ROCKY RIVER, Ohio -- Rocky River opened its 2020 Great Lakes Conference slate with a dominant 9-0 victory over Fairview on Monday.

The defending outright circuit champs remained unbeaten (2-0-1, 1-0 GLC) on the young season, outshooting the Warriors, 28-3, and getting seven goals in the first half and two in the second.

Monday's contest on what was a beautiful late-summer evening at Rocky River Stadium marked Senior Night for the Rocky River program. Six senior players -- Nicole Contenza, Mia Kelly, Maya Patti, Sabrina Rick, Keira Vesy, Cecelia Wischmeier -- were recognized in a pregame ceremony. All six were instrumental in the Pirates' tremendous first-half flurry of goals.

Rocky River (2-0-1, 1-0 GLC) applied tenacious pressure early in the match. The near-constant assault in and around the box resulted in a Keira Vesy goal on a 25-yard free kick in the seventh minute. The daughter of Brian Vesy and Christa Vesy lofted her kick to the top-left 90, ripping twine behind Fairview goalkeeper Molly Hoskin.

Less than two minutes later, a 20-yard Maya Patti feed connected with Nicole Contenza. The daughter of Bill and Jenny Contenza banged the shot in from the doorstep to lift River's lead to 2-0. Junior Addie Harris got in on the act by converting a penalty kick in the 15th minute. Right behind her was junior Sophia Murray who benefited from a Vesy play in the 17th minute. That goal extended the Pirate lead to 4-0.

Thirty-one seconds after Murray's goal, Maya Patti found the back of the net for her first score of the season. The daughter of Frank Patti and Sandee Mosier led the Maroon & White with 14 goals a year ago. She tallied two on Monday.

Junior Madeline Lundin and freshman Mackenzie Russell registered their career-first goals late in the half, and River went into halftime leading, 7-0. The Pirates outshot the Warriors, 25-1, over the opening 40 minutes. Rocky River put 18 shots on net, and one of the Bucs' seven misses found iron.

The second half evolved as a possession-control exhibition, a dizzying network of maroon-legged connections over the middle 40 of the field. Seniors Mia Kelly and Cecilia Wischmeier were key figures in the field tilt throughout. The daughters of Gerry Kelly and Meg Murray and Gordon and Kathleen Wischmeier were in on numerous tackles, reversals, and thwarted Fairview outlets. 

It all managed to keep fellow senior Sabrina Rick free and clear of traffic at the south end of the stadium. The daughter of Steve and Jen Rick had been plenty busy in helping to establish a run that continued on Monday night: since Oct. 7, the Pirates are 8-1-1; they've allowed just seven goals over that 10-match span. Rick did register one save on Monday; it came in the 68th minute. She was replaced by junior 'keeper Madigan O'Malley in the 78th minute.

For Rocky River, the final 40 included three shots, two shots on goal, and two goals. The netfinders came courtesy Maya Patti and sophomore Bella Crompton.

With the victory on Detroit Road, Rocky River is now 11-2-3 over its last 16 games at home. Over their last last 15 GLC contests, the Pirates are 13-1-1. And on this Senior Night for the program, it bears revealing one more trend:

Over the last four years (2017-20), the Rocky River Pirates are 31-17-4 and they've won two league crowns. For a half-dozen seniors and the rest of a talented 2020 squad, a march for No. 3 ensued under the lights on Monday.