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Big first half nets win for Skinner, Pirates

ROCKY RIVER, Ohio – Rocky River rode a strong first half to a 9-6 victory over Cuyahoga Valley Christian Academy on Tuesday night.

Sophomore attackman Nolan Weaver notched three goals and an assist to pace the Pirate offense, and junior netminder Chris Welch registered five fourth-quarter saves, as Rocky River staved off a late charge by the visiting Royals.

Rocky River (1-1) scored four goals on 11 shots in a dominant first quarter. Two of those netfinders came off the stick of Weaver, who would go on to score all four of his points in the first half. River potted three goals and allowed one in the second quarter and went into halftime leading, 7-1.

“Our first-half defense really set up the win,” said Head Coach Chris Skinner who earned his first Rocky River victory with the victory under the lights on Detroit Road. The Pirates allowed just two shots on goal over the first two quarters of play.

“I also think our execution on offense, especially in that first half, was really solid.”

Cuyahoga Valley (1-1) was able to muster a second-half comeback and make things interesting late in the game. After Aaron Kosmerl notched a goal at the 8:55-mark of the third, CVCA went on to score five of the final six goals in the contest. The Royals cut the Pirate lead to four (9-5) by the nine-minute mark of the fourth. Chris Welch came up 

RR Lax

with two fine stops on back-to-back chances for CVCA at the 6:30 mark. Welch finished the game with seven saves.

The Pirates are slated to continue their season-opening stretch at home with a Rocky River Stadium contest against Avon Lake on Friday (7p.m. faceoff).

 

NOTES …

GROUND GAME: Senior defensemen Titus Snavely logged five ground balls on Tuesday. Snavely also collected three caused turnovers and has a team-high six CTs through two games. Fellow defenseman Ben Fitzgibbon registered four CTs against CVCA. … Tuesday’s game marked the first meeting between the Pirates and Royals.

BABY BUCCANEERS: The JV squad earned its first victory of the 2017 season, downing CVCA, 12-5. Logan Fortune, Ryan Kosmerl, and William St. Pierre netted two goals apiece, and Ethan Mylett went the distance between the pipes, making three saves.