ROCKY RIVER, Ohio -- The Pirates forced their visitors into 25 turnovers and capitalized on that significant tilt of playing field with a 17-2 conquest over the Westlake Demons Monday evening.

The home side got goals from 10 different players in the Northern Ohio Lacrosse League battle at Rocky River Stadium. River's dominant defense opened up opportunities for that kind of performance at the offensive end. Westlake's turnovers fueled Rocky River owning a 33-5 edge in shots. And appropriately enough on what marked Senior Night for the Striped Buccaneers, River seniors were prominent throughout, logging more than their fair share of spills, scoops, and scores.

Senior goalkeeper Hannah Burgess would face just three shots behind a Rocky River defense that went into the evening yielding just 4.4 goals per game. Burgess registered a grade-A stop on Westlake's first shot of the night and then mostly was able to enjoy a good view of River's vice-grip game control the rest of the way. Fellow seniors Madeline Lundin and Kalyn Scalabrino menaced Demon ball carriers and were the key Pirate defenders in a performance that saw Westlake loose but one shot after halftime.

Senior Ella Nejad was the lead edge of the Pirate sword on offense. Nejad had four goals to run her career point tally to 90 (57 goals, 33 assists). She added a pair of artful caused turnovers for good measure. Fellow seniors Taitum Connelly and Emma Uline also added goals in a game that saw River lead for 48-of-50 minutes.

Also adding fireworks to the senior celebration were underclassmen Kaitlyn Byrne and Grace DeWitt, who each ledgered three goals. DeWitt loomed large in the possession battle, coming away with four ground balls and a caused turnover. Junior Olivia Konopka added a goal and two assists. Junior Lucy Kolonick logged a goal and an assist.

For the game, Rocky River (12-2, 8-0 NOLL) was a plus-12 in turnovers (13-25) and a plus-19 in ground balls (26-7). Sophomore Mackenzie Russell paced the Pirate spill-and-scoop brigade with 2 CT and 6 GB.

Senior night -- and the Striped Buccaneers celebrating the accomplishments of Vivian Brandt, Burgess, Connelly, Lundin, Ryan McDonough, Lilly Milius, Nejad, Ella Russell, Scalabrino, and Uline -- was story No. 1 on Monday. No. 1A was River earning its first conference championship in program history. Monday's game marked the Pirates' NOLL finale. Rocky River finished its second NOLL campaign with an unblemished 8-0 record; five of those eight wins have been earned by margins of 10-or-more goals.

Rocky River now sets its sights on a couple non-conference games and then an assault on postseason brackets. With 10 swashbuckling seniors at the vanguard.


by Skip Snow

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