RICHFIELD, Ohio -- It was a beautiful day for lacrosse. Just not in Richfield ... or anywhere else in Northeast Ohio. On Saturday, the Pirates earned a rain-soaked and wind-swept victory on the road, as they opened their 2022 season at Revere. Rocky River defeated the Minutemen 8-4.

The Maroon & White scored the game's first three goals -- all within seven minutes of the opening draw -- and would win the contest in wire-to-wire fashion. Six players players scored goals in the weather-challenged affair at Revere High School. Sophomores Kaitlyn Byrne and Daisy Thompson led the way with two goals each.

Alexis Tisler, Reagan Connelly, and Ella Nejad got the Pirates (1-0) going with goals at 21:19, 19:18, and 18:07 of the first half, respectively. Over the next nine minutes of play, the home side twice got within two, but Rocky River closed out the first with goals by Thompson and Byrne. The Pirates went into halftime leading 6-2.

River held the Minutemen scoreless over the last 10 minutes of the first half and the first 11 minutes of the second. That 21-minute stretch included Thompson and Byrne's tallies in the first and that tandem managed twin scores again early in the second (at 23:54-Thompson and 18:58-Byrne). The Pirates were closed out the rest of the way while allowing Revere (0-1) scores at 13:09 and 1:43.

The 2021 DII state-finalist Pirates will open their home season on Tuesday. River will host Northern Ohio Lacrosse League foe Avon at 7 p.m.


by Skip Snow

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