JV1 Helps Homecoming Sweep; Beats Memorial 3-1

All four Marauder teams played in the same time slot on Friday afternoon, one four different fields.  there were 108 players, seven coaches, and eight referees in action.  There is no other high school program that can accomplish anything like this.  The JV1 got off to a fast start and a fast finish to do their part, taking a quick lead on Manchester Memorial and earning a 3-1 victory to improve their record to 7-3 on the season.

The Marauders took an early lead when goalkeeper Jack Maynes his a long clear to Henry Aspinwall, who made a touch pass to send Peter Burnam through on the left flank.  Burnham carried the ball deep into the Memorial zone and sent it back to Aspinwall at the six, where he converted it for his tenth goal of the season.  Hanover nearly doubled the lead a minute later when a Will Ermarth free kick just outside the penalty area was inches wide of the post.

The Marauders continued to press, and in the 11th minute Eric Ringer hit a shot that forced the Memorial goalie to make a kick save, creating a juicy rebound for Ermarth, whose lefty bid on goal was gobbled up by the agile keeper. Hanover flaunted its depth in the 26th minute, doubling the lead when a corner kick by Derek Lacy found Jackson Lake on the back post.  Lake's header back across the goal mouth found the flying foot of Quincy McBride for a 2-0 lead.

Hanover came out strongly at the start of the second half, and Will Ermarth nearly missed his meg on the keeper after a cheeky heel pass from Henry Aspinwall.   Ten minutes later, the Aspinwall Soccer Collective combined with Ringer for a 3-0 Hanover  lead.  Mitch played Ringer through down to the touchline, and the frosh phenom played the ball back to the six yard line for Henry, who knocked in his second goal of the afternoon.

Memorial grabbed a lifeline when a back pass to Maynes in the Hanover goal hit a divot on the heavily-used pitch, and a fortunate Memorial player pulled back a goal to make the score 3-1.  The Crusaders came a bit closer in the final minute of the game when a shot hit the inside of the back post and rolled along the goal line before Maynes corralled it to prevent the goal and seal the victory.

The Marauders return to action on Tuesday with a road trip to Timberlane with a twist.  Because of a transportation crunch, Hanover has only one bus for two teams. Fortunately, a number of parents have stepped forward to transport their progeny  (and others, if they are Dresden-approved).  This Dunkirk-like arrangement should add some spice to an important road match.

JV2 Beats Memorial on Homecoming, 6-1

The field was wet and cool for the concluding game of the week as Hanover faced off against Manchester Memorial as part of the program's quadrupleheader on Friday. Hanover came in with focus from the opening whistle and didn't look back this time for a convincing 6-1 win on the Dresden fields for homecoming weekend.

   The team opened up with a formidable line up that is starting to find its groove combined with a determination not to get caught off guard in the opening minutes.  This was evident in the first moments as Mark Ralston-Daniel found a ball just past the midfield and made his way toward goal, evading a defender and dispatching the ball in the net with command to open his account for the day and set the tone.  Only a few minutes later he would be the playmaker as he set up Max Patyk-Finkel on a breakaway who placed it on net where Maxwell Lutz was there for nifty rebound goal. The trio would soon tally another point as Ralston-Daniels played it out to Maxwell Lutz making his way down the left flank where he  put it in the box  for an oncoming Max Patyk-Finkel to put it away.  This was all in the first 10 minutes.  

 

Soon after, the new line went in with more opportunities created as well.  Among them were Ayan's Ayaad's run and shot on goal only to be stopped at the last moment.  Pierce Seigne would also have a run on net that would be a sign of opportunities to come.  Declan Flynn would show some skill up top as well when he coolly collected a goal kick out the air and put the ball out to his wing midfielder in a matter of two moves.  The end of  the first half would see a little confusion though, and the Crusaders would use that opportunity to score when the ball failed to be cleared away from the Hanover goal in time.

   The beginning of the second half saw the seniors come out charging and once again quickly create a goal within minutes as Matt Fenner burst down the field and from the bottom left of the box placed a treat of a pass on Max Patyk-Finkel's foot where he was able to square himself in front of the goal and finish it with ease for his fifth goal of the season.  The following goal would be from a charging Pierce Seigne when he broke free of the defense and got tripped up in the box, earning himself a penalty kick. He then converted it with an authoritative toe poke to the right corner. 

 

 Throughout the half there were some real chances created as space opened up.  Among these were some great through passes by Aidan Tomlin with his deft, consistent touch and and good decisions as well as Charlie Bell's crosses and work down the flank. Koa Schuette also almost earned a sensational goal with a looping free kick from the top corner of the box where it just nicked the upper corner of the far post.  The backline of Eli Cowie, John Pham, Jared Licht, Ben Brooks, and Finn Seville easily deterred most threats to give Matt Alibozak an uneventful half as well.  In the concluding moments the seniors stepped onto the pitch and on ensuing corner kick Mark Ralson-Daniel had his second assist of the day with cross that descended right down into the six yard box onto Caleb Callaway's forehead  for his second goal of the season. 

It was a solid show for the team as they showed progress in all phases of the game, especially after a long week.  Next up,  a home game at Dresden against  Rivendell  this Wednesday.  Stay tuned!

Gme and Practice Schedule Oct. 1-7

Monday, October 1

Practice Bus departs for Dresden                                                             3:45  p.m.

JV1 and JV 2 Training at Dresden                                                             4:00 – 5:30 p.m.

Freshman Game at Merrimack – Dismissal 2:30                                      4:30 p.m.

Varsity Training at Dresden                                                                       5:00 – 6:30 p.m.

Tuesday, October 2

Practice Bus departs for Dresden                                                            3:45 p.m.

JV2, Freshman training at Dresden                                                         4:00 – 5:30 p.m.       

Varsity/JV1 Games vs. Timberlane – Dismissal 2:00                               4:30 p.m.

Wednesday, October 3

Practice Bus departs for Dresden                                                           2:45 p.m.

JV1, Freshman training at Dresden                                                        3:15 – 4:45 p.m.

JV2 Game vs. Rivendell   at Dresden                                                      4:30 p.m.

Varsity  Training – HHS Turf                                                                      7:15 – 8:45 p.m.

Thursday, October 4

Practice Bus departs for Dresden                                                              3:45 p.m.

Freshman, JV1, JV2, Training at Dresden                                                 4:00 – 5:30 p.m.

Varsity Training at HHS Turf                                                                      5:00 – 6:30 p.m.

Friday,  October 5

No School - No practice for Freshmen or JV2

JV1 Games vs. Winnacunnet – HHS Grass                                               4:00 p.m.

Varsity Game vs. Winnacunnet – HHS Turf                                                6:00 p.m.  

Sunday,  October 7

CROP Walk at Colburn Park, Lebanon                                                       1:00 p.m.
(Registration opens at 12:30 -  Participants can register in person 
with a minimal donation to : CWS CROP  
All Marauder players welcome for a great charitable cause
and team-building oppoetunity)


 

Happy Homecoming: Marauders Blank Memorial 5-0

Homecoming could not have come at a better time for a weary Marauder squad, playing their third match in four days and coming off a disappointing road loss to Exeter two days earlier.  The cozy confines of Merriman-Branch Field were just what the doctor ordered for Hanover, who scored twice in the first 2:04 of the match and were never challenged by Memorial.  The 5-0 final tally was generous, given the high quality of Hanover’s play and the one-sided nature of the game.  The Marauders generated 32 shots at the Memorial goal, and conceded only one shot in the other direction.

