Marauders Beat Timberlane 2-1 in Playoff Opener

Hanover's first step on their playoff journey was a successful one Wednesday, as the Marauders controlled the match from start to finish and advanced to the Quarterfinals on Saturday with an efficient 2-1 victory over Timberlane. The Marauders will now host upset winner Salem in a 2:00 match at Merriman-Branch Field.

The Marauders were not fooled by Timberlane's 14th seed, and prepared hard for the match, taking the Owls seriously.  As a result,  Hanover's work rate and patience gave them control of the match from the opening kickoff.  The Marauders outshot Timberlane  12-1 in the first half,  and their territorial edge culminated in a 1-0 lead in the 36th minute on a textbook goal by Charlie Adams, who headed in a Liam Collins corner kick for a 1-0 lead.  It was Adams' 21st goal of the season, and Collins' team-leading 11th assist.

Adams, Collins and Matty Gardner dominated the match at midfield, winning balls defensively and orchestrating the offense with ball control in tight spaces and superb field vision.  This is the best midfield in all of Division One.  Gardner got the game winning goal 13 minutes into the second half, corralling a loose ball at the top of the box and floating a shot over the defense and into the upper left corner.  It was his fourth goal in six games. The boy is hot.  Timberlane pulled a goal back six minutes later to make the match interesting, but the Marauders turned up the hear defensively to see the game off and get a critical result.

Hanover was on the front foot from the outset, but they didn't rush into things, striving to patiently swing the ball back and forth, probing for openings.  They also made sure to get a strong footing defensively, and the back four of Dillon Bradley, Kyle Doucette, Dylan Kotlowitz and Judd Alexander took care of business, and also played key roles in supporting the offense.  Slowly, Hanover found their openings.  Matty Gardner had the first strike on goal in the 14th minute, shooting on the run to force a save from Timberlane goalkeeper Connor Newman.  Three minutes later Charlie Adams had a shot blocked to earn Hanover's first corner kick.  Eight minutes later, Liam Collins lined up a free kick that just missed the far post.

The pressure built as the half wound down.  Adams made another penetrating run and looked like he was in alone, only to be blocked at the last minute on a great play by defender Ben Seager. Collins had another free kick form his sweet spot at the edge of the box, and his dipping shot was on target, only to be palmed past the far post by a diving Newman.  Hanover had not fully utilized their first three corner kicks, but they had one more coming, thanks to a great hustle play by Eli Stack, whose angled shot forced a defender to block it over the end line.  Collins lined his kick up and hit a tight drive that connected with a remarkably uncovered Adams at the near post.  For the second time. in two matches against Timberlane, Adams' header was their kryptonite.

The Marauders were eager to press for a second goal after the interval, and again exerted a solid territorial edge at the start of the second half.  Twelve minutes in, a long Dillon Bradley throw into the penalty area created a scramble in the goal mouth, and the ball rebounded out to Gardner, who coolly lofted a shot that looped over everyone and under the bar on the left side.  Christo Dragnev almost scored, getting a close in shot that forced Newman to make yet another save.

Timberlane refused to fold, and they pulled a goal back with 22 minutes remaining when a Cameron Ross shot from outside the penalty area pinballed off one and maybe two players, giving Hans Williams no chance to make a stop.  The Owls continued to press, but Hanover demonstrated great composure, not panicking on defense for the most part.  They erred a few times when they were too eager to dive in on midfield tackles, handing Timberlane some dangerous restarts, but they also defended well on the ensuing kicks. 

The Marauders also pushed for another goal, always the best way to hold a lead. Adams had an absolute ripper from distance blocked by a defender, and both Collins and Gardner had good looks.  With time winding down, though, Timberlane had a few more chances to tie the game.  Cameron Ross had a free kick from just outside the box, but he hit it wide.  Big Jacob Stewart got his head on a corner kick, but he also sent to over the bar.  Hanover shut the door in the final minutes, and celebrated their 14th win of the season, and 8th in a row.

Only eight teams are left in Division One, and all of  Saturday's quarterfinal games promise to be tight.  The Marauders will entertain Salem, who upset 6th seeded Nashua South, tying their match in the last minute and finally winning on penalties.  Their 11th seed will hardly be a source of overconfidence for any of the more astute Marauders.  Salem has a string of quality wins, including Timberlane, Nashua North, Londonderry and Exeter.  They boast a strong striker in All-State selection Josh Fichera, and will come in with no fear.  If the Marauders take the game seriously, they should be fine.  The weather forecast of steady rain should not be a factor.  Hanover loves playing in the rain, and they will welcome the chance to be together for the next few days, preparing for their most critical game of the season.

