STRONGSVILLE, Ohio (April 25, 2024) -- On Thursday, Rocky River earned its second one-goal triumph of the week as the Pirates won at Strongsville by a final of 8-7.

Three Elle Mocho goals propelled the visiting Raiders to a 7-1 lead by the 5:16-mark of the second quarter. Rocky River, which prevailed over Walsh Jesuit in a 7-6 game Tuesday, would net just one more goal the rest of the way. The Mustangs (5-6), the DI No. 14-ranked team in Ohio (LaxNumbers), went into halftime trailing 7-2. They outscored River 3-0 in the third quarter to cut the Buccaneer lead to 7-5.

Junior Allanah Hagen scored two of those third-period Strongsville goals. She had netted the Mustangs' lone goal in the Pirates' 7-1 surge and would score a fourth goal just past the midpoint of the fourth.

But before that final Hagen tally, the DII No. 4 Pirates got a big Daisy Thompson goal off a turnover. Thompson's second of the night -- her 10th for the season -- lifted River to a three-goal cushion (8-5). Every bit of that cushion would be needed with Strongsville managing goals by Hagen at 6:24 and Tori Wanat at 5:42.

For the game, Thompson (two goals), Grace DeWitt (goal, assist), Mocho (3G), and Alexis Tisler (1G, 2A) logged multiple points.

The end result of the road test marked Rocky River's third one-goal conquest in the last week. On Friday, the Pirates won 10-9 at DII No. 1 Columbus St. Francis. For the season, the Striped Buccaneers are 5-0 in games decided by two goals or less. Their last three wins against Strongsville -- all since 2021 -- have been in one-goal games.

The Double-R upped its road record to 7-0; the Pirates are 16-1 across 17 road games the last two seasons.

River's late-April crucible schedule continues Friday when the Maroon & White host DII No. 10 Chagrin Falls (Rocky River Stadium, 7 p.m.).

by Skip Snow

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