ROCKY RIVER, Ohio -- Rocky River opened conference play Tuesday, and the Pirates didn't exactly dip their does in the shallow end of the Northern Ohio Lacrosse League pool. The Maroon & White hosted a rain-soaked battle against the defending-league-champion Avon Eagles, and River played a strong game at both ends in collecting an 11-8 victory.
Sharp Pirate ballhandling and passing was on display early when attackers Ella Nejad and Alexis Tisler spearheaded the Double-R taking a 3-1 lead over the first nine minutes of play. Nejad's passing near the cage set up Tisler and other teammates throughout the contest, and the senior finished the night with two goals and three assists.
As Avon (1-1, 0-1 NOLL) battled back from multiple two-goal deficits in the first half, Rocky River (2-0, 1-0) got big momentum-swing markers from Tisler and Daisy Thompson. With senior goalkeeper Hannah Burgess making three key saves over the first 25 minutes, the Pirates went into halftime leading 6-4.
On freshman Grace DeWitt's first career goal -- a free-position job at 22:04 of the second half -- River opened a three-goal lead (7-4). The Eagles would get no closer than two the rest of the way.
Rocky River's defense was sharp throughout. The Pirates hassled the visitors into three turnovers on as many possessions in one late-game stretch. Defenders Ava Blair, Madeline Lundin, Ella Russell, and Kalyn Scalabrino wore out many an Eagle attacker on their way to the cage. For the game, the Pirates were a plus-2 in turnover margin (RR 13, Avon 15) and a minus-3 in ground balls (21-24). Scalabrino and Kaitlyn Bryne clocked four ground balls each, and River's fine stick-work and positioning helped hold Avon to just two flow-of-action goals on the night. The Eagles' six other goals were all of the free-position variety.
Five of those 8-meter efforts and six goals total were scored by senior Katie Beatty.
In addition to Nejad's five points, Rocky River got three goals each from Tisler and Byrne. Burgess finished the night with four saves.
"It's exciting to see all the pieces of our game come together," said head coach Colleen Hile, who opened her third season at the helm of the Pirate program.
Byrne -- a sophomore attacker -- has scored a team-high five goals through River's first two games. Her efforts, and those of Striped Buccaneers up and down the lineup helped flip the script of a 12-goal goal loss to Avon a year ago: the Eagles defeated the Pirates 16-4 in last year's NOLL opener (March 23). Avon would go on to post an undefeated 8-0 mark to take the inaugural circuit crown.
In Tuesday's home opener, Rocky River, which finished two games back and in a tie for second place last season, put itself on a road to potentially wrest that crown away later this spring.
by Skip Snow
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