ROCKY RIVER, Ohio -- The Pirates scored a flurry of goals early, piled up 14 overall, and snowed under the Walsh Warriors Saturday afternoon at Rocky River Stadium.

Rocky River scored a half-dozen goals in the first 12 minutes of play -- all six before the Warriors landed their first of the game -- and would go on to cruise to a 14-2 triumph in the non-conference affair played amid flying snow at the Lacrosse Grounds in the Heart of River. The Pirates shoveled all their goals into bunches -- six straight in the first half and eight straight in the second. River's 14 goals marked their most in a single game since May 19 last season (18-2 win over Toledo Central Catholic), a stretch of eight games. The two goals allowed marked the team's fewest since that same OHSAA playoff game last spring.

The Pirates (3-0) got four goals from junior Olivia Konopka, three from sophomore Kaitlyn Byrne, and two each from Ella Nejad and Daisy Thompson. With her Saturday hat trick against the Warriors (1-2), Byrne has now scored multiple goals in each of River's first three games. Her eight goals overall are a team high.

"I thought the girls played an amazing game," said head coach Colleen Hile. "They battled the elements and played together as a team."

The Maroon & White are slated to return to Northern Ohio Lacrosse League play Tuesday when they travel to Mentor to take on the Mentor Cardinals. For the Pirates, who are now 13-1 across their last 14 games at Rocky River Stadium, four of the team's next five games will be away from home.


by Skip Snow

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