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!
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