan Moore made a similar run to Smith down the right side. Making it around the defender, Moore sent a shot just wide to the right of the net.
Legrand faced and stopped contested shots in the 24th and 38th minutes to keep the match even at the half. Another save saw him leap over Moore to pick a high shot out of the air.
With three minutes to go in the half, Franco sent a strike over the crossbar.
The second half started much like the first, as both teams traded possession through the first 10 minutes. Cape Fear (3-2) had the first couple of scoring chances in the 52nd and 53rd minutes, the first of which was a one-handed swat by Legrand to deflect the ball wide.
The Colts took a free kick in the 56th minute, but Smith was there to clean house and clear the ball down the right side of the field out of the danger zone.
Helping thwart a relentless Colts offensive attack, senior Elen Fonseca Garcia used his body to block a shot at the top of the 18-yard box in the 62nd minute.
Over the next nine minutes of action, Legrand made a series of saves, including a stop on a 30-yard free kick. He also made a sliding tackle save on a 1v1 threat and later picked a one-hopper off the ground from distance.
Part of the strong defensive stand was junior center back Brian Griffith, who made a timely deflection with his head to redirect a shot out of the box.
The work of Legrand and the defense was rewarded on a counterattack in the 75th minute. Franco gained possession near midfield and started the eventual scoring run by outhustling a pair of defenders.
Franco threaded a pass to Jacobs near the top of the box and he used his speed to create space. Getting around the final defender, Jacobs sent a low strike inside the left post past a sprawling keeper to make it 1-0.
Cape Fear tried to tie the match, but Legrand made two leaping saves around the two-minute mark. He stood tall on a free kick with a minute to go and Griffifth made a smart play near the left post to shield the ball and force a goal kick with 30 seconds left and preserve the win.
Richmond (2-4-1) will get an extended break between matches and return to the pitch Sept. 8 at home. The Raiders will host non-conference St. Pauls High School at 7 p.m.
