A tremendous scholar-athlete with great individual skills and an unquenchable desire to win, Shaunette Richards (Barnett) ’94 was the backbone of some of Peddie’s greatest soccer teams under head coach Ray Cabot.
Richards captained the Falcons and earned Most Valuable layer honors for Cabot’s first undefeated team that finished 17-0-1 in 1993. She completed her brilliant three-year career at Peddie with 44 goals, 22 assists, and two coveted Prep “A” titles (1991, 1993). Her innate ability to make her teammates better by clever passing and her efficient closing touch around the opponent’s goal springboarded her to stardom on the soccer pitch. In addition, she was a recipient of several school awards in recognition of her outstanding athletic and scholastic endeavors.
Shaunette parlayed her splendid high school career into a memorable experience for the Amherst College Lord Jeffs. With a 51-9-6 record, she and her contemporaries developed into the most celebrated women’s soccer dynasty in Amherst history. In the 1996 NCAA Division III semifinals, she netted her eighth goal of the season for her team’s only marker in a heartbreaking 2-1 loss to University of California, San Diego. In a valiant attempt at a comeback, Richards “responded with attack after attack, drawing a series of fouls to set up free kicks and scoring opportunities.”
She embodied the heart and soul of her team, garnering the National Soccer Coaches Association of American Women’s Division III College First Team All-American selection in 1995 and 1996, and a Second Team All-American selection in 1997. She capped off a terrific career as the recipient of Amherst’s most prestigious athletic award, the Howard Hill Mossman Trophy, bestowed on the individual “who brought the greatest honor in athletics - the word ‘honor’ to be interpreted as relating both to achievement and to sportsmanship.”
The determination, style, and achievement of Shaunette Richards (Barnett) will continue to serve as a standard of excellence for all to follow at both of her Alma Maters.