ROCKY RIVER, Ohio (May 2, 2023) -- Rocky River bounced back from its second loss of the season with a dominant 15-2 win over Olmsted Falls in Tuesday afternoon Northern Ohio Lacrosse League action.
Getting big production from veterans and underclassmen alike on what marked Senior Day for the program, the Pirates won in wire-to-wire fashion in closing out their 2023 NOLL campaign. Rocky River (12-2, 7-1 NOLL) planted 10 unanswered goals over the first 15 minutes of action and most of the rest of the raw, rainy contest was played out with a running clock.
Rebounding from a 15-5 setback at Columbus St. Francis Saturday, River dominated evert aspect of Tuesday's contest. The Pirates were a plus-13 (12-25) in turnovers, went 14-5 on draws, and outshot their visitors 41-5. The Buccaneer offense was led by freshman attacker Elle Mocho, who carded a career-high nine points on three goals and six assists.
Three of Mocho's assists were filed on twine-finders by senior attacker Olivia Konopka, who ran her career goal total to 126 with four goals against the Bulldogs. Junior attacker Alexis Tisler chimed in with four goals and two assists. Senior Lucy Kolonick got in on the act, logging her 11th career goal. Kaitlyn Byrne (2G) and Mackenzie Russell also scored for the Pirates.
With her four goals, Konopka now has 36 multi-goal games in her career.
Rocky River's senior-laden defensive corps was impactful in helping the Pirates apply significant field tilt throughout. Ava Blair, Rayna Kishna, Annika Mocho, and Natalie Swallow hustled and stick-worked their way to a slew of reversals while keeping goalkeepers Acadia Hover (54 minutes) and Claudia Walsh (six minutes) upright and unbothered. Mocho registered six ground balls and five caused turnovers. For the game, River had 21 ground balls to Olmsted Falls' 11.
Seven Rocky River seniors, who entered Tuesday's action with a combined 146G, 72A, 203 GB, and 96 CT in their careers, were honored in a chilled postgame drizzle. Being the core of a two-time state final four squad -- a program that has gone 45-12 since 2021, Ava Blair, Rayna Kishna, Lucky Kolonick, Olivia Konopka, Annika Mocho, Marin Richmond, and Natalie Swallow are certainly more deserving of a moment in the sun.
With an upcoming Buckeye State bracket affair that stretches past Memorial Day and into June, those seniors and this Striped Buccaneer squad may get just that.
by Skip Snow
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