LAURINBURG — The hunt is over for the first win of the season for the Richmond Senior High School boys’ soccer team.
Snapping a three-match losing streak to start the new campaign, the Raiders got rivalry week started with a victory Monday.
Playing at non-conference Scotland High School, Richmond erased a first-half deficit to notch a 3-2 win.
Three players each scored a goal — juniors Kevin Diaz Lopez, Patrick Smith and Cole Lambeth. It was each player’s first tally of the season and Lambeth scored the eventual game-winning goal.
Happy to get the win, head coach Chris Larsen admitted that Monday’s performance wasn’t the best outing of the season for Richmond.
“I told the guys tonight was a prime example of what it means to show up not ready to play,” Larsen said. “I don’t think we were as focused as we could have been. It wasn’t one of our best matches so far this season.
“We were all around the net but just couldn’t connect,” he added. “This was our first win, and that’s important, but I hope the guys learned from it. Sometimes the hardest win to get is the first one.”
Scotland (1-2) scored the only goal of the first half against junior goalkeeper Eric Legrand, who played all 80 minutes for Richmond.
Near the midway point of the second half, Diaz Lopez scored the first equalizer to make it 1-1. However, Scotland retook the one-goal lead a minute later.
As part of a series of quick goals by both teams, Smith found the back of the net three minutes later to even the score 2-2.
Lambeth followed that with his goal less than five minutes later and Larsen said Richmond was “able to hold the lead for the last 15 minutes.”
Smith was credited with an assist and senior Memphis Jacobs had two assists. Larsen also praised Legrand for making “several 1v1 stops” to give Richmond a chance to get the win.
“Now that we’ve got the first one out of the way, I hope the guys come better prepared Wednesday for our home match,” Larsen closed.
Richmond (1-3) will host non-conference Terry Sanford High School (1-2) Wednesday at 7 p.m.
JV Raiders notch another win
Ahead of Monday’s varsity match, the Richmond junior varsity boys’ soccer team collected its second straight win.
Also playing at Scotland, the JV Raiders cruised to a 6-1 victory.
Richmond led 3-1 at halftime before tacking on three insurance goals in the final 35 minutes.
Sophomore Drew McCaskill led the team with two goals, one of five players to find the back of the net.
Scoring one goal apiece were sophomores Kerick Hairston Jr. and JaVeion Littlejohn, along with freshmen Nathan Erwin and Eduardo Soriano Serrano.
Head coach Jessi Weigman said “the second half was much better than the first” and that she was “glad everyone got a little playing time.”
The JV Raiders (3-1) also host Terry Sanford Wednesday. That match will start at 5:15 p.m.
Sports editor’s note: Game information and statistics provided by coaches Chris Larsen and Jessi Weigman.