Postseason Meetings, Game Time Change

The end of season meetings for the JV2 and Freshmen teams will take place as follows:

Freshmen - 2:30 in the Library on Wednesday

JV2 - 3:00 in the Library on Friday

Players should bring chrome books of laptops to take a survey.

The Varsity Playoff Game on Wednesday will begin at 4:30 p.m.
Players, parents and fans are asked to bring non-perishable food items for The Haven.

JV2 Close the Season With a 4-1 Loss at Cardigan

It was a beautiful afternoon,  some of the best conditions the Marauders had played in this fall.  There was no mud, cold rain, or 88 degrees with heat and humidity.   Though it was a loss, it was a complete game consisting of hard work, some tough breaks, and a beautiful goal.  A good final game.

The team opened up with a slightly different formation.  There would be an extra defensive marking midfielder as well as two other inside midfielders to win the middle of the pitch. Eli Cowie was first tasked with this new position.   It was one of hard work and little glory, but one he took to very well especially playing it for the first time. Even though Hanover had fewer players forward, the small field played to their advantage and they found themselves in the Cardigan from the first moments of the game.   Mark Ralston-Daniel and Max Patyk-Finkel both pressed and created close 

opportunities on goal, and Matthew Fenner and Eli both worked hard to keep possession of the ball in the middle.  Cardigan managed to get down the field a few times, but Matt Alibozak and the defense reacted well to the threats.  It turned into a back and forth game with near misses for both teams.   There would be one goal made by Cardigan where they caught Hanover out of position during a transition.  Though Cardigan was leading at the half, Hanover definitely felt like they were still in the game. 

 

     The second half started similar to the first, and the click moment for the group finally happened with a goal that was befitting for the final one of the season.  The play once again turned into an undecided advantage for either side.  Though Cardigan did manage another goal on a breakaway down our right flank, Hanover stayed right with them,  The first tough break came with an injury to Mark Ralston-Daniel. He had truly come to life in the middle,  winning loose balls, making quick accurate passes putting Cardigan on its back foot or simply driving through with the ball when needed.  He was the linchpin for in the goal previously mentioned.  After he was carted off the field, the team took a while to gain its focus, but it found its way back into the game again.  This would be tested again though when a very apparent handball by Cardigan made the entire defense instinctively freeze and Matt A. put his hand up, and by the time they had recovered Cardigan had capitalized on the hiccup and moved in on the goal.  

  

   Down 3-1, and a little dazed.  Hanover stayed in it though, and threw players forward.  There was some strong play with good pressure and passing from Charlie Bell and Aidan Tomlin, and Matt Fenner was the ultimate everyman this game by playing four different positions in one game.  It was pure hustle.     Though there were some setbacks in this game, I thought the team played some it's best soccer as a team on both sides of the ball.  The loss was a bummer, but as a coach I saw a lot of growth out there.  

 

   As stated above, this game was one of their better ones, and the team should be recognized for that.  Matthew Alibozak played well, and made many saves to keep this team in the running for the majority of the game.  The defensive line of Caleb Callaway, Aiden Peterson, Finn Seville, and Eli Cowie played up to the vaunted Cardigan offense under the the command of Noah Phipps who has emerged a real leader in the backfield, making any team against them work for a goal.  The subsequent substitutes of Jared Licht, Declan Flynn, and Van Bailey also held the line well with hustle and discipline.  Van Bailey made several critical stops and reversed the direction of play in the second half.  The midfield of Matt Fenner, Erik Blix, Boris Devitisky,and Maxwell Lutz presented a constant threat when they were on the field, and were a dominant line.  The midfielders of Jackson Liu, Charlie Bell, Aiden Tomlin, Koa Schuette, Ayaan Ahmad, Ben Brooks,Simi Obomsawin and Peirce Siegne also showed great movement and passing with some slick moves thrown in as well that are hopefully a good sign in the seasons to come.  

 

  Though there were many highlights, the goal alluded to earlier should have more notable attention and served well as parting image for this season.  It began when  Matt Fenner won the ball and played it to Mark Ralston-Daniel where he took a few moves and passed perfectly to Maxwell Lutz in motion who just needed a touch to play it across the goalbox leaving the ball for Max Patyk-Finkel who had made a quick move away from his defenseman and finished with a clean strike into the goal.  This whole play left the defense and goalie on their heels.  It was a great highlight reflecting the individual skill and teamwork of this senior group.  

