Soccer Game Preview: St. Raphael Academy vs. Cranston East

The St. Raphael Academy Saints will face off against the Cranston East Thunderbolts at 4:15 p.m. on Thursday.

St. Raphael Academy is coming in fresh off a high-stakes matchup with another one of Rhode Island's top teams: Burrillville, who was ranked seventh at the time (St. Raphael Academy was ranked tenth). The Saints fell just short of the Broncos by a score of 4-3 on Monday. St. Raphael Academy's loss signaled the end of their five-game winning streak.

Meanwhile, Cranston East had to endure a four-match losing streak, but that streak is no more. They beat Narragansett by a goal, winning 3-2.

Julia Hale and Yennesis Estremera scored all three of Cranston East's goals, bringing their combined season tally to 13 goals.

St. Raphael Academy's defeat dropped their record down to 8-2. As for Cranston East, their win bumped their record up to 3-4-2.

St. Raphael Academy took their victory against Cranston East in their previous meeting back in September by a conclusive 5-2 score. Will the Saints repeat their success, or do the Thunderbolts have a new game plan this time around? We'll find out soon enough.