ROCKY RIVER, Ohio (Oct. 18, 2023) -- Rocky River has moved on to a district quarterfinal match by way of an 8-0 win over Lutheran West Wednesday.

Pirate goals were apportioned thusly: three to Ava Patti, three to Sophia Sindelar, and two to Maeve Kelly. Seven were scored in the first half and one was scored in a five-minute second half (the final goal came in the 45th minute and sealed the mercy-rule conquest). Mia Carney logged three assists and Grace Quaiser filed two. Gia Benjamin, Patti, and Rory Vesy had one each, with Benjamin's tally being a career-first point.

River's first goal of the evening came at the 4:21-mark. It was set up by Rory Vesy and Ava Patti and finished by Sophia Sindelar, and it marked a milestone goal for the Buccaneer record book. That score was Sindelar's 44th of the season, passing Abbie Elinsky's 2013 for the most River goals in a single season. The assist marked Patti's 32nd of the season; that passes McKenna Klodnick, who had 31 assists in 2013.
 
So, the 2023 Pirates have passed the 2013 Pirates in some ways in a season when their loftiest goal could be to finish in a flat-footed Maroon & White tie with the 2013 state champs.

Wednesday's victory against an overmatched Longhorns bunch makes for the Pirates' 18th straight win. River had already broken its previous program record in that category -- 16 games, which was accomplished twice (2013, 2020). There are still two unbeaten streaks the Checkered Buccaneers are trying to track down: Rocky River had a 23-game unbeaten streak in its 2013 state championship season; the Pirates had a 21-game unbeaten streak in 2021.

The current streak was not in jeopardy for even a moment in Wednesday's affair which pitted the Pirates, the top seed in DII Region 6, against the 30th-seeded Longhorns. Thirty-three teams were seeded for the Region 6 brackets. Such is playoff soccer as envisioned by the Ohio High School Athletic Association.

The Longhorns (1-13-3) did not register a shot Wednesday. Lutheran West defenders showed a game effort in blocking numerous shots.

A River squad ranked second in the state (Ohio Scholastic Soccer Coaches Association DII Girls State Poll) has now scored six-plus goals a dozen times this season. The Pirates went into Wednesday's tilt averaging 6.41 goals per game, a would-be program record. Add to that net presence a rack of bagels getting heavier each week.

Wednesday's 8-0 victory marked the Pirates' ninth shutout. Five of those have come in the last five matches. That marks the program's fourth-longest such streak. 

The Double-R is 14-4 over its last 18 playoff games. Since 2010, the Pirates are 42-12 (.778) in postseason play. 

On Monday, Rocky River (18-0) will host No. 26 Lake Catholic in a 6 p.m. Northeast 5 District quarterfinal.

by Skip Snow

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