By RYAN ARENA

L’Observateur

RESERVE – Riverside’s boys soccer team clinched a playoff berth and will enter the postseason on a high note after Monday night’s 2-1 victory over district foe Houma Christian on Riverside’s home field.

“We talked about taking care of business tonight,” said Riverside coach Stephen Millet. “I thought we were the better team, but if we wanted to get to the playoffs we had to come out and show it. Fortunately, we finished enough opportunities to come out with the win … it’s a good confidence booster going into the playoffs. And anything can happen once you’re there.”

The Rebels (4-13, 2-4) finished third in District 8-III, ahead of the Warriors but behind St. Charles and district champion E.D. White.

Beau Gaudet scored both goals for Riverside.

“We wanted to finish (the regular season) on a good note,” said Gaudet. “As a senior, this is probably my last home game at Riverside so I definitely wanted to win … I don’t think we played our best tonight, but it was a must win game that we came away with.”

The teams were tied at halftime. Gaudet scored the eventual game-winner midway through the second half.

“Travis (Trosclair) had the ball an d passed it across to me. I went to shoot it and the defender blocked it. But I was able to slide and knock it in on the rebound,” said Gaudet.

Said Millet: “We did a better job keeping it in their half of the field in the second half.”

On Thursday Riverside fell 5-0 to E.D. White, which went on to defeat St. Charles Saturday to clinch the district championship outright.

GIRLS SOCCER

E.D. WHITE 3, RIVERSIDE 0 – The Lady Rebels concluded their regular season Thursday at home to E.D. White, falling 3-0 to the eventual district champion.

“They’ve got two tremendous players, one midfielder, one up top,” Millet said of the Cardinals. “We wanted to limit them, but they each got loose. When you give good players time and space with the ball, they’re going to haunt you.”

But Millet said that, by and large, he feels good about what his girls have done entering the postseason after finishing tied for second in District 8-III with St. Charles.

“It’s been a promising season, and for the first time we haven’t finished last,” said Millet. “We’re making progress.”