“It was the goal that he had dreamed of scoring all his life”.

That was the way Pauline Richards, mother of Notre Dame soccer star Kevin, said her son had described the strike that set the Indiana university on their way to the Big East title on Sunday.

Notre Dame beat St. John's 2-0 at the University of Connecticut to land a top 16 seeding and, as a result, a first round bye in the prestigious NCAA Championship and Warwick-born Richards, a former PHC player, was in the thick of the action throughout.

The goal was a while coming, both in terms of the match and in Richards' career.

The defender opened the scoring in the 78th minute, the first time he had hit the back of the net in three years.

While unable to comment himself as he was studying yesterday when contacted, Pauline, who along with husband Bob watched the match on cable TV, said her son could not contain his delight when he phoned on Sunday night.

“He said to us on the telephone that it was the goal that he had dreamed of all his life,” she said last night. “It was just so perfectly put away. It was one of those really beautiful moments in your life when you see something happen like that.”

Richards' goal came after a surging run down the right hand side, the 22-year-old unleashing a rocket which nestled in at the far post.

That he went on the attack was perhaps down to two people, his father and team-mate Devon Prescod.

In a post game interview, Richards revealed he had been ribbed by Prescod about his scoring ability, while his father said yesterday that he had spoken about his son taking just such a chance during a recent visit.

“Devon was telling me on the bus to the game that I had not scored in a while,” Richards told collegesports.com. “He said this was the day to do it.”

Father Bob was in complete agreement.

“They just didn't expect Kevin to shoot,” said Bob, analysing the goal. “I think they expected him to serve a ball into the middle.

“He and I had a little chat about that when I was in South Bend a month or so ago. I said ‘once or twice in a game why don't you put it in there and everyone will be surprised'. He beat a guy and then came in and struck it perfectly, right inside the post.”

Richards told collegesports.com he had not wanted to be too adventurous early on in the game.

“In the first half I had not tried to dribble past their left back,” he said. “I thought when I got the chance to go one-on-one I was either going to go inside or down the line. He was showing me down the line, so I cut back to the inside and got through.”

The rest, as they say, is history, Richards jumping into the arms of a team-mate in celebration and sending his family into a frenzy.

“I had my nephews here as well,” recounted mother Pauline. “The four of us just jumped out of our seats!”

“I can't remember having such a big thrill,” added Bob. “He should have been able to hear us screaming right across the Atlantic, I can tell you, we were making so much noise,” he said, adding that the fact the goal came against St. John's was even better.

“St. John's have been like Notre Dame's nemesis,” he said. “Earlier in the season they beat them 3-0 and I can't remember when they (Notre Dame) have beaten them.”

Richards' ability to find the net will not come as a surprise to those back home as he started out life among the frontline.

“When he was at high school he was a forward or in the midfield and he scored a lot of goals,” Bob said. “But his role in this team is as an overlapping defender. The last goal he got at Notre Dame was when he was playing midfield. Since he has been in defence he hasn't got any goals.”

His father said Richards was employed at the back for one main reason.

“He can basically chase down anybody,” he said with a laugh. “He is very, very fast. He can chase down people like nobody else on the team.”

His parents described Sunday's game as the highlight of his career “so far”.

“He wants to play football (in the future),” said Bob. “But whether that happens is another thing. My only requirement is that he gets a good degree, which he is getting. He is doing well academically, studying English and Political Science.”

The NCAA draw was made last night and Notre Dame will face the winner of the clash between Western Michigan and Wisconsin-Milwaukee. All first round games will be played either on November 21 or 22, while all second round contests will be played on November 26.