The Richmond Senior High School Raider Soccer Team is already shifting focus after suffering a 3-1 defeat against the Porter Ridge Pirates last Thursday. With a record of 1-2 this season, the Raiders are now preparing for their matchup against Rolesville in the North Carolina Coaches Association Kickoff Classic.
Coach Chris Larsen expressed optimism despite the loss, emphasizing the need to address mistakes made during the game. “I told them at halftime, ‘We have got to start eliminating those mistakes.’ If we had, we could have come away with a draw or even a win. I can see improvement in our teamwork and understanding of the game concepts. Even in these losses, we are still getting better,” he stated.
The Pirates quickly took advantage of defensive lapses from the Raiders, scoring their first goal early in the game and doubling their lead just before halftime. The Raiders narrowed the gap in the second half when Patrick Smith directed a free kick from Gonzalo Gonzales into the net, marking Smith’s first goal of the season.
“It was a diagonal, near-post run that he got a touch on. That flick was enough to beat the keeper. I could see the excitement on his face, and the team really rallied around him, which got us back in the game. Hopefully, this boosts his confidence going forward,” Larsen added.
Despite some momentum on their side, the Raiders could not equalize, as Porter Ridge secured their victory when Anton Blotskyi charged down the sideline and found the back of the net.
Porter Ridge coach Ron Ladimir noted that his team was short-handed due to injuries but praised their effort. “We had a tough game the night before, so we were about six players down. I was proud of the effort. This was Anton’s first goal of the year, and we really needed it as we struggled halfway through the second half,” Ladimir said.
With this win, Porter Ridge improved to 4-1, while Richmond fell to 1-2 after having a game canceled due to rain on Monday. The Raiders will hit the road to play St. Pauls this Monday, before returning home to host East Mecklenburg on Wednesday, with both matches set to kick off at 7 p.m.