ROCKY RIVER, Ohio -- On Thursday evening at Rocky River Stadium, the Pirates punched their ticket for a return to the Buckeye State Final Four. Rocky River -- a DII state runner-up a year ago -- defeated Walsh 15-3 in Thursday's DII Region 5 title game. The victory marked River's eighth in a row, and like many wins over that span and earlier this season it was a win earned up and down the property, from-sideline-to-sideline, with a tenacious approach to the game from every player in Pirate colors.
The Maroon & White got goals from eight different players in running a streak of double-digit margins of victory to seven. Authoritative, crisp passes and two-, three-, and four-player combo sets were utilized in setting up the River offense with a dizzying array of options. More than what the Warriors (11-11) -- the No. 7 seed in Region 5 -- could stop.
And then there was the rock-solid River defense. A difference-making defense and the one that propelled the Pirates to their No. 1 seed in this regional tournament. Propelled them to a minuscule 4.0 goals-game-average heading into Thursday, an average they would actually lower against a Walsh squad that had won four straight games going into the region title battle.
This is a Double-R team where the twine-minder is stingy: senior Hannah Burgess went into Thursday's game with a fine .510 save percentage, and she made stops on 6-of-9 pellets on frame against Walsh.
And this is also a team whereby the goalkeeper is often upright and unbothered. The defenders play shoulder-you-away, spill-the-ball defense. The midfielders play swarming, quick-footed, ball-hawking defense. And the attackers ride opponent clearing attempts into mad scrambles and turnovers. And each position has bench players who spill over the sideline and can do more of the same. That they manage 13.3 goals per game on offense is mostly byproduct.
On Thursday, the Pirate defense played the final 30 minutes-and-33 seconds without allowing a goal. Burgess was on her game, making five saves across that stretch, and River had worked itself to a running-clock lead in the second half. But Burgess also had a front-row seat to the home side winning 19-of-27 ground balls for the game. And to River finishing as a plus-7 (12-19) in turnovers.
Sophomore midfielder Reagan Connelly registered two ground balls and three caused turnovers and was in the middle of many a flipped possession. Kalyn Scalabrino, Ava Patti, Grace DeWitt, Kaitlyn Byrne, and Daisy Thompson logged two ground balls each. DeWitt and Byrne logged two spills each.
Senior midfielder Ella Nejad was a major part of the Pirates laying claim to nearly every one of the 7,200 square yards of Rocky River Stadium turf in play. Nejad was the tip of the spear in a River draw game that went 12-8 for the night. She hauled in four ground balls and, for good measure, figured in five scores, with four goals and one assist. Her work around the Walsh cage amounted to equal parts deft touch and shoulder-launched missiles.
The Nejad-led offense -- with multi-goal efforts also posted by Kaitlyn Byrne and Alexis Tisler -- and the all-hands-on-deck defense all made for a decisive 37-12 edge in shot attempts. And it made for a decisive Pirate plunder on the scoreboard, with each goal and every stop cheered on by a big crowd in attendance.
Here's what has that crowd still buzzing: There are only four teams still alive in the DII Buckeye State playoffs. Rocky River (18-2) is one of them.
CANNON FIRE ...
ON DECK: Rocky River will play in a state semifinal game June 1 at 6 p.m. (venue and opponent TBD).
STREAK SENSE: Over its last eight games, Rocky River: is 8-0 ... has outscored opponents 125-28 ... has finished as a ground-ball plus seven times ... has finished as a turnover plus seven times. Over the eight straight: 15 players have scored at least one point ... three players (Byrne, Olivia Konopka, Nejad) have logged 30-plus points ... Scalabrino has notched 18 ground balls and 14 caused turnovers ... Nejad has registered 31 draw controls.
RIVER NOLLS BEST: On Monday, Rocky River announced that the 2022 all-Northern Ohio Lacrosse League team was dotted with no fewer than six Striped Buccaneers. Senior Hannah Burgess (.519 save percentage, year-to-date overall), sophomore Kaitlyn Byrne (59G, 17A), junior Olivia Konopka (48G, 26A, 28 GB), senior Ella Nejad (49G, 28A, 37 GB, 62 DC, 23 CT), senior Kalyn Scalabrino (54 GB, 42 CT), and sophomore Daisy Thompson (17G, 4A, 34 DC) were tabbed as all-NOLL performers. Freshman Grace DeWitt (19G, 8A, 31 GB, 34 DC, 27 CT) and senior Madeline Lundin (1G, 33 GB, 16 CT) earned honorable mentions. Coach Colleen Hile was named the circuit's Coach of the Year.
by Skip Snow
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