CHAGRIN FALLS–Chagrin Falls wasted no time setting the tone, scoring three times in the first 18 minutes on the way to a 6-0 Chagrin Valley Conference Valley Division win over visiting Rootstown on Tuesday.
Ben Ettinger opened the scoring in the third minute with a strike to the top-left corner, jumpstarting the Tigers’ offensive surge.
“It was helpful that we were trying to keep the speed of our play up by keeping the ball on the ground, and keeping it moving,” said Chagrin Falls head coach Brian McKenna. “We had some focus on keeping possession in the second half, and we were able to get into our bench tonight.”
Greyson Chess doubled the lead in the 13th minute, finishing off a cross-field feed from Grayson Fisher. Four minutes later, Colin Struk-Marn connected on a breakaway to make it 3-0.
Luka Sluder added a fourth goal in the 27th minute with a powerful strike past the diving keeper, giving the Tigers a 4-0 halftime advantage.
Fisher extended the lead to 5-0 in the 56th minute, and Jake Benzel capped the scoring with a shot to the center of the net in the 66th.
The win marked Chagrin Falls’ third straight shutout.
“Right now, we’re seeing our team play for each other,” McKenna said. “They’re playing as a team, they’re very unselfish. We’re certainly very happy with what they’re doing on the field. Coming into the season, we have been very impressed with who these young men are. Their success on the field is a byproduct of their good character and hard work, and we’re thrilled for them. They’re willing to work for each other, and that’s why we’re having some success.”
Through three games, the Tigers have outscored opponents 13-0, starting 3-0 overall and 1-0 in conference play with 240 straight shutout minutes.
“We’re fortunate that we have 10 young men coming back who have been starters. Two years ago, we hit an injury bug, which was tough at the time, but allowed these (current) seniors to play earlier, and now we’re reaping the benefits,” McKenna said.
The loss dropped Rootstown to 2-1 in its first season in the CVC after moving from the Portage Trail Conference.
“They play a lot faster than our old conference,” said Rootstown junior Bryson Scarlett. “We didn’t really know what to expect, and they were just a lot better than any team we played in our last conference.”
Despite the setback, the Rovers gained valuable experience against one of the league’s top programs.
“We just have to do what we do and get after it,” said Rootstown head coach Charles Voth. “We were just a half-step behind on a lot of balls that could have made a difference, and that’s what happened.”
Chagrin Falls hosts Orange on August 28, while Rootstown welcomes Fairview on August 30.
