ROCKY RIVER, Ohio (May 7, 2024) -- On the field anyway, the Rocky River Pirates were evidently getting defensive about their three-game losing streak. After dropping three in a row in a tough stretch of games from April 27-May 2, the Pirates put together a solid offensive game and a marvelous defensive effort in an 8-3 triumph over Chagrin Falls Tuesday.
The Double-R yielded just 26 overall shots and 15 efforts on frame in holding the Tigers (7-6) to their lowest single-game goal total since April 28, 2017 (0 vs. Kent Roosevelt). Starting defensemen Cohen Blair, Trent Delventhal, and Tyler Stanciu blockaded, raided, and road-graded Chagrin Falls into few shot attempts and fewer still that were high-danger looks. And freshman goalkeeper Gordon Hudson was sharp in turning aside 12 Tiger shots ticketed for twine. That core four makes up the lion's share of a River defense that has now held foes to four goals or less nine times this season.
On offense, the Maroon & White got a five-point night from senior midfielder Andrew Lang. The veteran captain's first of the night put River up 2-1 early in the second quarter. Rocky River (11-5) would outscore their visitors 5-1 over the middle periods of what was a 70-degree, pleasant evening at the Lacrosse Grounds on Detroit Road. Lang finished with four goals on eight shots and now has 32 netfinders this season.
Also scoring goals in Tuesday's home game -- River's first since April 10 -- were Michael Bebie, Rowan McDougal, Dominic Ricketti, and Joe Smith. Smith's goal came on a nifty Lang-to-Ricketti-to-Smith tic-tac-toe transition effort that helped seal the win in the fourth.
When the final horn sounded at the end of that fourth stanza, Pirate players did something they had not done in quite a long time: they poured onto the field and celebrated a win over Chagrin Falls. Prior to Tuesday, River had not tamed the Tigers since April 23, 2007 (8-6 home win). In 19 all-time meetings between the two programs, the win marked just the third for the Buccaneers.
In Tuesday's series renewal, Messrs. Blair, Delventhal, and Stanciu combined for 16 ground balls and 10 caused turnovers (Delventhal registered 9 GB and 5 CT on his own). The Pirates had 11 spills as a team; they've recorded double-digit caused turnovers in back-to-back games and in seven contests this season.
With 12 saves against 15 shots, Hudson upped his season save percentage to a lofty .553 (94-of-170).
Tuesday's game marked the front half of a high-test two-for on Detroit Road this week. The Sons of Blackbeard will host Toledo St. Francis Thursday at 7 p.m.
by Skip Snow
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