High-quality steel is hardened in the heat of a forge. The Marauders, still a work in progress, emerged from their Friday battle on the sun-scorched turf of Merriman-Branch Field against Manchester Central with a hard-fought 2-1 win, and a clearer sense that they can win in big games.
Hanover dominated a scoreless first half and then imposed themselves in the second, earning a 2-0 lead that they protected despite a Central Score with nine minutes to play. The Marauders are now 4-0 and sit atop the Division One standings, heading into an early-season showdown with Bedford.
The Marauders were on the front foot right from the start, and fired a warning shot across Central's Bow in the first minute when Casey Starr expertly flicked Will Smith's long throw-in across the face of the goal, nearly connecting with Henry Kahl. Hanover outshot Central 13-2 in the half, applying pressure from start to finish. Jake Acker and Casey Starr had back to back headers that threatened in the tenth minute. Sam Strohbehn, who authored five shots in the first half alone, slid a ball to Marcus Helble, who flicked a shot wide right in the fifteenth minute. Luke Messersmith, working himself back into form, had several threatening moments. Even when Hanover subbed, they were dangerous. David Seigne had a good look that sailed over the bar, and Griffin Johnson hit a dangerous shot from the right flank.
Central goalkeeper Aidan Ryan played a spectacular game, and made the first of several world-class saves with two minutes to play when he snuffed a Strohbehn shot. The Hanover defense did an excellent job containing Central despite the absence of starting center back Sam Pych. Simon Kahan, the back four's Swiss Army knife, continued his excellent play in the middle. Although the half ended with the teams deadlocked in a scoreless draw, the Marauders were confident.
Hanover roared out of the interval break and continued their pressure early in the second half. Jake Acker headed a Will Smith throw-in over the bar, but he was just warming up. The Marauders received a free kick on the right flank in the seventh minute, and Adam Pikielny stepped up briskly and hit a perfect serve the Acker, whose header was headed to the right corner and was denied only by an all-out dive by Ryan. Hanover's Captain would not be denied. Yet another long throw by Smith was flicked into the middle by Casey Starr, and Marcus Helble caught up with it and headed it to Acker, who calmly planted a right-footed finish in the left corner for a 1-0 lead.
The Marauders continued to press. A great bit of work by Charlie Adams against two Central defenders earned a corner kick, and the precocious frosh calmly swung the ensuing kick right into the path of Acker, whose screaming downward header was saved off the line by a Central defender. Eventually, Hanover got the seemingly inevitable second goal, and it was a thing of beauty. Like the first goal, which came at the end of a sequence started by Will Smith's throw, this one was also begun by another of Hanover's most dependable weapons, a Patrick Logan free kick. The Hanover keeper launched a ball from the edge of his penalty area, and after a defender stabbed at it, the ball fell to Charlie Adams on the edge of the midfield circle. Marcus Helble initiated a fiendishly smart run into space and Adams' equally audacious lead pass found him as he sprinted past the Central defense. Adian Ryan came off his line but Helble danced around him and as the defenders caught up with him be calmly slotted the ball into the vacant net for a 2-0 lead.
Immediately after the goal, the Marauders continued to press Central. David Seigne intercepted a clearing pass and cracked a shot off the bar. Griffin Johnson gathered the rebound and played a great cross to Casey Starr, whose hard shot into the center of the goal was sweetly saved by Ryan. But the Little Green, who had barely missed the goal on a shot earlier in the half, reminded the Marauders just how dangerous they were. Within the last 15 minutes Central earner four corner kicks, each one more dangerous than the last. Their second, a quickly-taken short corner, resulted in a dangerous shot that was blocked by Elias Zinman before the rebound was sailed over the bar. With nine minutes left, Central scored on their fourth corner. The kick went across the face of the goal and was headed back to a wide-open Paolo Tedesco at the top of the penalty area, and he made no mistake, rifling the ball onto the net.
Hanover didn't panic. They had rotated a number of subs into the lineup, particularly after their second goal, but several starters, including Acker and Strohbehn, made their way back into the lineup. Central never really threatened in the final nine minutes. Hanover calmly controlled the midfield and made no mistakes, and soon enough the match ended and the Marauders had another signature win on the young season.
There are many mountains left to climb for this developing team, which has now welcomed assistant Coach Eric Jayne into the fold. On Tuesday, they host a very dangerous Bedford team to Merriman-Branch field for a 6:30 match. They will have an extra fan boost, since the game has been designated Lightning Night, and every Lightning player in uniform will collect a free chocolate milk at the Snack Shack. Friday's game declared that the Marauders are ready to take another positive step forward on their long journey toward November. When those winter winds blow, they may remember this hot September night as one of the big steps in that quest.
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