PANTEGO — Three years removed from an unprecedented 21-1 record and NCISAA State Championship, the Ridgecroft soccer team has come a long way since the days embarrassing Terra Ceia on its home turf.

In the last seven meetings between the teams, the Rams have outscored the Knights 60-1, showing no mercy against its former Tarheel Independent Conference opponent and breaking seemingly every one of soccer’s unwritten scoring rules.

On Tuesday, however, the Knights finally put an end to years of soccer cruelty, as junior striker Kendal Bowen’s four-goal performance single-handedly settled a score years in the making.

“We haven’t beaten this team in a long time, so we wanted to come out and play strong and make sure they respect us in the future,” said coach Nate Burns. “They try to come in and disrespect us on our home field and try to blow us out. We want to make sure they never try to do that again.”

Playing a possession-based style of soccer, the Knights’ owned the ball for more than 80 percent of the game and limited Ridgecroft to just four shots on goal in 80 minutes.

For an offense centered on one- and two-touch passing, Bowen, freshman Johannes Van Essendelft and seventh grader Dawson Cox consistently capitalized in transition and used their speed to break down the Rams’ defense. Five minutes into the match, midfielder Noah Williams hit a perfect through ball behind the defense to Bowen, who changed direction and flicked it past the goalkeeper, scoring the first Terra Ceia goal against Ridgecroft in two years.

Following the opening strike, Ridgecroft had a couple of scoring chances, but couldn’t get anything past keeper Austin Roscoe. Then, with 25 minutes to go in the half, a long ball from defender Tyler Hendrix on the near sideline ignited a break up field, resulting in another goal from Bowen, this one off the hands of the goalie.

With eight remaining before the break, Cox slipped a pass past the defense and Bowen blasted it from six yards out to lock up a first half hat trick.

“Kendal is instant offense,” Burns said. “If he gets a good look, he’s going to put it away. He’s an awesome finisher. We try to work the ball around and get open shots for everybody, but he seems to finish most of his.”

Terra Ceia outshot Ridgecroft 16-6 in the first quarter, a testament to the up-tempo style of play on a field that’s dimensions border on illegal (although, it is the smallest possible size allowed by the NCISAA).

It took just three minutes into the second half for the Knights’ to add to their lead. An up-field pass from Van Essendelft found Bowen who gracefully floated a shot over the head of the goalie to put his team up 4-0.

Despite an almost insurmountable lead, the Rams began to fight back as the Knights dropped more players back on defense. Ridgecroft recorded seven shots in a span of 20 minutes, but hardly any were on goal.

Cox tacked on another goal with 20 minutes remaining, redirecting a Ben Hubers pass off the goalie’s hands and into the back of the net.

And Wesley Butcher, the only senior on the team, capped the game off with a stoppage time goal, a fitting end to a historic win.

The victory moves Terra Ceia to 3-3 on the season. The team will look to move above the .500 mark when it faces Trinity in Greenville on Friday.