Richmond Hill's girls soccer team has been one of the strongest teams in the Coastal Empire in recent years, winning the region championship three years in a row while the Wildcats advanced to the state quarterfinals three years in a row. It has become.
This year's team had an overwhelming record, with the Wildcats, who play in 7A, the highest ranking in the state, winning Regions 1-7A with an 8-0 record. Richmond Hill tested itself with a tough non-region schedule and passed with flying colors, returning to the regular schedule with 3-0 wins over Savannah Arts (14-4) and Glynn Academy (14-2) last week. Finished the season. -1).
Richmond Hill enters the playoffs with a 15-0-2 record as the Wildcats are scheduled to host South Gwinnett (11-6) in the Class 7A playoff opener on Tuesday, April 16th.
“I’ve been impressed with our tenacity this season,” said Richmond Hill coach Kelly Anderson, who is in her fifth year with the program and second year as head coach. “They want it more than anything, so if I ask them to do something, no questions asked. They know what is expected of them. We have phenomenal players, but they are still coachable.”
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The team's victory over Savannah Arts on April 9 at Duffin Park showcased the team's depth and versatility. Freshman Makaylyn Martin cleaned up a rebound for the first goal in the fourth minute, and sophomore keeper Kamryn Martinez converted a penalty seven minutes later.
Hannah Nelson extended the lead to 2-0 by scoring from a scrum in front of the net in the 54th minute, and junior captain Kate Clark scored the winning goal in the 78th minute with a conversion from the top of the box. The defense, led by Maggie Dodge, did a great job of containing the Panther offense.
“We have a lot of guys who are really good with the ball and everyone can score,” senior captain Madison Haldeman said. “It makes it difficult for the opponent because you can’t focus on one player, you have to protect everyone.”
The goalscoring wealth is well distributed and the statistics support Haldeman's view. Iris Turner led the team with 19 goals, and Martin had 13 goals and nine assists. Clark had 10 goals and 15 assists, and Ella Peterson had eight goals and 13 assists. Brooke Norris scored six goals, while Haldeman and Caitlin McCormick each scored five.
The future looks bright for the Wildcats, who lost only two seniors to graduation. There are four third-year students, seven sophomores, and six freshmen on the roster.
The defensive back four are all freshmen, with Dodge, Talia Christman, Brooke Norris and Edain Perry-Anderson anchoring the unit.
The Wildcats are ranked No. 8 among Class 7A teams by SCORE Atlanta and are in the playoffs, and Coach Anderson believes his team is ready to take the next step.
“We did a lot to bring the team together and get rid of the quietness that we had in the early days,” Anderson said. “The girls trust each other and communicate well. They're trying to learn from their past mistakes in the playoffs. They've got some new things in store. They're playing smarter and have mental barriers.” I want to break it.”
Dennis Knight covers sports for the Savannah Morning News. Contact us at Dknight@savannahnow.com. Twitter: @DennisKnightSMN
