ROCKY RIVER, Ohio -- Rocky River banged out an 8-1 victory over Holy Name in Great Lakes action on Wednesday night. On what was a warm October evening at Rocky River Stadium -- and with all due respect to a Pirate offense in sync and frequently finding the back of the net -- it was perhaps the River defense generating the heat in this one.

Green Wave midfielders had to be feeling the heat on nearly every outlet pass from their defenders. And any visiting whites within 15 yards of the midfield stripe was jockeyed, jostled, stripped, outraced, and otherwise pressured. On every play. Relentlessly. Blanketed by a swashbuckling Pirate defense.

And stitching together the blanket while Rocky River (12-0-2, 7-0-1 GLC) piled on goals downfield were Mia Kelly, Cara McKenna, Keira Vesy, and Cecelia Wischmeier among others. Thwarting outlet passes -- intercepting them, forcing Green Wave forwards into support help, cutting off rushes upfield. And all mostly some 70 yards in front of River 'keeper Sabrina Rick. 

The fourth-ranked (DII Ohio Scholastic Soccer Coaches Association) Pirates would outshoot the Green Wave, 21-4, in the opening half. Five of those 21 River shots found nylon. And more than a couple of those were on plays that started, unsurprisingly, on steals and feeds from the aforementioned Department of Defense. Kelly was sharp in setting up multiple quality looks from her position on the high right flank. She would log her second assist of the season on a Rocky River goal in the second half. McKenna had a near-miss on a shot in the 30th minute of the match. Vesy's work on the evening included her seventh goal of the season; she scored on a 25-yard free kick in the 37th minute.

When Holy Name did manage counterstrikes, Pirate defenders were adept at steering plays away from the box. Rick would make four saves on the night. River defenders would save twice as many by turning would-be scoring opportunities into harmless throw-ins from the sidelines.

Rocky River outscored Holy Name, 5-0, in the opening half. The second stanza was a three-for-one exchange, with the Green Wave landing their only goal of the contest in the 67th minute. The Pirates' eight goals for the match marked the team's most in a single game since Aug. 31 (9-0 win over Fairview). The Maroon & White have now scored 22 goals over their last four games. All four of those games were River wins as were the five that preceded them. And that nine-game win streak is part of a season-long 14-game unbeaten streak.

On Wednesday, the Patti sisters stuffed the stat sheet with a combined four goals and three assists. Maya Patti clocked a pair of goals and two assists. Ava Patti registered two goals and one assist. Mackenzie Russell logged two assists.

Russell has registered four assists over River's last two games. Fellow freshman Ava Patti has scored four goals over the same stretch and now has a team-high 15 on the season. Keira Vesy has scored in three straight matches.

In the 27th minute, Sophia Murray scored a goal from the doorstep -- corralling a loose ball in traffic and ticking it into the net after a corner kick had been deflected, batted, and booted in a tangle in front of the Holy Name net. That early goal would be the game-winner on the evening.

Because the Pirate defense was just that good.



CANNON FIRE ...

FIGHTING BACK: After losing 5-of-6 to the Green Wave from Oct. 26, 2015-Sept. 26, 2018, Rocky River has now beaten Holy Name in three straight matches over 2019-20. A year ago the Pirates defeated the Green Wave, 1-0, in the regular season (Sept. 14) and 8-0 in a district tournament semifinal game (Oct. 21).

ANATOMY OF A WIN STREAK: In their nine-match win streak, the Pirates have outscored foes, 35-2. Five of the nine victories have come at Rocky River Stadium; the Pirates are now 8-0-1 at home on the season.

NET EFFECT: The Pirates have scored 51 goals in 14 games. Their 3.64-goal-per-game average is a would-be seventh-best mark in program history. Rocky River has yielded just six goals. The Pirates' 0.43 goals-against average is a would-be program record.

by Skip Snow