ROCKY RIVER, Ohio (Oct. 17, 2022) -- The Rocky River Pirates earned their ninth conference title in program history on a breezy, chilled evening at Rocky River Stadium Monday. The crown was earned in the Great Lakes Conference Championship match, a tilt featuring GLC West champ Rocky River against its East Division counterpart, the Lakewood Rangers. The Pirates dominated the contest, putting 15 shots on goal while allowing none. Rocky River won the game 6-0.
The Maroon & White got two goals each from junior Ava Patti and sophomore Sophia Sindelar. River leveraged three goals (Patti, Sindelar, Mackenzie Russell) in a late-first-half span of 5 minutes-and-7 seconds. The 12th-ranked (Ohio Scholastic Soccer Coaches Association, DI) Pirates would go into halftime leading 4-0 and cruise the rest of the way in earning their 10th shutout win of the season.
With Monday's win over Lakewood, Rocky River (14-1-1) has now won four GLC titles (2018, 2019, 2020, 2022). The Pirates also won West Shore Conference championships in 2008, 2010, 2011, 2013, and 2014.
The River Raiders -- winners of 10 straight matches -- have outscored foes 24-4 over their last four games.
Sindelar's first goal Monday marked her 60th and 61st points of the season. She became just the eighth Rocky River player to reach 60 points in a single season. The sophomore standout has scored a goal in seven straight matches. Across three matches, Sindelar has scored six of her 42 career goals against the Rangers.
Cara McKenna registered three assists Monday.
CANNON FIRE ...
PIRATES-RANGERS: Rocky River's Monday win upped its all-time record against Lakewood to 9-5. Since 2009, the Pirates are 7-1 against their neighbors to the east. RRHS and LHS first met in 1990.
BAGEL SALE: The Maroon & White have now filed double-digit shutout totals in eight seasons. The Pirates had a program-record 15 shutouts in 2020; they registered 14 last season. ... The Double-R is 8-0-1 at home this season. Since its last home loss (Sept. 22, 2021 vs. Bay), River is 12-0-1 on home turf.
ON DECK: Rocky River is the No. 3 seed in the
DI Elyria 2 District Tournament. The Pirates will host No. 29 Berea-Midpark on Oct. Thursday (6 p.m.).
by Skip Snow