Hanover has had quick starts this season, but never more rapid than on Friday, when they took the lead inside of a minute.  Gaining control of the ball in their own end after the kickoff, they worked it down the right flank and Aiden Rowley send Christo Dragnev loose toward the corner after his great diagonal run.  Dragnev turned his defender and closed on the goal, dishing a ball backwards to a streaking Charlie Adams, who finished clinically for his 13^th goal of the season.

Before Memorial had a chance to breathe, Hanover had the ball again in the Crusader end, and earned a corner kick. Liam Collins hit a perfectly weighted driven inswinger to the near post, and Dragnev timed his run perfectly to head it in for a 2-0 lead that looked like 200-0 at the time.  Memorial tightened up, but Hanover maintained a one-sided edge in possession despite beginning a trickle of substitutions that would become a mighty flow by the end of the match.

The defense was efficient in front of Hans Williams, who made a routine save look routine on a long shot by Mersudin Omerbegovic, and then earned another DK (dope keeper) citation for a brave forward dive in the face of an onrushing attacker to corral a lofted through ball.  That was the sum total of Williams’ heavy lifting for the rest of the contest.

Shortly after the 20 minute mark Charlie Adams looked to the sidelines and saw a throng of midfielders waiting to enter the game.  Knowing his time was up, ne made one more nice play, penetrating the box and then dishing a pass to a streaking Amane Matsuoka, whose shot straight at goalkeeper Eldin Husanovic was so hard that he couldn’t hold it.  The goal was the first of many in Matsuoka’s blooming career.  The Marauders had a number of other good looks in the half, notable a shot by Nathan Subrahmanian that just rolled by the far post, and a pair of bids by Dillon Bradley.  Husanovic made a great save on a bad angle bid by Eli Stack, hunting for his elusive first goal.

Hanover began the second half with a new back line and a renewed determination to keep the game firmly in hand.  They applied pressure almost immediately, and were rewarded in the seventh minute with a highlight goal by Blake Palmer, who took a pass from Adams on the left side, cut back past a flailing defender, and buried a right footed shot for his second goal of the campaign.  Three minutes later Stack finally hit paydirt, converting a short rebound after Husanovic couldn’t control the rebound after a hard shot by Liam Collins.

Hanover had a 5-0 lead with thirty minutes left to play, but some of the best soccer of the day was yet to come.  With the exception of Williams in goal, every starter retired to the bench, and by the end of the match 26 players had seen action and17 of them registered at least one shot on goal.  The level of play was extremely high.  Patrick Osborn subbed in for Stack up top and made his presence felt with numerous good runs, and a shot just wide of the post.  Colm Seigne continued his good work as an attacking midfielder and provocateur. Will Blinkhorn took over Matty’s role as field marshall and did a great job, almost scoring on a high drive and hitting yet another excellent corner kick.  The list goes on:  Noah Pikielny gave a clinic on how a defender should get forward and join the attack.  Nico Mayo-Pushee, continuing his rehabilitation, registered his first shot on goal.  Toño Correa had three shots on goal in 30 minutes, and was the team leader in that category.  Gary Li tended to the massive bruise on his forehead by repeatedly heading long, high serves into the defensive end.  Ethan Ross was quietly flawless at center back.

The Marauders are now 7-3, and poised to make a move into the top four in the Division One standings, in search of the elusive second round home field advantage.  Several challenging matches await.  One Tuesday, Hanover travels to Timbelane, hoping to get a win on a field where they have never been  victorious.  They return home Friday to host a Winnacunnet team that has won five in a row, including a recent defeat of Exeter.  Thanks to their good home cooking, the Marauders are fortified for the road ahead.

Freshmen Beat 7-0 Londonderry in 2-1 Thriller

The young Marauders took to the Dresden pasture pitch for the first time in a competitive match on Friday afternoon knowing the tall task that stood before them and eager for the challenge. That task came in the form of the Londonderry Lancer freshman team. The Lancers pulled into Norwich boasting a 7-0-0 record and dismantling teams along the way with score lines of 9-1, 8-0, 6-0 etc... and looking to add to Hanover to that list.

      The first half lived up to the billing of a heavyweight fight with both teams taking turns applying pressure to each other. The Lancers got the first real opportunity of the match at the 12 minute mark when a Londonderry striker created just enough space from 14 yards out to put a shot on goal, it snuck past an out stretched Jackson Fisher in goal but hit the frame, thankfully the posts are square and not round. Hanover would answer with a flurry of opportunities over the next ten minutes but none better than Eric Tysinger's hit from ten yards in front of goal that banged off another post......stupid square posts.

 

     The half would end scoreless with Hanover creating the better opportunities in the final twenty minutes of the first half. They were starting to break down the very fast and skilled Londonderry team. Londonderry found themselves in unfamiliar territory in the dying stages of the half, they hadn't been able to truly crack the nut that is the Marauder defense and were struggling to get out of their own end. Once again, the Hanover back four was frustrating another team causing them to lose their patience and their discipline. 

 

      The second half began much as the first half did, with both teams exchanging opportunities and trying to break down the opposing defense. In the 58th minute the breakthrough came. Eric Tysinger, while pressing the Lancer defense won the ball 18 yards from net and with a Londonderry defender all over him had just enough space to hit a screamer on frame left footed. The Londonderry keeper dived to  his right and was able to get a hand to it but it wasn't enough to stop the power behind the shot. 1-0 Hanover. 

    After the goal,  Londonderry restarted with more energy and pace then they had all game, intent on drawing this game level.  They threw wave after wave at the Hanover defense but the Mauraders stood strong. In the final ten minutes, Hanover who had given their all to this point were starting to tire and were having trouble clearing the ball out of their own half, they had parked the bus a little bit. 

 

       With four minutes left to play in the game Londonderry managed to isolate a Hanover defender into a 2v1 situation with their quick, short passing, the lancer striker played a well timed wall pass to a streaking midfielder right in Hanover penalty area, who promptly returned it to the striker, who was looking for a one touch finish, it was just enough to pull the Hanover defender out of position and he couldn't recover in time. However, the striker still had to beat Jackson, who was well positioned and went to ground perfectly to block the Lancer strike, however, the returned pass took a bit of a bounce in the box and the striker only managed to get the tiniest of deflections on to it but just enough for it to be directed towards net. Jackson went to ground expecting to block a fastball but got a change up instead in the wrong direction and all Hanover could do was watch while the ball ever so slowly just trickled over the line, the Lancer bench and fans erupted. 

 

      The next three minutes were an exchange of long balls and both teams just trying to get the ball up field as quick as possible and hoping for a striker to run on to one. At that point it appeared the game would most likely end in a draw and that might be a fitting end to what was a hard fought game on both sides. However,  that would not be the case thanks to two late substitutions Hanover made with less than ten minutes to play. Captain Jack Ross and Eric  Tysinger were brought on with fresh legs so their pace and defense pressure would help see the game brought home. Hanover managed to regroup and show their poise. Rather than just dump the ball up field they strung a few possession passes together to open up the field a little bit and Isak Larusson was able to find  Eric who from 18 yards out put another wonderful strike on goal but this time the Lancer keeper was ready for it and he was able to block the ball out of bounds for a Hanover corner kick. With 30 seconds left to play Connor Hamlin stepped up to take an out swinging corner kick from the left side. His cross sailed over most in the box including the keeper and came down right at the back post where Jack was waiting to get his head to the ball and from three yards out he would not be denied. The ball found the back of the net and you could hear the collective exhale from the fans and players at Dresden field as they celebrated.

 

    The game was restarted and a dejected Londonderry side played one last miracle ball up field that was collected by Isak who took it down the sideline, making four Londonderry players miss in the process and held the ball long enough for the final whistle to blow.  They were a lot of Hanover players that could have easily been man of the match in this game with the effort they put in on the pitch but none of those performances were as big as Jackson Fisher's was. Jackson stopped 15 Londonderry shots on the day and allowed zero rebounds from any of them. He was the backbone of this hard fought win. 