 

      The season is over, but this team was a great group to work with, and as a coach it was really fun watching these guys grow together as a team.  

All Players and Parents - Please Read This Post

Players and Parents -  The most important item on the schedule which follows is a mandatory meeting for all players on all four teams in the HHS Auditorium on Tuesday during activity period.  Players unable to attend should contact Coach Grabill in advance.  All subvarsity players are required to return all game and practice uniforms (socks included), including items that have been loaned on game days when uniform items have been missing.  Uniforms should be washed, folded, bagged and labeled clearly with the players's name and number.

We are looking at Monday, November 12th as a possible date for our four-team end of season celebration.  I would love feedback if there are significant conflicts with school or large-scale civic events.  Look for a confirmation later this week.

Game and Practice Schedule

Monday, October 22

Varsity Training  - HHS Turf                                                             6:00 – 7:30

Tuesday, October 23

Mandatory Team Meeting For All Players – Auditorium               Activity Period

All Subvarsity players must return uniforms at the meeting

(Washed, folded, bagged, labeled)

Varsity Training – HHS Turf                                                           3:30 – 5:00 p.m.

Wednesday, October 24

Varsity Tournament Game – HHS Turf                                       4:00 p.m.

Thursday, October 25

Varsity Training at HHS Turf  (Tent.)                                            7:15 – 9:00 p.m.                                                             

Friday, October 26

Varsity Training at HHS Turf (Tent.)                                             TBA

Saturday, October 27

Varsity Quarterfinal Game – HHS Turf.  (Tent.)                          2:00 p.m.

Marauders Beat Londonderry 4-0; Seventh Win in a Row

Hanover closed the regular season with a clinical 4-0 won over Londonderry on Senior Night, clinching third place in NHIAA Division One with a 13-3 record.  The Marauders will open tournament play with a home game on Wednesday, against an opponent to be named later.  The victory was the seventh on a row for Hanover, and their third consecutive shutout, backed by a strong team defensive effort.  The Marauders are peaking at the right time.

Charlie Adams led the scoring with two goals and one assist, giving him 20 goals and 10 assists on the season.  In the process, he passed Assistant Coach and former All-American Eric Jayne on the alltime HHS scoring list.  Further discussion of individual player records will have to wait, however, as the Marauders focus on improving their team play and preparing for the playoffs.

After 16 seniors from the Varsity and JV2 programs were honored with their parents before the game, Hanover wasted little time asserting themselves.  Blake Palmer tested goalkeeper Alex Huffard with a shot from the left side, and then striker Christo Dragnev had two bids.  He faced an open shot from long distance after he beat Huffard to a loose ball well outside of the penalty area, but he was forced to rush his long-range left footed shot.  His next take, on a feed from Adams, drifted wide from closer range.

The Marauders broke on top in the 16th minutes when Adams slipped a short pass to Blake Palmer, who had made a run into the box from the left flank.  The junior winger hit a hard right footer past Huffard, and Hanover had the lead.  Londonderry was unable to counter, stifled by an outstanding team defensive effort.  Center backs Dillon Bradley and Kyle Doucette were superb in stepping up to challenge shooters and win head balls.  In front of them, midfielders Liam Collins and Matty Gardner were tireless in winning and possessing the ball, and putting pressure on the Lancers, who were only able to muster a single shot.

Seven minutes after Palmer's goal had given the the lead, Adams doubled the advantage, taking a pass from Gardner and running from left to right as he advanced across the top of the penalty area. Having drawn Huffard to his left,  Adams hit a hard shot across the grain and back to the opposite post, making the score 2-0.

Eager to improve their patience and possession in the second half, the Marauders created an early goal after Patrick Osborn's hard work pressuring a Londonderry defender earned them their first and only corner kick of the afternoon.  Liam Collins teed the ball up in the corner and sent a ball across the face of the goal, where it found a lurking Matty Gardner, whose excuse-me header drifted up and over Huffard and dropped under the crossbar on the far side.  It was Gardner's fourth goal, and third in his last five games.

Hanover made it 4-0 with 15 minutes to play when Eli Stack slipped a short pass to Adams, who raced in on goal and beat substitute goalkeeper Colby Dimaggio who a sassy flick that rolled into the right corner for 20th goal of the season and 40th of his career.

