ROCKY RIVER, Ohio -- It was a Senior Night. It was a short night (after it was a windy, dark, rainy, and lightning-charged night). And for the Rocky River Pirates, it was a winning night.
The Pirates earned a 2-0 triumph over St. Joseph in a westside neighborhood non-conference tussle Monday evening. Goals by Sophia Sindelar and Mackenzie Russell comprised the River offensive output. Sindelar's eighth marker of the season came on a Cara McKenna corner kick in the 40th minute. Russell's goal -- her third -- came in the 53rd minute. McKenna -- one of four seniors honored in a pregame ceremony -- assisted on that goal as well.
Leading up to that goal, the Pirates' wing play -- dogged speed on both sides -- certainly had a score or more on the radar. Also on the radar were the bright yellows, reds, and purples of impending thunderstorms. Thunderstorms that would stifle the efforts of players bedecked in Maroon & White and purple & gold on the field. Moments after the Russell netfinder, the match was called.
Players, officials, and fans fled. The score stood its ground.
The four Rocky River (3-0) seniors on the 2022 squad are Ava Blair, Rayna Kishna, Cara McKenna, and Annika Mocho. That quartet was announced prior to the game and then key in the victory in it.
The daughters of Dawn and Kyle Blair and Maureen and Ahyodha Kishna were big contributors on a back line that helped keep goalkeeper Caitlin Rose mostly upright and unbothered throughout. The daughter of Joann and Jim Mocho was one of the Pirate wings wearing down the Jaguar defense throughout. And it was the daughter of Maureen and John McKenna logging the 36th and 37th points of her career.
For the game, the Pirates were credited with a 13-3 edge in shots on goal. Rose corralled the three shots she saw to record River's second shutout of the young season.
The win over the Jaguars (1-3) marked the beginning of a busy stretch for Rocky River. Between Monday and Sept. 7 -- in games both near (Rocky River Stadium) and far (Zionsville, Ind.) -- the Pirates will play six times.
The opening skirmish of those six battles was an abbreviated one. But one that showed the Maroon & White have the senior leadership to charge forward with a good bit of confidence. And an unblemished record.
by Skip Snow
# # # River # # #