ROCKY RIVER, Ohio -- Rocky River was denied in its bid for consecutive win No. 5, as the Pirates fell to the Walsh Warriors, 5-2, on Sunday.

The Maroon & White were undone by a five-period second period in losing their first game since Dec. 30. Walsh Jesuit scored three goals in the first eight minutes of that second stanza, and Rocky River would trail by multiple scores the rest of the way.

Sunday's affair at Hamilton Ice Arena marked the title game of the Walsh-hosted Jesuit Classic.

Josh Weiner netted the first goal of the contest, scoring at the 13:45-mark of the second. The Warriors scored twice more before the Pirates came up with a counter. The River counter was a Hayden Weaver goal assisted by Danny Asmar at the 4:02-mark of the period. But Walsh scored twice more in the second and took a commanding 5-1 lead into the third.

The lone score the rest of the way was a Pirate power-play goal scored by Reece Rochester (assist: Zach Pejeau) at 8:55 of the third.

For the game, the Warriors outshot the Pirates, 25-20. Weiner (goal, two assists) was in on three of Walsh's five goals.

Rocky River's four-game win streak marks the program's longest since River won five in a row late in the 2019-20 season (Jan. 22-Feb. 1).


CANNON FIRE ...

NET EFFECT: Danny Asmar and Hayden Weaver continued point streaks when Asmar assisted on Weaver's second-period goal on Sunday. Both have now tallied points in five straight games. Asmar has 17 points (nine goals, eight assists) over that stretch; Weaver has 16 (8G, 8A). ... Asmar (14 goals this season) and Weaver (13) have combined to net 27 of Rocky River's 51 goals this season. Through 13 games this season, the Pirates are averaging 3.92 goals per game while yielding 3.38.

WARS WITH WALSH: Sunday's margin of victory marked the Warriors' largest in a win over River since Dec. 8, 2012 (7-2 win). Since 2000, Walsh leads the series between the two teams, 12-10-1.


by Skip Snow