BROOKLYN, Ohio (Feb. 19, 2025) -- Rocky River fell to Padua in a quarterfinal game of the Brooklyn Region Tournament Wednesday night. The Bruins were propelled by three unanswered first-period scores -- with sophomore center Adam Coyne figuring in all three -- and would eventually sink the Pirates by a final of 6-2.
Padua, the No. 6 seed in the region, was in control throughout. The Bruins got a big lift in the second period despite the No. 3 Pirates scoring the lone goal in that frame, sophomore Nolan Toole's 13th twine-finder of the season. Junior Padua goaltender Joshua Kustra stopped each of the other 19 shots he faced in that middle period (Kustra made 41 saves for the game).
The Bruins countered the flurry of River shots with a power-play goal in the first minute of the third, and that marker all-but sealed the Pirates' fate. Sophomore Jacob Rihvalsky scored that fourth Padua goal, and it was the middle of three he scored on the night. The Bruins offense also got a lift from Coyne (two goals, assist) and senior captain Max Matejcik (4A).
For the game, Padua (11-18-1) went 4-of-7 with the man advantage. Overall, the contest at the Brooklyn Recreation Center was a high-volume affair when it came to penalties and shots on goal. The postseason tussle included 28 penalty minutes (RRHS 15, PFHS 13) and 79 shots (RRHS 43, PFHS 36).
River's second goal was potted by junior winger Dominic Kovi (assisted by Lucas Konopka and O'Toole) midway through the final stanza. That final period proved to be the final chapter in the story of the Hilliard Boulevard Buccaneers for 2024-25. Rocky River closes out its season with a mark of 16-12-5.
The Pirates had their struggles late this season. They went just 2-5-1 since Jan. 17. And they have certainly had recent struggles at the Brooklyn Recreation Center and against the Padua Bruins.
The Maroon & White are now 1-4 across their last five games on Brooklyn ice. And they have been ousted in four consecutive Buckeye State postseasons by Padua.
But Wednesday's battle did mark a game effort by the Buccaneers. Solid performances were logged at both ends of the ice, and River continued to display plenty of depth which should help the squad as it looks to overcome the losses of seniors Landon Barnes, Lincoln Greear (30 saves Wednesday), and Dominic Ricketti when the Sons of Blackbeard drop the puck on another season next winter.
CANNON FIRE ...
HALF-A-HUNDRED: With his two points Wednesday, Nolan Toole now has 51 points (17 goals, 34 assists) in his career. Toole, who logged 18P as a freshman in 2022-23, finished with 33P this season. He registered a third of those 33P over Rocky River's last six games (4G, 7A).
THREE STARS: Toole leapfrogged Dominic Ricketti for second place on the team's 2024-25 scoring list. For the season, the Pirates' top three scorers were junior Lucas Konopka (20G-18A--38P), Toole (13-20--33), and Ricketti (15-17--32).
by Skip Snow
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