RICHMOND – Richmond girls’ soccer coach Troy Kendrick was worried how his young team would hold up in its first playoff game.
Fifty-one shots later, he had his answer.
The No. 2 Bobcats scored a pair of first-half goals and defeated third-seeded Buckfield 2-0 Thursday in a Western D semifinal match.
“It was important to us (to start strong),” said Kendrick. “With a young team the tournament jitters were a concern.”
Richmond (12-2-1) peppered 31 shots on the Buckfield goal in the first half on a quagmire of a field.
Melanie Schanck opened the scoring less than 19 minutes into the match after intercepting a clearing attempt by the Buckfield (6-6-3) defense. She quickly set the ball up on her right foot from 35 yards out and lofted a long shot over the head of Buckfield keeper Shayna Shackford (23 saves).
Shackford made 16 saves in the first half to keep the Bucks close. Twice she stopped the initial shot as well as a follow-up attempt from close range.
“I felt during the entire game she was out of position only once or twice,” said Buckfield coach Mike Jack.
“She definitely kept us in the game.”
One rebound Shackford couldn’t control led to the Bobcats second score.
With Shackford on her knees after making the save, Brianna Clifford raced into the crease and tucked the ball into the net.
“I just jumped in and got a piece of it,” said Clifford.
With the Bobcats controlling play for much of the game, the Bucks were limited to just three shots on goal. Part of that was by design. In the first half, Jack dropped another player back to the midfield area and his team focused its defense around Katie Cray.
“She’s a playmaker,” said Kendrick, “but she’s used to having a tag with someone in her hip pocket.”
[email protected]
Comments are no longer available on this story