Soon afterwards, goalkeeper Hans Williams, who had seen little action, was forced to make a pair of brilliant saves to earn his shutout.   Bisan Gurung hit a long, high shot from 40 yards out, and it was targeted to sneak under the crossbar before a backpedaling Williams drifted back and pushed the ball over the bar. No more getting chipped for this savvy senior.  Three minutes later a hard shot from the left side by Tyler Vanavey forced Wiliams to make a good diving save to keep the clean sheet.

It was a satisfying Senior Day.  Parents and teammates celebrated a group who have helped the program be successful in many ways.  There was a multiple Gallino sighting! The team played steady, intelligent defense, and the quality of play remained high despite massive substitutions. Now the Marauders will rest up over the weekend, learn the identity of their first-round opponent, the 14th seed, and prepare for Wednesday's home game.  A win in that match will produce a quarterfinal home game against very strong opposition.  First things first, however.  These are the days that the Marauders have worked toward for months, and the approach will continue to be a day at a time, a half at a time, a play at a time.  Better than yesterday.

JV1 Loses a Tight 1-0 Match to Londonderry

The home finale for the JV1 team resulted in a frustrating 1-0 loss for the Marauders.  Hanover surrendered a 1-0 lead in the 16th minute on a high, crossing shot, and were never able to find the equalizer despite considerable pressure in the second half.

The Marauders had a promising opportunity by Henry Aspinwall on a counterattack go just wide two minutes into the game. Londonderry countered a few minutes later, and after making a fairly easy save after a cross, CJ Wheelan was tested by a much more challenging shot, which he saved.The Lancers took a 1-0 lead on the only goal of the game when a long shot from the edge of the box that may have been intended as a cross came floating out of the sun and under the crossbar.

Hanover had a few opportunities before the end of the half, including a free kick by Owen Stannard in the 36th minute that resulted in a deflected shot.  Hanover established a good territorial edge in the second half, and came close to scoring when Tucker Monson sent Henry Aspinwall in alone with a great through ball, but the resulting shot was just wide.  Several other shots were blocked or deflected by the Londonderry defense, and the Marauders were unable to equalize.

Hanover heads to Nashua on Sunday for the annual statewide JV Tournament at North and South high schools.  The Marauder will play all of their games at South, beginning with an 8:50 match with Exeter, followed by a 9:40 game with Alvirne and a 12:10 game with host Nashua South.  The top two teams in each group will advance to the semifinals in the afternoon at Nashua South.  Hanover players should bring both color uniforms. They will wear Maroon in the first two group games.
The bus will leave HHS at 6:30 a.m.

Freshmen Stay Unbeaten With a 2-1 Win Over Central

On the coldest day of the season thus far, with temps hovering in the mid 40s the young Marauders took to the Dresden pitch for the final time as freshmen. Their opponents, The Manchester Central Little Green were intent on spoiling Hanover's perfect home record and they fielded a team that was more than capable of doing just that. 

     

From the opening kickoff the Little Green showed they wanted to dictate play by possessing the ball and building out of the back, something they did quite well. Unbeknownst to them, Hanover's freshman squad has some of the best pressing strikers in the business and it caught them off guard quickly. In the second minute of the game Eric Tysinger and Johnny Reznek were all over the back four of the Little Green, when Eric nicked the ball away from the Center back and was left with only the keeper to beat but the ball squirted away from him just enough that the Central keeper was able to pounce before Eric could get his shot away. 

     The next ten minutes were spent mostly in Hanover's defensive half as the talented Central team controlled the ball. The Little Green managed a few harmless attempts at goal before, in the 12th minute, the Central winger tip toed down the goal line from a wide position, making a couple Marauder defenders miss along the way and drawing more defenders to him. The overload on defense allowed the far side winger to creep in right in front of goal unseen and the ball carrier found him with a will placed pass and he finished in to an open net. It would be the only mistake the Marauder defense would make all day. 

     At the 20 minute mark, Oscar Miller and Alex Rockmore entered the game and the Central defense must have assumed that the good high press of Eric and Johnny left the game with them because they switched off for just a moment. That allowed Oscar to win the ball from The Central defender and break away on goal but the first touch was just a bit too heavy and the fast Central keeper sprung off his line and smothered the opportunity. 