 

    Thankfully, Hanover has the weekend to celebrate their biggest win to date before they have to move on from this game and regroup to face a tough Merrimack team on Monday afternoon in Merrimack, a team that Hanover beat 4-0 just last weekend that will be looking to get even. 

Friday Update -Quadrupleheader on Tap; Tuesday Transport Challenge

The rain is scheduled to clear on time for a first in Hanover Soccer history:  four games on four fields at the same time.  We have had all four HHS teams play on the same day before, but never before have all four teams played at home on the same day at the same time.  The JV2 and Freshman teams will kick off at 4:30 at Dresden, with the Frosh hosting Londonderry in a makeup game, and the JV2s hosting Memorial.  Back at HHS, the JV1 and Varsity teams will play Memorial at 4:00 in their usual venues.  Happy Homecoming!

Because it will be crowded at Dresden, we ask for your help in observing normal protocols.  Please don't park in the coaching spots on the south side of the porta-potty, or park anywhere near the circle.  It's a big lot, so there's plenty of room.  Please view the game from the far touchlines or the softball hill, and leave the middle strip for players, coaches and officials.

Looking ahead to Tuesday, we have a transportation challenge.  We have only one school bus available for the JV1 and Varsity trip to Timberlane. It is physically impossible to put that many players and coaches in the bus, so we'd love to have parents volunteer to drive their own children.  The catch is that you cannot drive any other players without completing a Dresden background check. But if a dozen JV1 and Varsity parents decide to make the trip to scenic Plaistow, we can pull this off.  Please send Coach Grabill an e-mail (coachgrabill@gmail) if you can plan to make the trek to suburban Haverhill, MA.

Thursday Update: No JV1 Practice

There is no JV1 practice today.  Coach Willie Johnson is home sick.

We would be grateful of JV1 team members can spend a few minutes changing into their soccer shoes and helping care for the HHS grass field, replacing divots that were created during Tuesday's game.

Marauders Lose a Frustrating 1-0 Match to Exeter

The Marauders took a step backward on Wednesday, losing a frustrating 1-0 contest to a young and hardworking Exeter team.  After a listless and scoreless first half, the Blue Hawks scored the only goal of the match early in the second half, and held off the Marauders, who had a few scoring chances but never were able to mount any sort of sustained attack.  Following a pair of wins over outmatched opponents,  Hanover lost their their 1-0 decision of the year, and this one to a lesser opponent.

The Marauders looked out of sorts  in every aspect of their game.  Five minutes into the match, a giveaway in their defensive end gave an Exeter striker an open look, and his shot rolled just wide of the post.  Midway through the half, a long throw into the Hanover box gave big Exeter striker Patrick Walker a free header, but the redirection went over the top.

Hanover's usual edge in match such as this is at midfield, but the Marauders were off their game, giving the ball away  regularly and not mustering the patience to maintain possession.  The long periods of keeping the ball, which were in evidence even against top teams like Concord, were missing.  Hanover only mustered four shots during the half, and had a single corner kick, as compared to three for Exeter.

Late in the half, Hanover's best chance to score came when Liam Collins hit a free kick from the right side that found Dillon Bradley at the far post, but Bradley's header, while on target, went straight to goalkeeper Dylan Firmin.

With the game scoreless at halftime, the Marauders had every reason to believe that they could flip the switch and assert themselves in the second half.  They had a decent stretch of possession at the start of the half, and Firmin made a nice save on Christo Dragnev's attempt, but Exeter countered quickly in the 47th minute and two quick and accurate passes set up striker Garrett Roberts for a turnaround shot that beat Joey Perras to the lower left corner for a 1-0 lead.

Hanover showed more urgency, and ten minutes later the Marauders had their best chance of the game, when Colline hit a shot from outside the box that hit the underside of the square crossbar, bounced straight down, apparently not over the line, and into Firmin's hands with Dragnev parked right on the doorstep, inches from converting the rebound.  Ten minutes later, Charlie Adams had a hard shot from the top of the box, his favorite finishing area, blocked by a defender.  Christo Dragnev was open for a header on a long cross from the left flank, but it was just a bot too tall for him.

The Marauders took care of business in the defensive end as the clock wound down and they pushed forward for an equalizer.  Perras made several important saves to keep his team within striking distance.  Hanover had one final chance to tie the game when they were given a free kick outside the box, but Collins' free kick into a dangerous area at the far post never made contact with anyone.  That was their last gasp, as Exeter played wisely in the waning minutes, and held on for their best win of the season.

It was a difficult loss to swallow for Hanover.  They had plenty of healthy players, and had not over-exerted against Alvirne the day before in the rain.  They were just a step slow on the Exeter goal, and lacked the patience and poise necessary to mount an effective attack.  Their opportunities are just as compelling going forward, and a loss such as this can either stymie them or inspire them.  Their next chance to take a step forward comes on Friday at home against Memorial, against what promises to be a large Homecoming crowd.

JV1 Loses 2-0 On the Road to Exeter

Playing the second of back to back matches, missing several players due to illness, and up against a tough opponent on the road, the JV1s lost 2-0 to Exeter on Wednesday.  The match was scoreless at halftime, and both teams had chances.  The Hawks scored two late goal to earn the win, dropping Hanover to 6-3 on the season.

Mitch Aspinwall made two good plays early in the match, one at each end of the pitch.  Four minutes into the game he made an important tackle at the edge of the penalty area on a counterattack, followed by a clear from Alec McDevitt.  Six minutes later Mitch earned a direct kick, but the low, hard restart missed a number of waiting feet in the six yard box.

Midway through the half Eli Bush hit a high floating shot that drifted high.  Shortly afterwards, goalkeeper Jack Maynes made a nice save on  direct kick off of a throw to keep the game scoreless.
Hanover threatened twice in the late going.  Owen Stannard jumped on a rebound outside the 18 and hit a shot that was just wide.  Two minutes later, Jake Reznek played Quincy McBride through, and he nearly got a toe poke on the ball to beat the keeper.

Hanover had their best chance to score early in the second half when Theo Sparks played a long ball from deep on the wing, with the Exeter goalie gobbling the ball up just before Mitch Aspinwall arrived.

Exeter got their first goal with 15 minutes remaining in the match when an Exeter striker won the ball just inside the attacking third and hit a hard shot into the upper corner for a 1-0 lead.  They put the icing on the cake with two minutes remaining when a Blue Hawk obstructed Maynes' path to the ball, and his teammate turned and fired the ball into the net.

Hanover gets a chance to rebound on Friday with a Homecoming match against Memorial at 4:00 on the HHS grass field.  All players  (and all Freshman and JV2 players) are requested to spend 15-20 minutes immediately after school Thursday tending to the grass field.  The match on Tuesday during the rain dug up a lot of divots.  If we can get a bunch of players out there after school and before the practice bus, we can get the pitch back into shape for a busy Friday.  Please turn out and bring everyone else, and give back to our poor abused field!

JV2 Beats Lebanon 6-1 For First Win

The afternoon was cool and overcast as the Marauders took to the field against Lebanon. It would be a test to see how they would respond with only a day off after a road trip game.  In the first five minutes it seemed that they would once again get penalized for a slow start when Lebanon blazed down the right flank and made attempt on goal only to be stopped by the quick and aware hands of Matt Alibozek.  The defense would soon be tested a couple minutes later as a Lebanon attacked and a shot bounced off the post to be cleared just in time by a sliding Teddy Ruth.

