ROCKY RIVER, Ohio (Aug. 26, 2023) -- Senior Maeve Kelly and junior Sophia Sindelar each tallied two goals in Saturday's home match. Kelly's second netfinder of the contest was a momentum key, a big answer to a second-half goal scored by the visitors in an eventual 4-1 win over Amherst Steele.

Sindelar and Kelly each scored in the first half, Sindelar in the 25th minute and Kelly in the 35th.

Despite the Double-R logging the lion's share of possession time, the non-conference battle at Rocky River Stadium turned into a nail-biter in the 61st minute when the Comets netted a goal (Kamille Coleman) on a penalty kick.

Less-than-two minutes later is when Kelly saved many a cuticle, taking a feed from Ava Patti, making a couple moves along the end line and then firing a bank shot off an Amherst defender and into the goal. Crisis averted. Momentum wrested back.

Rocky River (2-0) rode that momentum -- and one more insurance goal (Sindelar from Patti and Mackenzie Russell, 75th minute) -- to the eventual 4-1 final. Comet 'keeper Natalie Pleban was largely responsible for that score being perhaps tighter than what it was otherwise destined to be. Pleban was sharp in making 10 saves.


CANNON FIRE ...

ON DECK: On Monday, Rocky River will host Holy Name in a make-up of a postponed match last week. The Great Lakes Conference crossover contest at Rocky River Stadium is slated for an 8 p.m. kickoff.

UNDEFEATED & UNSCORED UPON: The Pirate junior varsity defeated Amherst Steel 1-0 on the stretngth of a second-half goal -- on a penalty kick -- by freshman Maggie Nupp. The RRJV is now 3-0 on the season; all three wins have been via shutouts.


by Skip Snow

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