    The next 20 minutes would become a physical battle for possession in the middle of the pitch, with both teams fighting to gain control of the game. The final eight minutes of the half allowed Hanover to flaunt their depth, with nine different players on the field from the ones who started the game. Meanwhile, Central had only made a couple substitutions and their energy started to drop while Hanover's stayed high for 80 minutes. That allowed the Marauders to finish the half with a flurry of opportunities in the Central end. However, none would find the back of the net as The Little Green goalkeeper stood strong in net and would not be beaten. Even though Hanover was unable to break through, they would go in to the half full of confidence from their strong play in the final eight minutes. 

      

Hanover would make no halftime adjustments but would rather look to build on their first half play and keep the energy level high. As the second half started they did just that but the break also allowed Central to recover and catch their breath and the first 13 minutes of the second half saw the battle for the midfield resume. In the 63rd minute The Marauders were able break into Central's defensive third and win a corner kick. The ensuing kick managed to fly and then bounce and then roll through the box untouched by either side and find a waiting Jacob Kubik-Pauw who was on clean up duty at the far post for just such a reason and he would not miss his opportunity to draw this game level as he hit a screamer that no keeper could have stopped from that distance. 

     

The game-tying goal seemed to deflate the Central Little Green a bit and it appeared from their response that this was not a position they had often found themselves in. The next five minutes Hanover capitalized on Central's disorganization and continued to put pressure on the Little Green but Central"s keeper stayed strong and kept them in the game by making several saves in those following minutes but none bigger then when a deflected ball landed at the feet of Jacob again and again he hit a screamer at net. The keeper, in a scramble,  managed to find his feet and position himself perfectly to stop what most at Dresden surely thought was to be the go ahead goal. That save seemed to give Central the boost they needed to get back in the game and the two teams took turns mounting attacks but with no real threat to goal. 

    Eric Tysinger,  who had played the first 18 minutes of the second half before being subbed out, was told to stay warm and stay loose as his day was most likely not over when he came off the pitch. With six minutes left in a tie game Eric was called on to return to the field and use his pace against a tiring central defense. He made an almost immediate impact. In the 76th minute Isak Larusson played a well placed pass into space for Eric to use his speed to run onto. He won the foot race against the center back and made Central's fullback and last defender miss when he committed too early. The Central keeper did a great job cutting off the angles but Eric would not be denied as he tucked it home low and into the corner. 

      Central attempted to draw the game level in the dying minutes but strong fullback play all day from Captain Luke Ives as well as Mason Gantrish and Connor Hamlin cut off their ability to get the ball out wide to cross it in to the box and they would find no better luck trying to breach through the center of Hanover's line as the every sturdy and unbreakable combination of Captain Palmer Okai at Center back and Jackson Fisher in goal frustrated them for 80 minutes. If a ball happened to get past Palmer, Jackson, quick off his line as ever was there to squash any Hope's of a comeback. 

      Not making the score sheet but just as instrumental in the win were Captain Jack Ross and Augie Oberting, both working extremely hard in the central midfield all day in the battle for possession in the middle of the pitch, playing solid two way soccer, shutting down Central attacks before they could materialize and bridging the transition to the wings and forwards on attack. Zane Schiffman and Murphy Hunt took turns in their attacking midfield roles, demanding that the Little Green defense pay them a lot of attention, which allowed the field to open and provided space for the wingers and strikers to operate. 

     Eric's game winning goal in the waning minutes marks the third time this year that Hanover found themselves with a 1-1 scoreline and less than ten minutes remaining. In all three of those games Eric entered as a late sub with under ten minutes to play and was the difference maker. Prior to today's heroics, in Concord, Eric scored two goals in the final eight minutes of the game to give the Marauders a 3-1 win. Against Londonderry, it was Eric's breakaway and shot on goal that was parried out of bounds by a diving lancer keeper that gave Hanover the corner kick with 30 seconds left that Jack Ross ultimately headed in to give Hanover the 2-1 win. It would seem he has a flair for the dramatic. 

     As Hanover did not get an invitation to the Freshmen tournament in Concord, despite being defending champions, they will instead wrap up their season this Saturday, paying a visit to another tough opponent, Cardigan Mountain School at 1pm.  It is Cardigan's Parent Weekend, so the stands will be full.  Players are asked to bring non-perishable food items to donate to Cardigan's Food Drive.  Hanover wil wear white, as always.  The bus leaves at 11:15.