This time,  though,  Hanover quickly woke up, and were determined to create a goal.  Matt Fenner seemed to sense this when he found the ball in the attacking third and raced toward the baseline where he placed a perfect low cross in front of the net.  The Lebanon goalie was there to receive it, but so were the Hanover forwards and midfielders.  When the goalie bobbled the cross, Declan Flynn pounced and kept the ball in play for an onrushing Caleb Callaway to bury it the net to leave no doubt of a goal.  It seemed a weight was lifted off the team, and they started to relax, but still play hard.  This combination of poise and intensity paid off when they won the ball in the backfield and Maxwell Lutz played it out to  Jackson Liu who made a great one touch pass past the defense in quick transition back to Maxwell.  The play continued with a one-two with Mark Ralston-Daniel placing Maxwell at the top of the box as he capped off the run with a coolly placed shot it in the far side netting.

 

  The pressure would continue and the team would go into the half up by two.  The second half started a touch listless, but this changed quickly when Max Patyl-Finkel was found on the top of the box where he received the ball, turned quickly, outpaced his defender, and struck the ball in the lower right corner.  Lebanon would show some teeth, though, and on counterattack found one of their forwards on Hanover's eighteen where he unleashed a shot that Matt Alibozak managed to get his hand on, but it just had enough power to get by him.

 

 Hanover was not through for the day though as they continued to attack and earned a corner.  Teddy Ruth then executed a beautiful cross curling over the heads of several defensemen and into the box where Mark Ralston-Daniel reacted to a loose ball and volleyed it with deceptive ease for his first goal of the season.  

 

  Lebanon would have another opportunity for a goal as they earned a penalty kick from a handball in the box, but  the ensuing shot went well clear of the crossbar.  There was still some time remaining, and Hanover wanted capitalize on its attacking flow when Mark Ralston-Daniel made a well-directed assist to Maxwell Lutz steering him towards the goal where he once again  found the back of the net. Finally, in the waning moments Boris Devitsky somehow found Max Patyk-Finkel on the outside of the box who struck another quick accurate shot that found the inside corner.  This play earned Boris his first assist of the season and Max's second goal for the game.  

 

Though the storyline of this game are the numerous goals, the defensive play was rock solid.  There was very little they let through against some fast and skilled Lebanon forwards.  The ball was kept often in the Lebanon half, and almost threats in the box were dealt with authority and decisiveness.  The backline's role in the build-up of attack could not be overstated as well. Furthermore the Man of the Match would have to go to Matt Alibozek.  He not only stopped almost all threats from the ground and air, but also came up big in more than a few one on one breakthroughs.  This play culminated in the save of the game where he managed to layout in a breakaway and stop/trap a shot with  his legs much to the consternation of the forward who was expecting a sure goal.  

 

    It was a great day for the Marauders and well earned win created by hustle, composure, and teamwork from everyone involved.  Let's keep it up.    

Marauders Swamp Alvirne in the Rain, 8-1

There are so many ways in which a potentially one-sided game can go wrong.  On paper, Hanover's Tuesday match with Alvirne would be one-sided.  The Broncos were winless, and the Marauders have championship aspirations.  But games like these can go south.  The favored team can be cocky, or unfocused.  The underdog can rise to the occasion and frustrate the top dog.  The game can devolve, and even if there are goals eventually, they can be sloppy, or ugly.  And as was the case with Tuesday's match , the weather can potentially be a negative factor.

Happily for Hanover, everything worked.  Alvirne was indeed better than their record, and they worked very hard.  That allowed the Marauders to raise their game.  The steady rain wasn't an issue. Thus, Hanover had one of their best days of the season, creating well-formulated goal after goal.  They steadily built a 3-0 lead in the first half with patient possession and airtight defense.  They struck surgically and soon in the second half, and then flaunted their depth, as reserved poured off the bench and continued the high level of play.  Hanover won 8-1, raised their record to 6-2, and set themselves up for an important road showdown with Exeter on Wednesday.

Alvirne was determined and worthy in the early going, and they made Hanover work for everything.  The Marauders came out with their "A" game, which meant that they possessed the ball for long stretches, stringing passes together and swinging play back and forth from side to side, looking for openings in a packed defense.  They showed commendable patience, and never tried to force things.
Ten minutes went by, and Hanover had yet to attempt a shot.  Would Alvirne grow more confident?  Would the Marauders get frustrated?  Then an innocent cross into the box from the right flank was cleared poorly, and the ball fell to the feet of Charlie Adams, who lashed a long-range thunderbolt into the net for a 1-0 lead.  The gates were opened.

Two minutes later, Liam Collins for free for a screaming left-footer.  Alvirne goalkeeper made the save, and then was able to snuff a rebound attempt by a lurking Aiden Rowley.  Less than a minute later, though, the Marauders doubled the score when Collins made a great move to get free on the baseline and then fed the ball to Christo Dragnev, who buried his second goal of the season.  Ten minutes later, Dragnev collected his team-leading fifth assist of the season, setting up Rowley after a protracted buildup.

Hanover subbed soon thereafter, but the steady drumbeat of shots on or at goal continued.  Eli Stack, who has become magic off the bench, hit a screamer off the post.  Dillon Bradley made a great run on a corner kick from David Stoffel and glanced his perfectly-placed header off the bar and over.  Stack was back at it, taking a nice lead pass from Nathan Sunrahmanian and nearly scoring on a breakaway, foiled by a brave goalie play by Brooks in the Bronco goal.  Stoffel nearly duplicated the goal he had scored on Saturday, but his short range shot  (with, OMG, his right foot) was saved.  Stack, again, launched a rocket that nearly opened his account.

Meanwhile, back in the Hanover goal, Marauder keeper Andrew Enelow spent most of the half calmly and effectively fielding back passes from his teammates, and demonstrating strong foot skills.  This was his first start, and he looked like he belonged.  He didn't however, get to see a single shot.

The Marauders continued to sub after halftime, with a brand new backfield.  The starting strikers knew they would be on a short leash, and they wasted little time.  The kickoff flew into the Alvirne end, Hanover took possession and settled the ball, and before a minute had elapsed Charlie Adams slid a perfect pass to Rowley, who drove the ball into the net for his second goal of the afternoon.  There was no doubt that the Marauders would continue to be all business.   Shortly afterwards, Rowley returned the favor and fed Adams for a rocket over the top that barely missed. Adams was on target in the 50th minute after a filthy assist from Collins, who split the Bronco defense with a  through ball right onto the feet of a streaking Adams.  It was time to get the subs warmed up, and keep the clock running.  Even as the next wave of subs got to the sideline, Adams had one more shot left, taking a pass from Matty Gardner and completing his hat trick with a shot from the top of the 18, his 12th goal of the season.

Inserting substitutes did little to slow down the Marauder offensive machine.  Shortly after he was foiled on a good shot from the left flank, senior Caleb Bemjamin scored his first varsity goal, taking a short pass from Will Blinkhorn (second assist in two games) and hitting a shot that glanced off a defender, but not to the extent that it was an own goal.  And we're tough with scoring calls like that. Legit first goal.  This development only served to further energize Colm Seigne, who had a superb afternoon at attacking center midfield.  This was not bull-in-a-china-shop Colm.  This was King Colm, moving the ball effectively, making nice passes, and launching what would eventually be a team-high six shots.  For now he had no luck, and nerly passed Stack in the snakekit department.

Alvirne had managed a few shots toward to Hanover goal, and kept on working hard despite the 7-0 score.  The had a decent spell of possession, and at one point launched a good hard shot on goal that was well-saved by Enelow, who pushed it over the crossbar and off the football goal posts, for a corner kick.  The first Alvirne attempt was cleared over the end line by a Marauder defender, and Alvirne got a second try. They took full advantage, driving the kick onto the box and converting it with a nice volley.

