The freshman boys took the pitch for the first time in their high school careers on Friday under the high sun against the freshman Lancers of Londonderry. The game kicked off under clear blue skies and hot weather promptly at 4:30.
Hanover was able to extend early pressure but found many of the through balls and lobbed passes to the middle gobbled up by the Londonderry keeper who was playing high off his line. Londonderry would build on an early counter attack. After playing the ball deep to into the 18 Londonderry pressured Joey Perras, who had it knocked from his grasp. The Lancers netted the miscue in the 8th minute, but the Marauders were not fazed and stayed the course.
Hanover continued to have a high pressure attack and continued to dominate possession in the attacking third. After being played through by Nick Kim towards the 18, Gray Messersmith was confronted with the keeper only a couple yards in front of him. Gray instinctually tried to play the chip but was just wide of the left post. After realizing the Londonderry keep was playing so far off his line, Hanover worked its attack wider and found more success. Hanover had several great crosses in the in last 15 minutes of the half from Latham Allison, Patrick Osborn, and Carter Auch. Several just went over heads or found feet just to be tackled off the ball before a shot. But their efforts would not be in vain for long. After receiving a throw in about four yards from the corner flag, Eli Bush tossed it on the the foot of Latham, who quickly found Anthony Maynes before the defense had a chance to step. Anthony would dance past two defenders before sneaking one past the keeper into the side netting with his left peg in the 34th minute. Hanover would have another great chance when Patrick found himself with a hard run onto a ball that spurted out to the right. The goalie gave a hard show as he had been, and Osborn drove it hard just over him, but also over the cross bar. The score held at 1-1 at the half, but confidence seemed on the side of the Marauders.
The second half half kicked off much the same way as the first. 'Tonio Correra won possession on the first pass after the kick off, and the tone was clearly set again that Hanover was going to put the pressure on. Hanover would continue to pressure high even when it would seem the keeper would have it. Eli Stack ran circles around his opponents and pestered both the center backs and keeper. Latham, not wanting to be left out, also maneuvered through the defensive line to put a hard shot on net from the right. The peppering continued with a shot from Eli Bush minutes later when he found his left open and struck it with confidence, only to have it saved by the keeper. The feeling was palpable that Hanover was going to convert on one of these attempts. Osborn crossed it in from deep on the right to find the wide flanking Peter Burnham who crossed it back to goal. The keeper made a play to punch it only to have it bounce off the top of the cross bar and find Osborn yet again. Pat promptly played Nolan Gantrish in the middle of the box, and he netted it with ease in the 57th minute. (Never have I seen such a goal!) This seemed to wake the Lancers and made them work to advance play with plenty of long balls. Joey Perras had a very solid second half with five saves, several free kicks and playing way up to put clears right back into our attacking third. The backs were able to hold their line and were even able to draw an offsides call as Londonderry continued to try to play long balls through the middle. Noah Pikelny had one very memorable clear in the waning minutes to keep a Londonderry striker from having a shot in a very dangerous spot. Hanover would hold to a 2-1 victory, that felt well deserved.
Next up for the Freshmen is a home game on Wednesday afternoon at 4:30, following two training days at Dresden on Monday and Tuesday afternoons.
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