For 45 boisterous minutes, the Richmond Kickers lived high on the hog. To be exact, they lived high on the Bermuda Hogges. The Kickers, scoring almost at will, filled the Bermuda net with five first-half goals en route to a 7-2 runaway in last night’s USL-2 match at UR Stadium. The triumph, the Kickers’ fourth in their past five games, improved their record to 7-2-5 and lifted them into a tie for first place with the Harrisburg Islanders.

Luke Vercollone learned a great deal while growing up in Pembroke, Mass., as one of 11 siblings. He learned independence. He learned responsibility. And he learned how to compete. “There were six boys [in the household], and boys being boys, somebody was usually giving somebody a hard time,“ said Vercollone, the Richmond Kickers’ veteran midfielder. “You definitely developed a sense of competitiveness. It was chaotic and hectic but it was also fun and exciting. There was always somebody to play with.“ Then something in his memory made him chuckle. “Or somebody to fight with.“