ROCKY RIVER, Ohio (April 18, 2024) -- Seven seniors combined for 20 points and 12 ground balls, as Rocky River routed Hawken 16-1 in a Thursday night non-league game marking Senior Night for the Double-R program. Seniors Brody Hahn (three goals), Andrew Lang (2G), and Rowan McDougal (6G) and freshman Michael Bebie (3G) all netted multiple goals in a contest that saw the Pirates outshoot the Hawks 44-9 and finish as a plus-9 in turnovers (14-23).
The first Rocky River-Hawken meeting since 2018 started some 30 minutes after an on-field salute of Pirate seniors Patrick Connelly, Brody Connors, Trent Delventhal, Hahn, Jack Hurt, Lang, and McDougal. That seven-man horde of Pirate Greybeards would register solid play up and down the field in a win that marked River's seventh straight.
The Pirates scored the night's first five goals and never looked back. Nor were they scored upon after the 8:30-mark of the second frame when Ryan Solganik tallied Hawken's lone goal on what would be one of just six shots on goal for the Hawks.
Rocky River scored four goals in the first quarter, five in the second, four in the third, and three in the fourth. The game was played in running-clock territory for the lion's share of the second half.
A River defense anchored by Cohen Blair, Delventhal, and Tyler Stanciu and complemented by solid stickwork turned in by Bebie, Anderson Hahn, Michael McDonough, and William Sawyer was alert in containing the Hawken attack. Ayad Mehulic was between the pipes behind that defense, and he was sharp in stopping 5-of-6 pellets sent his way.
At the other end, the Hawks (2-6) had no answer for Rowan McDougal, who ledgered six goals and four assists in the game. McDougal -- author of 10 goals in River's last two games -- reached season point No. 40 (26G, 14A) with an endgame tally in the fourth. The senior attackman has now registered 87G and 35A (122 points) in his career.
Thursday's Senior Night game marked the Pirates last game at home until May 7. Between now and then, the Maroon & White will log four straight road games. That stretch gets underway with a Tuesday test at Kenston.
by Skip Snow
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