Unfazed by conceding a goal, the Marauders went back to work. Amane Matsuoka continued his good work on the flanks in relief of Nick Mayo-Pushee, who made his first appearance of the season as he continues to come back from surgery.  At one point Amane made a time-honored sports cliche come alive, seemingly breaking a defender's ankle with a deft move. Lathan Allison had three well-made shots from the top of the box.  Patrick Osborn did some quality work at striker, and Seigne continued to hunt for a goal,  getting foiled at the doorstep with a nice save from the Alvirne backup keepeer.  With less than nine minutes to play, Osborn made a great chest trap on a cross into the box, and fed Seigne for a short shop that happily ended his quest for a goal.  Gotta work on the celly, though.

That closed the scoring, and before long the match concluded uneventfully, with lots to celebrate. There won't be much time for looking back, however.  Looming immediately on the Horizon is a Wednesday night road trip to Exeter and a makeup match with the Blue Hawks.  Exeter came to Hanover and beat the young Marauders, and now they are ready to show how far they have come.
Hanover has lost two close games to top teams, and then beat two lesser opponents.  Now they have to show that they can beat a good team on the road, and they are primed to do so.  Stay tuned!

JV1 Beats the Rain, Beats Alvirne 6-2

Despite the steady rain that drenched the teams and hardy spectators on Tuesday, the JV1s increased their modest win streak to three games with an efficient 6-2 victory over Alvirne.  Coincidentally, their record now is also a healthy 6-2.

The Marauders wasted little time getting on the board.  Four minutes into the match Mitch Aspinwall passed the ball to his brother Henry, who sent a through ball to Will Ermarth, setting him up for a clinical finish.  Just two minutes later, Hanover doubled the lead to 2-0 when Jake Reznek converted a Mitch Aspinwall corner kick at the far post.  The Marauder blitz continued a mere four minutes later, when Ermarth returned the favor to Henry Aspinwall, who one-timed his pass into the next for a 3-0 advantage.  Ermarth had a dangerous shot on frame near the midpoint of the half, and Hanover kept up the pressure five minutes later when Derek Lacy had a dangerous shot following a dangerous cross from Eli Bush.

Alvirne refused to fold, despite the weather and the early Hanover onslaught.  The Broncos pulled a goal back with 12 minutes to play in the half on a breakaway, and then almost scored seven minutes later, forcing CJ Wheelan to make a good save.  With five minutes to go,  a Bronco player intercepted Wheelan's clearing pass and slotted the ball home to make the score 3-2.

Hanover came charging out of the gate at the start of the second half, and restored their two-goal advantage when Peter Burnham scored after taking a headed pass from Ermarth right to his feet.  Ermarth continued his playmaker role three minutes later, taking the ball to the endline and centering it to Henry Aspinwall for his second goal of the game and ninth of the season.

The Marauders played well at both ends of the field to hang onto their 5-2 lead, and put the icing on the cake with 13 minutes to play when Eric Ringer added to his team-leading assist total with a through ball to Ermarth, who completed his five-point afternoon with a one-touch finish.

Hanover will dry off and immediately gear up for their most challenging road game of the year thus far, heading to Exeter for a 5:00 match on Wednesday, leaving immediately after school.

Tuesday Weather Report: Games on, Practices Cancelled

We waited for the latest weather information, and based on that are cancelling Freshman and JV2 practices at Dresden today.  Lovely fields, but they turn into swamps with extended rain.  Plus, 58 degrees and many players battling the HHS Cold.

The JV1 and Varsity games at HHS will be played as scheduled at 4:30.  Players should prepare for the rain.  The locker rooms will be available before and after the game.  Bring garbage bags for your gear.  If you bring a popup tent for the bench area, we must also provide at least one for the opposing bench.  Thanks to parents if you can manage to do this.

Tomorrow's forecast is a different animal all together.  It will be 15 degree warmer, the rain is coming later, but it may come in the form of thunderstorms.  Stay tuned.

Stay tuned also for Coach Erik McEwen's account of yesterday's JV2 victory over Lebanon.  Several veteran players scored their first-ever goals in school competition.

JV2 Loses a Road Game to Oyster River, 4-0

It was a beautiful Saturday, the best soccer weather of the fall so far for the Marauders. Alas,  they seemed to be struck by the similar fate of last Saturday with  a slow, almost casual start.  It would again prove costly this time.  Oyster River was easily the most skilled team we've played against this season. This was apparent with their superior ball movement and passing in the final third at the immediate outset of the game.   They quickly amassed three goals in the first 15 minutes, though one of the goals was an unlucky slip where the forward pounced on it.

    

It looked like it was going to be a long afternoon as the second line went in.  Though with a mission to pass a bit quicker and close them down in the defensive third,  the tide of goals seemed to be stemmed.   With the midfield now being tested, a few chances on goal were created, namely with the attacking duo of Matt Fenner and Max Patyk-Finkel combining for five shots on goal with their marks going just wide, this encouraging play  seemed to get the rest of the team back in the game to close out the half.

 

Hanover began the second half with renewed vigor , and some slight tactical changes.   The consistent pressure of the Hanover attack was evident when Declan Flynn almost netted his first goal of the year, as he pounced on a bobbled ball by the Oyster River keeper and placed it across the goal for it just to get out of reach of the Hanover attack.   He would be involved in a couple more opportunities as well with will timed runs on goal.  This sustained pressure would not have been possible without the solid defensive play of Koe Schuette, Van Bailey, Finn Seville, Simi Obomsawin, Aidan Petersen, and Eli Cowie.    They not only adjusted themselves to read the play and make a strong defensive stops, but also made  accurate passes to the midfield or down the flanks.   

 

One could see the opposition tiring from the relentless pressure.  Koa Schuette also showed some clever moves to get  himself out of trouble and create space when needed.  The times when Oyster River did get through midfield they had to deal with Noah Phipps chasing them down and dispossessing  them as well as a warmed up Matt Alibozak making some point blank stops in one on one situations, much to their frustration.  It was also a breakthrough game for Caleb Calloway as he is transitioning from a hustling ball winner on the wing to an effective offensive player making runs down the flank to get the ball to his teammates in dangerous scoring positions.   

Teddy Ruth is starting to look like a soccer player more and more every game.  In this game he successfully executed a bicycle kick pass as well as three effective and legal slide tackles.   Aidan Tomlin had his best game to date with numerous well played passes to the wings and open space, as well as smart,  crisp passes to the inside midfielders.  Charlie Bell is also beginning show  understanding of his emerging wing role with  a header and effective positioning around the goal.

        

The Bobccats would eventually get one more goal on an effective counter concluding with an unstoppable shot to the upper left corner well beyond the reach of Matt. Though the score was 4-0, the Marauders would go on to attempt 15 shots on goal, and keep it in the Oyster River half for a good portion of the later first half, and majority of the second half.   One could say this was a game of missed opportunities, frustration, and an unfortunate score, but this team now knows it can get the ball downfield and be dangerous if they work together, the rest is finishing.  The new week opens up with a Monday home game against Lebanon, and an opportunity to see if we can convert this emerging teamwork into goals.  

