ROCKY RIVER, Ohio -- Rocky River closed out its holiday weekend with a 3-3 tie against the Avon Eagles. A back-and-forth on the final day of the Tim Alexander Memorial Tournament saw the Pirates take a lead three times only to have each evaporate.
Sean McDonough's second goal of the season lifted the Pirates to a 1-0 lead at the 8:19-mark of the opening period. McDonough's goal came on a doorstep rebound of an A.J. Ritvo slapper. The Eagles leveled the Sunday brunch affair at 1-1 when Max Summers scored the first of two goals he would have in the game. That 1-1 score made its way to the second minute of the second period when the Double-R retook the lead on a Grayson Hess goal assisted by Luke Skapoulas and Jack McCourt.
But again, Avon countered. The visitors clocked a goal (Summers from Mike Perusek) midway through the second to knot the game at 2-2. Alex Parnell would vault River back in front six minutes later -- with just a third-of-a-tick remaining in the second -- when he found twine from the low slot on assists from Hess and Owen Toole. Rocky River went into the third period leading 3-2.
The Eagles netted a game-tying goal in the first minute of the third when Dan Zurawski beat Niko Rose. Rose's counterpart, Ben Boka, would make 11 saves the rest of the way, preserving the draw. For the game, Boka made 43 saves. The Eagles were outshot 46-14.
The contest marked the front end of two in a row between the westside neighbors. The Pirates (3-2-1) will play at Avon on Saturday (North Olmsted Recreation Center, 5 p.m.).
CANNON FIRE ...
CUP CHALLENGE: Sunday's game was a meeting of 2021 Baron Cup champions. The Pirates won the Baron Cup, the title tournament for the Red Division of the Greater Cleveland High School Hockey League. Avon -- by way of three impressive one-goal victories -- won the White Division's Baron Cup II. ... Sunday's game marked the eighth all-time meeting between the Pirates and Eagles and the first since Nov. 30, 2019. Prior to Sunday's tie, River had a 7-0 lead in the series with all seven wins decided by 4 goals-or-more.
ICE CHIPS: Owen Toole had five assists the tournament. Toole scored in all four games and has scored in five straight overall. He has a goal and seven assists on the season. ... The River power play went 0-for-2 Sunday, ending a four-game goal streak. For the season, the Pirates are 4-for-12 (33.3%) with the man advantage. ... Senior captain Alex Parnell needs just one more point to reach 50 for his career. Through Sunday's contest, Parnell has amassed 22 goals and 27 assists.
by Skip Snow
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