Thursday, August 23, 2018

Marauders Wrap Up Preseason, Beating Essex 5-1

Hanover finished off their preseason schedule with an impressive 5-1 victory against a good Essex team in front of an appreciative crowd at Merriman-Branch Field on Thursday night. The Marauders now turn their thoughts to preparing for their first regular season game on Tuesday at Exeter, a matchup of two Division One title contenders.

Thursday's game against Essex was billed as a matchup between perennial powers,and in the early going it was an even contest, with two stout defenses limiting chances on goal. Hanover's back four of Dillon Bradley, Kyle Doucette, Noah Pikielny and Dylan Kotlowitz did an excellent job of possessing the ball, and allowing the midfield of Matty Gardner, Liam Collins and Charlie Adams to gain a territorial edge. 27 minute into the match, Hanover took a 1-0 lead when am Essex defender under pressure from Charlie Adams cleared the ball into his own goal. It appeared as though the game would continue to a tight contest, until the Marauders exploded for four goals in the final eight minutes of the half, taking a shocking 5-0 lead. 

Dillon Bradley started the maroon tsunami, decisively heading home a Liam Collins free kick. Collins then scored, finishing off a neat give and go with Charlie Adams. Christo Dragnev finished off the onslaught, taking an Adams lead pass to finish off a shot on the right side of the box, and then blasting a 30-yard laser, with Adams collecting his third assist. It was a stunning display of offense, an the second time in four days that Hanover had scored five times against a Division One Vermont opponent.

Impressively, Hanover continued to play very well despite extensive substituting in the second half. 26 Marauders saw in action during the game, a clear expression of the depth and quality on this year's Hanover squad. Coach Grabill added a cautionary note after the match, saying, "This was a good showing, but we clearly have a lot of room for improvement. We are trying to be a bit better each day, and have managed to make progress throughout preseason.  We have a lot of work in front of us, and a number of clear challenges coming up. Exeter is clearly a top team. We have lost to them the last two times time we have played, both at home, and now we have to play them on the road. We're hoping to make good use of the next three training sessions before we hit the highway on Tuesday."

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