Freshmen Remain Unbeaten, Defeating Merrimack 5-0

 The Freshmen Marauders took to the grass field at Hanover High school on Saturday looking to extend their great start to the season and move to 5-0 but first they would have to get through a very physical Merrimack team.  From the opening whistle, Merrimack showed that they wanted to be the aggressors, they wanted to come out and play as physical as was allowed, which on this Saturday seemed to be a no holds barred match. However, Hanover did not allow themselves to let this alter their play. They used their speed and ability to pass to overcome this rough play and it worked. Five minutes into the match, Augie Oberting, operating from the right side of pitch, switched the point of attack across the field and found Jacob Kubik-Pauw who was virtually all alone atop the Merrimack box, with only one defender in the area. Jacob made a shifty move, lost the defender and created more than enough space for him to hit a screamer from 20 yards out to the top corner of the net. The keeper managed to get a hand to it but it was so hard there was no stopping it.

    The next 25 minutes were a possession battle, with both teams fighting for opportunities, Hanover had a few chances with breakaways and balls over the top without anything materializing. Merrimack was finding it very tough to crack the code of the Hanover back four, something teams have been struggling with all season. Led by captains Palmer Okai and Luke Ives , the defense stood strong again and all Merrimack could hope for most of the day were long balls that hopefully their strikers could run on to. On the rare occasion that one of of our defenders couldn't cut it off Jackson Fisher was quick off his line to shut down any hint of a chance. Due to that Jackson did not need to make too many difficult saves on the day, except one very important one that would come late in the game. 

     In the 30th minute Eric Tysinger took a ball down to the right of the goal on the Merrimack touchline. He patiently shielded and waited for his two center midfielders, captain Jack Ross (who took the brunt of the over physical play all day with a smile on his face) and Zane Schiffman to make their runs at goal. Once they found space and with Eric drawing multiple defenders, Eric put the ball right on the six yard line, where all Zane had to do was redirect into the back of the Merrimack net. 

     As Hanover figured out through the first half of play, the wider and more spread out they got offensively, the more gaps of space would open in the middle. Nine minutes after Zanes' goal and with a minute to play in the half, They figured if it worked so well nine minutes earlier, they should try it again. This time it was Jacob KP from the left side, playing a wide open Zane in the same spot as the previous goal. For parity reasons, Zane went left foot this time. 

     As the boys were reminded at halftime a 3-0 halftime lead can be a dangerous one. If they too comfortable, Merrimack would march down the field and draw the game level in no time. They also knew that trailing 3-0,  Merrimack would come out and start even faster and more physical. Hanover was equal to the task. The Marauders came out of the break with just as much intensity if not more intent on seeing this game through to its conclusion. With the 3-0 lead Hanover put an emphasis on trying to move the ball around more and connect more passes since the Merrimack bench only had five players on it and Hanover had two full teams that they could continuously roll through to keep our legs fresh and our energy up while Merrimack's pace lessened and lessened. 

      With 20 minutes to play in the game Hanover committed a foul about 40 yards away from their goal. On the ensuing free kick as Palmer left his feet to head the ball away he received a very unfriendly and typically illegal shove to the back inside Hanover's own penalty box. The shove was violent enough that it caused Palmer's arm to fly away from his body and catch a piece of the ball. The whistle blew and even the Merrimack players assumed it was for the push in the back. However, it was not and Merrimack was awarded a penalty kick to everyone's astonishment. Jackson, who was stingy all day was laser focused on keeping a clean sheet and did not want Merrimack to be rewarded. As the Merrimack player struck the ball Jackson picked a side a dove to his right but the ball was hit dead center and while still in his dive Jackson extended his leg and caught enough of the ball to keep it out, diving on top of it before anyone could reach the rebound. The quote from the Hanover bench was "ball don't lie." Karma and Jackson Fisher made sure the shutout stayed intact

       The icing on the cake came with two minutes left in the game. Merrimack committed a foul outside their penalty area, almost at the corner flag. Matthias Einarsson stepped up to take the kick and with his left foot bent the ball up and over everyone and in to the top corner of the net. The young Marauders moved to 5-0 to start the season. Through five games they have only allowed two goals thanks to a very strong defensive unit and the game in and game out play of Jackson Fisher. The boys will take Monday off to hopefully get over and get past the sickness that has been taking its toll on almost all the players and will resume normal training session on Tuesday. They will next be in action on Friday the 28th when they will face Londonderry in a makeup of a previously postponed game.

Game and Practice Schedule Sept. 24-28

Monday, September 24

**Freshman Team Day Off***
Varsity training at HHS Turf                                                                3:15 – 5:00 p.m.

Practice Bus departs for Dresden                                                       3:45  p.m.

JV 1 Training at Dresden                                                                    4:00 – 5:30 p.m.

JV2 Game vs. Lebanon – Dresden                                                     4:30 p.m.

Tuesday, September 25

***Freshman and JV2 practices cancelled***

Varsity/JV1 Games vs. Alvirne  (HHS Turf, Grass)                                4:30 p.m.

Wednesday, September 26

Practice Bus departs for Dresden                                                       2:45 p.m.

JV2, Freshman training at Dresden                                                   3:15 – 4:45 p.m.

JV1 Game at Exeter -  Bus Departs 2:00                                           5:00 p.m.

Varsity  Game at Exeter – Bus Departs 3:30                                     6:30 p.m.

Thursday, September 27

Practice Bus departs for Dresden                                                        3:45 p.m.

Freshman, JV1, JV2, Training at Dresden                                           4:00 – 5:30 p.m.

Varsity Training at HHS Turf                                                               7:30 – 9:00 p.m.

Friday,  September 28

Practice Bus departs for Dresden                                                       3:45  p.m.

JV 2 Training at Dresden                                                                    4:00 – 5:30 p.m.

JV1 and Varsity Games vs. Memorial – HHS Turf and Grass            4:00 p.m.

Freshman Game vs. Londonderry – Dresden                                    4:30 p.m.  

Marauders Rebound with a 5-0 Shutout of Merrimack

Barely a day after a heartbreaking loss to a strong Concord team on the road, the Marauders returned to the friendly confines of Merriman-Branch Field, and entertained a good crowd with a 5-0 victory over Merrimack.  After back to back 1-0 defeats, Hanover returned to form both offensively and defensively, creating a bushel of scoring opportunities and becoming the first team this year to shut out the Tomahawks.

The Marauders continued their early-season habit of scoring early, taking a 1-0 lead within eight minutes for the third time this year. Charlie Adams did the honors with a great solo run on the left side, beating a defender, penetrating the penalty area, and hitting side netting inside the far post for his eighth goal of the season.  With lots of fresh legs in the lineup, Hanover continued to pour it on.  Eli Stack nearly collected his first goal with a short side shot for the baseline at the ten minute mark.  Adams had two more good shots in quick succession, and then went into assist mode, sending Christo Dragnev in alone midway through the half.  Dragnev's well-timed shot glanced off the far post, keeping the score at 1-0 momentarily.

Hanover's first corner kick opportunity of the evening quickly doubled the lead, when Liam Collins found Aiden Rowley at the near post for a short shot and his first goal of the year.  The Marauders never let Merrimack get past midfield, and continue to generate powerful scoring opportunities.  Adams had a wide open header on another corner kick, but was wide left.  Liam Collins hit a rocket just over the bar from the 18.  Dragnev had another breakaway in the box, and unfortunately just missed again from close range.

Merrimack, which had scored against good teams such as Central, Bedford, Keene and Portsmouth, finally generated a good scoring bid late in the first half,  when a Hawk winger turned the corner deep in the Hanover end and hit a screaming centering pass with tow teammates waiting in front.  Joey Perras was equal to the challenge in the Marauder goal, coming off his line to snare the ball and earn a  dope keeper designation.

The Marauders tacked on one more goal just before the half.  Moments after Gary Li had a good chance just misfire following a long throw by Colm Seigne,  he settled in at the far post with Will Blinkhorn teeing up his first corner kick of the season.  Blinkhorn's kick was perfectly aimed, and Li hit a looping header that drifted over keeper Samuel Cusson and settled into the net for his first goal of the campaign.

