RICHFIELD, Ohio (March 16, 2024) -- For a third straight year, Rocky River has opened its season with a taut, hard-fought contest against the Revere Minutemen. And after a 12-10 triumph in Saturday's 2024 lid-lifter, the Pirates are now 3-0 in those contests against Revere.
Coming back from a mid-second-period 7-3 deficit, the Striped Buccaneers registered 12 goals on 19 shots while finishing as a plus-4 in turnover margin (18-22). River's dozen goals marked its most in a regular-season affair against the defensively responsible Minutemen since 2019 (RR planted 15 in a 15-2 conquest of Revere in a May 23 playoff game last spring). The Pirates have not lost to the Minutemen since 2017 (11-6 on April 29, 2017). Since then, Rocky River is now 8-0 against Revere. But the victories have rarely come easily, and Saturday's win certainly fits that pattern.
A 3-2 River lead built on back-to-back man-down goals (Kaitlyn Byrne, Addie Tisler) late in the first quarter evaporated when the Minutemen scored the first five goals of the second stanza. Clarissa Bodjanac tallied three of those netfinders en route to a six-goal afternoon for the host Revere squad.
But the visiting Buccaneers had sway over the final five minutes of the period, and Rocky River (1-0) went into halftime having turned a 7-3 deficit into a 7-6 one. The Pirates went into halftime on a 4-1 run over that stretch; seniors Mackenzie Russell and Alexis Tisler each ledgered two points during the surge.
If River owned the first quarter and Revere the second, then the third period was the titled property of the defenses. Alexis Tisler netted a goal at the 7:23-mark of the third; Revere's McLain Penzenik countered at 5:13. The Minutemen (0-1) went into the final frame leading 8-7. The front half of the fourth was a 2-for-1 exchange; the contest was knotted at 9-9 at the 6:30-mark, and that's when the Pirates got two big momentum twine-finders from midfielder Daisy Thompson.
Thompson, a senior captain who was a first-team all-Region 5 performer a year ago when she filed 26 goals and nine assists, scored a go-ahead goal at the 6:13-mark. She followed that up a little over two minutes later to lift the Double-R to a two-goal cushion (11-9).
Fellow captain Alexis Tisler netted her third goal (and sixth point) of the afternoon a minute later -- at 3:02 -- and that put the home side into desperation mode. Revere did manage the final goal of the day, which came at the 2:05-mark, but an unsung story during the River comeback was the Pirate defense. After allowing Revere's seventh goal of the game at the 6:06-mark of the second period, the Double-R defense held the Minutemen to many minutes of drought time. Revere's next goals came after scoring outages of 13, nine, and six minutes, respectively.
For the game, River reeled in 12 goals on 19 shots (18 shots on goal); the home side logged 10G on 18S (12 SOG). Clearing attempts were an adventure in a physical tussle that included 65 fouls, nine free-position goals (Rocky River four, Revere five), and nine extra-man opportunities (Pirates 0-for-3, Minutemen 3-for-6). Neither side broke the 60% mark on clears.
Bodjanac's six goals led Revere. Bentley Huffman had two goals, an assist, and six draw controls. Taylor Catlett filed five ground balls, three caused turnovers, and 5 DC.
Five players registered multiple goals for Rocky River. Alexis Tisler led the way with 3G and 3A. Mackenzie Russell had 2G, 1A, 5 GB, and 4 DC. Kaitlyn Byrne and Addie Tisler each had 2G. Daisy Thompson booked 2G and 2 CT.
Junior defender McKenna Kelly (3 GB, 1 CT) sophomore midfielder Emma Yezbak (3 GB, 2 CT) keyed River's scoop-and-spill brigade.
Rocky River's comeback was impressive. It is said that the month of March comes in like a lion and goes out like a lamb. Let is also be said that in this contest -- one played out in the heart of March -- the Pirates played with the heart of lion. And did so when that was the only way to win.
CANNON FIRE ...
MEET THE PIRATES: The 2024 Pirates return nine starters from a 2023 squad that went 16-4 and finished as DII Region 5 runners-up. The River roster is rife with nine seniors: Kaitlyn Byrne, Reagan Connelly, Mia Hildebrand, Ella Hopkins, Acadia Hover, Mackenzie Russell, Daisy Thompson, Alexis Tisler, and Audrey White. The 2024 team captains are Byrne, Thompson, Tisler, and junior Grace DeWitt.
ON DECK: The Striped Buccaneers will once again compete in the Northern Ohio Lacrosse League this season. NOLL play opens Tuesday at Bay (7:30 p.m. opening draw). Rocky River is scheduled to open its home season Thursday with a 7 p.m. NOLL comntest against Avon Lake.
by Skip Snow
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