ROCKY RIVER, Ohio (Aug. 26, 2024) -- It was a scorching-hot Monday evening on the North Coast, but the Rocky River Pirates needed not the high temperature nor humidity to stay red-hot on an early-season scoring binge and win streak. The Maroon & White rode four second-half goals to a 5-2 victory over Padua, as the Pirates remained undefeated through three games this season.
Rocky River scored the game's lone first-half goal, a 13th-minute 15-yarder off a sharp pass from teammate Steph Loizos, and survived a long stretch without much more offense the rest of the half. The Pirates didn't allow a Bruin shot until the 20th minute or yield a shot on frame until the 40th.
Two goals in the first three minutes of the second half (Sebastian Maher from Noah Nagy, then Dailey's second of the night) lifted the Buccaneers to a comfortable lead. The offense got on a roll and would get off eight shots over the first 22 minutes of the second. Six of those efforts were on goal; four found twine (River's fourth and fifth goals were tallied by Eric Gorius and Maher, in the 56th and 57 minutes, respectively. The Maher goal was set up by a masterful 30-yard pass from Tanner LaPorte, who throughout the night was a dependable stopper on defense as well.
The Padua answers came late and in the form of a Garrett Nowicki goal on a direct free kick in the 69th minute and Grayson Wasil netfinder off a goal-post carom-and-rebound in the 76th.
For the match, the Pirates outshot the Bruins 15-13. River put seven shots on frame to Padua's eight. Two Buccaneer goalkeepers (Rayaan Khalil for 70 minutes, Matthew Swislocki for 10) were aided by a couple or three alert defender blocks from high-danger areas. Khalil registered five saves while allowing one goal. Swislocki allowed one goal and made one save; the stop was of the 10-bell variety to turn away a quality Bruins chance of a corner in the 73rd minute.
With his twin twine-finders Monday, sophomore Quentin Dailey has now scored eight goals this season.
Rocky River (3-0) has scored 15 goals through its first three games. Maroon & White-hot reads the thermometer.
CANNON FIRE ...
PAYBACK: Monday's win marked a measure of retribution for a Rocky River squad that lost to Padua 2-1 last season (2-1 loss at Padua Sept. 9). That setback came after the Pirates had beaten the Bruins in five straight from 2018-22.
PERFECT AT THE PIRATE PORT: With Monday's victory, River extended a win streak at home. The team's last loss at Rocky River Stadium was on Aug. 26, 2023. Since then, the Sons of Blackbeard have now won 11 straight on home turf.
ON DECK: Rocky River will open play in the newly-formed Cleveland West Conference with a Wednesday home game against Westlake (7 p.m. kickoff).
by Skip Snow
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