Hanover took the initiative at the start of the second half, but it was Merrimack that gained the first good scoring chance after a giveaway inside the Marauder box, forcing Perras to make a good save at close range.  Shortly afterwards, a flurry inside the Merrimack box gave Eli Stack another good look.
The Marauders continued to generate a number of good-looking shots, and finally scored the best-looking goal of the day with less than eight minutes left in the match.  Adams made a wonderful pass to Christo Dragnev on the right side of the box, and Dragnev took his defender to the baseline, turning and hitting a perfectly-aimed centering pass to an onrushing David Stoffel, who scored his first career goal.


 Four minutes later, Adams got loose on a breakaway and had no one on his back as the steamed toward the Merrimack goal.  Hawk keeper John Goodwin did a nice job coming off his line, and made a spectacular save on Adams' hard shot.  Unfazed, Adams converted the final scoring chance of the game, taking a short corner kick form Nathan Sunrahmanian and tiptoeing on the right baseline before hitting a bad-angle shot and beating Goodwin for his ninth goal of the season.

The match wasn't perfect, but it contained a number of satisfying elements.  Perras got his third shutout of the season, and earned it.  All of the Marauder defenders did a nice job closing on the opposing forwards, and cutting out a number of attempted shots.  Every field player played, at least some.  Nobody got hurt.  Hanover will take a well-deserved rest day on Sunday before training for another set of back to back games, a home game Tuesday afternoon at 4:30 against Alvirne, and then a road trip to Exeter Wednesday evening  for the second of two makeup games.

JV1 Shuts Out Merrimack; Now 5-2

Hanover's JV1s made their debut on the hallowed turf of Merriman-Branch Field and auspicious one, scoring early and often and playing tight defense to beat Merrimack 4-0.  It was the second win in two days for the Marauders, who now boast a record of 5-2 against some of the top teams in Division One.  Henry Aspinwall scored twice to pace Hanover, notching multiple goals twice in a 24 hour stretch.  He now leads the team with seven goals in seven games.

Peter Burnham got the Marauders going quickly, taking a nice lead pass from Eric Ringer in the third minute and lashing a screamer from the left side of the penalty area.  Three minutes later Aspinwall doubled the lead, winning the ball at the top of the box on the right side and slotting the ball into the left side of the goal.  Hanover kept a territorial edge and kept pushing, with Will Ermarth getting a good shot on goal from a corner.  Midway through the half Ringer had a crack that grazed the post from well outside the box.    Theo Sparks hit a shot that was just wide of the mark with 15 minutes remaining, and a minute later Quincy McBride hit paydirt, taking a pass from Alex Stephens and hitting a left footed shot from the top of the box. Evan Nichols almost made it 4-0 with a big time header off another corner just three minutes later, but the Marauders satisfied themselves with a 3-0 lead at the interval.

The Marauders came out at the start of the second half determined to add to the led and ice the game, and five minutes in they did just that, with Aspinwall collecting his second goal of the game following another long range throw-in from Ringer, who now leads the team with four assists.  Hanover still wasn't satisfied, and kept pressing. Burnham had a couple of cracks at his second goal of the day, shooting just wide after a good through pass and then launching a shot through the uprights for a field goal.  The final offensive push was orchestrated from the duo of playmaker Pierce Hamlin and deadly striker CJ Wheelan, eager to replicate his summer soccer scoring binge of one goal.  Wheelan and Jack Maynes split the light duty work in goal to share the shutout.

Hanover returns to action on Tuesday with a home game against Alvirne before heading to Exeter the following day for a makeup game against the always-tough Blue Hawks.

Marauders Lose Second Staright 1-0 Match to Concord

Hanover's early-season march through the best teams in Division One continued on Friday, as the Marauders traveled to Concord to face the undefeated Crimson Tide, who had allowed a single goal in their first six games, albeit against weaker opposition.  The two top-four teams battled through 79 scoreless minutes before a Concord goal with a minute to play gave the Tide the victory.  It was a disappointing result for Hanover, who had overcome a slow start to dominate play in the second half.  A momentary defensive lapse was all it took to give the Marauders their second 1-0 loss in a row to a top team, following Monday's defeat at the hands of unbeaten Central.

In compiling a 4-2 record this far, the Marauders have played opponents with a combined record of 32-7-2.  They have dominated play against most of these teams, and learned a great deal about who they are as a team.

The Concord match started slowly for the Marauders.  Less than three minutes into the match, Tide striker Sujan Gurung filtered unopposed into the Hanover penalty area, forcing keeper Hans Williams to close the angle and make a point blank save.  Concord had a territorial edge, and mixed several challenging corner kicks with a few long throw-ins by Tide back Liam Bennett.  Hanover was equal to the task of protecting their goal, though, with good defensive play by Dillon Bradley and Kyle Doucette in front of Williams.

The Marauders began to string together a number of possession passes, working the ball upfield.  They regularly lost patience in the final third, however, limiting the number of scoring opportunities.
Concord continued to press when they had the ball, and midfielder Alasdair Ferrier took a number of shots from long range.  Williams handled these with no difficulty, but it was clear that Concord's sophomore was always eager to find the opportunity to shoot.

The final 15 minutes of the half were Hanover's best, as they began to probe the highly-regarded Concord defense, backstopped by All-State goalkeeper Liam Devanny.  Liam Collins launched one of his patented free kicks into the box, and although it was cleared away, it was a calling card for some more dangerous restarts in the second half. Concord retaliated with their own free kick into the heart of Hanover's box, and Williams was brave off his line, clearing the ball as he was fouled.  The half ended 0-0, and it was anyone's game.

Hanover showed up in the second half, and they started right away.  Gaining possession in the Concord end after the opening kickoff, Liam Collins mover from right to left across of the penalty area, and took a hard shot at Devanny, who dove to his right to make the save.  Collins' shot was so hard that the ball snuck through Devanny's legs and trickled toward the goal line.  The Concord Captain spun back and stopped the ball inches short of crossing the line. The close call energized the Marauders, who spent the majority of the half probing and challenging the Crimson Tide defense.
Five minutes into the half, Matty Gardner got his head on another Collins free kick, but his shot was snared by Devanny.  Concord was beginning to fray around the edges. They chirped at each other after misplays, and Concord Captain Grant Rienstra received a yellow card after a reckless charge on Dylan Kotlowitz.

The Tide were still dangerous, though, and at the 53-minute mark a turnover in the Hanover end gave Gopal Timsina a close range shot that he rolled past the post.  Liam Bennett made a nice run into the Hanover end and launched a high shot that didn't miss by much. Alasdair Ferrier continued his probing, and his a long shot that was easily saved by Williams. 

The half was Hanover's, however.  Liam Collins got a great look at the 58-minute mark, one of his four shot on goal in the half, and Charlie Adams combined some long-range looks with dangerous penetrating runs.  Gary Li came on at right back and contributed to the offensive pressure, and as the half wound down to the end of regulation, it looked as though the worst that could happen to Hanover would be a scoreless tie.  They would have welcomed the 20 minuted of overtime.  Concord was clearly tired.

The Tide had time for one more push into the Hanover end, and in the final minute of play, the ball came to Alasdair Ferrier, whose intentions and dominant right foot were well known, or certainly should have been.  At first, Ferrier took his defender to the left.  No problem with the ball on his left peg.  He should have been allowed to continue in that direction, but certainly, absolutely not to cut back and get the ball on his right foot.  Somehow, though, he was allowed to do that, and got open for a hard shot through a screen that found the lower left corner of the goal.  With only seconds left in the half, there was no time for any sort of retaliation.  Concord had found a way to win, and the Marauders had little to show for a well-played but ultimately frustrating game.

