Frustration can’t begin to describe how it feels to be a Richmond Hill girls soccer fan.
For the sixth time in the last eight state tournaments—there was none in 2020 due to COVID—Wildcats girls found themselves knocking on the Final Four door only to find it bolted shut.
The latest team to deny Richmond Hill its first ever appearance in the GHSA state tourney semifinals was Denmark as the Danes pulled out a 4-0 Class 7A win Monday night at Wildcats Stadium.
The loss was the first of the season for Richmond Hill which had won 15 straight games, 13 by shutout. Denmark’s four goals also equaled the total the Wildcats had allowed this season.
The Danes (13-3), ranked No. 8 in the state, took control of the game early and held the Wildcats at bay and in the process earned their first ever trip to the tournament semis.
Denmark also erased some of its own bad memories in the process. The Danes were 19-0 last season when they came up a cropper against Walton, losing 2-1 in two overtimes in the third round.
This was also the second time an unbeaten Wildcats team had seen its season end in a quarterfinal loss. Now retired Coach Steve Kollman’s 2015 team won its first 19 games before losing to North Atlanta.
It was a tough pill to swallow for the Wildcats and first year coach Kelly Anderson— she was an assistant on last year’s team which lost to River Ridge in the Class 6A quarters--but she gave credit where credit was due.
“We had more pressure than we’re used to,” Anderson said. “They tested our defense, tested us a little more. We have to learn and grow from it.
“They came, were dominant, were better, they were there (at the ball) first,” Anderson said. “It’s just the way the game goes.
“We came into this season kind of unknown in a new 7A region,” Anderson said. “We didn’t anticipate anything.
“This loss today doesn’t take anything away from the season these girls had. They worked hard and deserved to be here.”
It was the final game for seven seniors: Kayla Jackson, who has signed to play at Jacksonville University, Shannon Lacy, Natalie Larez, Ella Mahaffey, Ileana Fernandez, Ella Snider and Karlie Eubanks.
There would have been eight seniors, but Courtney Allen, who led last year’s team in scoring, bypassed her final season. Allen graduated last December and is now playing at the University of North Florida.
“We’re losing a big bulk of our team,” Anderson said. “But I think the ones coming behind them will get the job done. We’re working hard, getting stronger and we’re still kind of building up. I’m not worried about the future.”
The most notable returnees will be a pair of freshmen, Ella Peterson and goalkeeper Kamdyn Martinez. Peterson was the second leading scorer this season behind Jackson and Martinez was virtually untouchable.
Anderson suited up seven freshmen, three sophomores and one junior in addition to the seven seniors and she said the playoff experience will be invaluable going into next season.
“It was a good experience (making it to the third round), especially for our freshmen,” Anderson said. “They haven’t been in this situation up here on the varsity team, in the playoffs.”
Anderson lauded her team for its effort against, as the game progressed, what was obviously the better team.
“That first half it didn’t happen,” Anderson said. “The second half it did. I told them whatever it is when you get out there you show this town what you’re made of.
“I think in the second half they fought a lot harder. I think the nerves got to us…it took us a good minute to figure out our rhythm and when we did it just wasn’t enough.”