CUYAHOGA FALLS, Ohio -- The game was a tremendous Pirate effort throughout, but the ending was just OK. As in Olivia Konopka.

A remarkable athletic and clutch backhand goal by Konopka lifted Rocky River to an impressive 7-6, sudden-death overtime win at Walsh Jesuit on Thursday night. The sophomore's extra-session netfinder was her fifth of the game. It came at the 1:42-mark of overtime, and it put a lid on a marvelous non-conference battle in Cuyahoga Falls. After the Pirates (9-2) had vaulted ahead of their hosts with a Konopka tally at 10:21 of the second half and an Allie Kysela goal at 8:55, the two teams played tense, scoreless lacrosse until the final minute of regulation when the Warriors planted an equalizer.

That sent Rocky River and Walsh into overtime knotted at 6-6. And the regulation ending was just one of many twists and turns in momentum. The Warriors led by two goals for most of the opening half and took a 4-2 lead into halftime. River's first-half goals were scored by Konopka and Ella Nejad.

A Konopka goal -- assisted by Iris Polly -- lifted the lid on second-half scoring at 23:00. Konopka scored again at 20:19 to level the contest at 4-4. Momentum to the Pirates. After an eight-minute scoreless stretch, Walsh reclaimed its lead. Momentum to the Warriors. And then the goals by Konopka and Kysela at 10:21 and 8:55.

The game would be due one more momentum swing in regulation.

And then? Well, just an OK finish.

On the overtime game-winner, Konopka had the pellet on a restart from the end line. She bolted with speed to the left goal post, took a defender on her hip that she carried until she was four yards out and in the slot. Konopka then gave a stutter step, faked a forehand shot, wheeled around, and whipped a 5-yard backhand shot into the lower-left corner of the goal.

Swashbuckling stick-work. And victorious Pirates in exalted celebration a half-a-beat later.

At once just OK ... and yet as good as it gets.


by Skip Snow

# # # pirates # # #