The loss to Concord doesn't have to be costly.  If the Marauders can learn from the match, as they have from results good and bad all season, they will continue their climb toward their goal of playing better in every match.  The chance for redemption will come soon.  Hanover hosts Merrimack on Saturday at 6:00 on the turf. They will have lots of fresh legs, and no shortage of motivation.  If they remember to bring lots of food for The Haven, they will also have Karma on their side.  The streak starts Saturday.

JV1 Beats Concord 3-2 in Overtime

The Marauder JV1s continued their series of close games on Friday, beating a good Concord team 3-2 in overtime.  Henry Aspinwall's golden goal in extra time was his third of the afternoon, and saved the Marauders after they had surrendered a two-goal lead.  Hanover is now 4-2 on the season heading into tomorrow's debut on the turf of Merriman-Branch Field at 4:00.

The Marauders came out strongly in the early going, and got a shot on goal when Tucker Monson's cross was headed on frame by Aspinwall in the fourth minute.  Four minutes later, Hanover took a 1-0 lead when Eric Ringer flicked a ball over the Concord center back, and Aspinwall was first to the ball, beating the keeper.  Ten minutes later Aspinwall was back at work, finishing a cross from Peter Burnham to double the Marauder advantage.

Concord was dangerous several times in the half, and it took a good save from goalkeeper CJ Wheelan with ten minutes to play to maintain Hanover's lead.    The Crimson Tide continued to attack in the second half, and center back Alec McDevitt made a nice clearing kick following a corner, taking the ball off the Concord attacker's foot.  The Crimson Tide got on the board 11 minutes into the half when one of the strikes stole the ball in the Hanover end and curled a shot around Wheelan to cut the lead in half.

Hanover nearly got the goal back three minutes later when Henry Aspinwall slotted a through ball for Will Ermarth, who nearly beat the keeper to the ball.  Concord kept coming, though.  They forced Wheelan to make a save on a long free kick and then tied the game with 20 minutes to play on another free kick.

The Crimson Tide weren't finished, and could have gone ahead in the 65th minute on yet another free kick, forcing Wheelan to make a save on a shot from outside the penalty area.  Quincy McBride had Hanover's best chance before the end of regulation with a shot that glanced off the Concord goalkeeper.

Henry Aspinwall got the game-winner in overtime, duplicating his overtime goal from a year ago, when his golden goal gave the freshman team the Concord Tournament championship.  Five minutes into extra time, Eric Ringer aimed his powerful throw-in to Jack Maynes, into the match for the first time.  Maynes got the ball to Aspinwall, who fired the game-winner past the Crimson Tide keeper, sending Coach Willie's troops home happy.

The Marauders return to action on Saturday, hosting Merrmack on the Turf at 4:00.  The game is part of Hanover's Food Drive for the Haven.  All players, parents and fans are asked to bring non-perishable food items for the Haven Food Pantry.  We will also gladly accept tax deductible contributions at the snack shack at the end of the game.  Help support one of the Upper Valley's most effective charities!

Freshmen Rally to Beat Concord 3-1

For the second time in 5 days the freshmen Marauders matched up with the Concord Crimson Tide. After suffering a tough 6-0 defeat at the feet of the Marauders last Saturday in Hanover, the Tide were poised to get even on their home turf at Memorial Park in Concord.

       The first 25 minutes of the game were spent primarily in the middle third of the pitch with both teams struggling for control of the midfield. While Hanover did manage a couple of opportunities during the that time it was clear that the Crimson tide came to play and were intent on a different result. Concord's first real attempt on frame came in the 26th minute, when the Tide drew a free kick just outside of Hanover's 18 yard box. The shot never made it to the net but the ensuing rebound which had pinballed around the penalty area trickled out to a Concord foot about 15 yards towards Hanover keeper Jackson Fisher's left, the ball was lazily shot towards the net but hung up in the air just long enough to sail over everyone and tuck itself under the crossbar. 

      Already depleted from an illness that has been sweeping through the team, with four players missing and a few still on the mend, Hanover realized they would have to dig deeper and fight harder than they had in any of their previous contests.  Four minutes after the Concord's opening goal, Jacob KP played a nice through ball down the right side channel that sprung Johnny Reznek free with only the keeper to beat and from a tough angle he put it past the keeper but just shy of the far post. It looked like it was going to be one of those snake bit type days, where no matter how hard we worked we would be just a bit off. Hanover was having none of that, though, and continued to work hard in the middle of the pitch for every possession.With a minute to go before the halftime break Connor Hamlin, playing the wingback role, won possession and sent a sweet through ball past the Concord back line to a streaking Oscar Miller who calmly and coolly passed it by the keeper to draw Hanover level going in to the recess. 

      The second half started much the same way the first half did, a battle in the middle third. For Hanover, it was a lot of missed connections while trying to work around the Concord back four. For Concord, it was frustrating trying to penetrate the Hanover back four. Palmer Okai, Blake Goetinck and James Kirkpatrick held a strong line all day, making it tough for Concord to break through in to the Hanover defensive third. 

      

      After 30 minutes of scoreless second half soccer and the game still level at one each, Eric Tysinger came on for the final ten minutes of the game, in the hope that his pace would prove too much for a tired Concord team that had worked hard for 70 minutes. Almost a minute later, Isak Larusson made a shifty move in to the box and past a defender on the right side and found himself one on one with the keeper. From a tough angle and with the Concord keeper well positioned, Isak made the smart and unselfish play and slide it to the feet of Eric who had made a great run to the back post.  With nothing but net in front of him, Eric buried the ball to give Hanover their first lead of the day with eight minutes to play. 

    From there Concord pushed hard to find an equalizer but the Hanover team held strong defensively and with two minutes left forced a turnover in Concord"s end. Oscar could have put a tough angled shot on net put instead elected to play Zane Schiffman who was making his run in to the center of the Tide's penalty area, once again Zane could have put a shot on net but it would have been a heavily challenged shot so he instead elected to keep the ball moving and sent it to the back post where once again Eric was waiting. For the second time in six minutes Eric made sure he buried the ball in the Concord net and sealed the Marauder victory. 

     This was not Hanover's prettiest win by a long shot. Actually, it was probably their ugliest. However, it was probably their best win to date. On a day where the team was just a bit off and didn't seem to have all of its normal energy, they were forced to dig deeper than they had before and find another way to win a game.  The Marauders return to action Saturday at 4:00 against Merrimack on the HHS grass field.

Busy Days Ahead For All Teams

All four boys' teams will flay two matches in the next three days. Busy times ahead!

The Freshman and JV2 boys have road games on Thursday.  To be clear, all players should leave their period 7 classes at 2:30, and be ready to go right to the bus.  Try to change beforehand, and be sure to connect with 7th period teachers before the start of the class period.  Do not disrupt class in any way.
Both teams will wear maroon tops and socks.

The Varsity will have film study at 3:20 in Room 250, and practice at Dresden from 5:00 - 6:30.  JV1 will train at 4:00, as scheduled.

The Varsity and JV1 will play at Concord on Friday, leaving after 6th period.  Be ready to get right on the bus after class.

On Saturday, all four teams will play.  JV2 will play at Oyster River.  The Freshmen will host Merrimack at 4:00 on the HHS grass field.  JV1 will host Merrimack on the HHS turf.  We are looking for volunteers to operate the clock and film the game.  Training will be provided.  The Varsity will host Merrimack on the Turf at 6:00.  We are hoping for every player/family to help with our Have Food Drive, and bring non-perishable food items to the Saturday games.