ROCKY RIVER, Ohio -- Rocky River lost a hard-fought Great Lakes Conference battle against the Buckeye Bucks Wednesday evening at Rocky River Stadium.

A mid-first-half goal was the lone score of a physical match between the Pirates (2-1, 1-1 GLC) and Bucks (4-0, 2-0). 

Much of the game's early action was of the aerial variety. But the fleet feet of a quick Buckeye squad then began to create dangerous scoring opportunities over the middle minutes of the opening half. Junior Pirate goalkeeper Ian Tomsik made a big save on a 14th-minute missile and was active in thwarting potential looks from the doorstep by leaving his cage to snare more than a couple would-be crosses. 

The one shot Tomsik couldn't stop came from Bucks sophomore Dylan Bell in the 20th minute. Bell took a centering pass from the left flank and hammered home a 15-yarder. The assist went to senior Kaiden Whitford. 

River rallied over the back half of the opening 40. Solid midfield play by senior Nate Keeling and the combined defensive efforts of junior Christian Cukon, senior Chris Fry, and senior Connor McKenna settled the overall Pirate effort. 

The stiffening of Buccaneer backs continued into the second half. And River's resolve was bolstered by two tremendous early-second saves by Tomsik. One came on a Buckeye breakaway in the 44th minute, the other on a fully-extended dive to shut down a rifle shot bound for twine in the 50th minute.

Rocky River didn't get its first corner kick of the match until the 51st minute. An offense held to just three shots in the first half would get off six in the second. The closest River came to an equalizer was on the fifth of those, when junior midfielder Jack Bowers ripped a 20-yarder only to have it stymied by the Buck 'keeper.

For the game, Buckeye took four corners to River's three. The Bucks outshot the Pirates, 13-9. Rocky River put four shots on frame; Tomsik came away with eight saves at the other end.

Buckeye -- which went 14-2-2 a year ago -- has now defeated Rocky River three times over the last two seasons. 


by Skip Snow