Almont girls soccer rolls past Richmond in Division 3 district final
RICHMOND — Just weeks after winning the Blue Water Area Conference championship, the Almont girls soccer team claimed another title Thursday.
The Raiders rolled past Richmond, 4-1, in a Division 3 district final at Ben Boldt Stadium.
Lola Battaglia totaled three goals and one assist for Almont, which improved to 16-3-1 overall and advanced to Tuesday's regional semifinal against Frankenmuth or Flint Powers Catholic in Clawson.
"I felt like we had most of the control over the ball," said Almont freshman Callie McCarthy, who recorded two assists. "We were possessing it well and we weren't just kicking it. When (Richmond) had the ball, we played as a team and worked together as a team — that's how we won."
The Blue Devils finished the season at 13-3-3.
"I think we played as well as we could," said Richmond senior Rylie Jacques, who scored the team's lone goal. "We kept fighting, we kept going and, honestly, that's all I can ask of my team in my last game."
Battaglia broke the scoreless tie with a goal at the 25:48 mark of the first half. While dribbling left of the goal box, she fired the ball past the netminder and into the right corner.
"Getting (the first goal) definitely boosted our confidence," Battaglia said. "That happens a lot. As soon as you get a goal, as a team, you get more confidence."
Sixteen minutes later, Avery Peake gave the Raiders some breathing room. The junior buried a rebound right in front of the net to put Almont up, 2-0. That score held until halftime.
"Today, we were just finding feet and hitting the through balls to our forward early and often," Almont coach Mike Kepler said. "That's how we score goals and, ultimately, how we win."
Battaglia added two more in the second half, scoring at 12:19 and 7:05, respectively.
Jacques got Richmond on the board with a strike at 3:24. The senior was emotional after the loss, as it marked the end of her four-year career with the program.
"I'm very blessed to be on a team with this many amazing people," Jacques said. "That's why I'm crying. Because it hurts to let go of all of them."
She's played a vital role in the Blue Devils' recent success, which includes a 42-11-8 record since 2021 and a 2023 BWAC title.
"I can't thank the seniors enough," Richmond junior Liz Kocher said of Jacques and Abby Dobrasko. "I've learned so much from them. They also taught me hard work. Rylie never gives up — ever. She always keeps me in check, too, and lets me know how to get better. I can't thank her and Abby enough for that."
Like Almont, Richmond is now an established power in the conference. But as Jacques remembers, that wasn't always the case.
"Our freshmen year, when we went into districts, we had 10 players," Jacques said. "My biggest thing was that I wanted to (help) develop the team. Since then, we've developed so well ... even though we didn't succeed today, we gave it our best effort. And that's what I always wanted."
As for the Raiders, all they want is to keep rolling.
Almont will face the winner of Friday's district final between Frankenmuth (17-2-4) and Flint Powers Catholic (14-4-2). Should the latter prevail, it would set up the fourth consecutive postseason meeting between the Chargers and Raiders. Powers Catholic has won the previous three.
"Whoever we draw, we're just looking to compete," Kepler said. "It doesn't matter (who the opponent is), because we're going to give it our all."
Tuesday's regional semifinal is scheduled for 5 p.m. at Clawson City Park.
"We're going to go against some really tough teams," Peake said. "But if we keep our composure and play the game we know, hopefully, we can advance."
Contact Brenden Welper at bwelper@gannett.com. Follow him on Twitter @BrendenWelper.
This article originally appeared on Port Huron Times Herald: Almont girls soccer rolls past Richmond in Division 3 district final
