After a week of hard training, the Marauders were raring to go last Friday, and they were even more highly motivated when they saw their venue at Presentation of Mary Academy in Hudson. Not surprisingly, Hanover scored three goals in the first ten minutes of the match, and cruised to a 5-0 victory.
The Marauders got on the board after three minutes when Adam Pikielny collected a ball on the right side, just over midfield, and sent a superb serve into the box for Casey Starr, who was making a right to left run. Starr one-touched the ball into the net in stride, and gave the Hanover the only goal they would need. Henry Kahl nearly made it 2-0 a minute later, one-timing a sweet left-footed serve from Starr toward the corner, only to be denied by Cardinal goalkeeper Drew Hailey.
Two minutes later, Sam Strohbehn would find the back of the net, taking a cross from Kahl, who was on fire on the flank all day, and hitting a shot that glanced off the foot of a defender and looped into the goal. Film study has concluded that this was indeed a legitimate goal, and not the own goal awarded at the time. Two minutes later, great flank play created another goal. Strohbehn hit a cross to Kahl, whose centering pass found the foot of Marcus Helble, and the skillful senior potted his second goal of the season for a 3-0 lead.
The chances continued to come in a dominant half. Casey Starr had another excellent serve from the left side that found Charlie Adams in stride at the top of the box, and his laser strike barely missed the upper right corner. Not to be outdone, Sam Strohbehn controlled the ball with his chest 35 yards out, and hit a first-time volley that dipped just enough to clang off the crossbar as a spellbound Hailey in goal could only stare, flat-footed. Just before the half, Hanover put a final dagger into BG's hopes. Strohbehn teed up a corner kick from the right side and hit a perfect service to Jake Acker in the center of the box, and the senior stalwart headed the ball home for an unshakable 4-0 lead at halftime.
The Marauders managed to come out strongly in the second half, denying BG any hopes of a comeback. David Seigne made a great run down the left flank, and served a cross to Casey Starr on a silver platter. Starr took plenty of time to set up his left-footer, but the Hailey made a nice save on the shot as it crept to the corner. Marcus Helble got loose in the box for a good shot on goal that was saved by Hailey, and then Sam Pych's twisting run into the box sprung Charlie Adams, who ran out of room on the baseline.
Hanover's final goal was one of the best of the day. Alvaro Cooper, who did a wonderful job controlling the center of the park, slid a ball through two BG defenders for Griffin Johnson on the right wing. Johnson made a great run to the center of the box, beat a defender by switching to his left foot, and hit a hard, accurate shot inside the left post for his first goal of the year and a 5-0 Hanover advantage.
The Marauders kept pressing. Ben Sobel, who always gets a look a goal, and never does so at the expense of his defense, had two cracks. Then Bauti Gallino slid a ball across the top of the 18 for Sander Macaulay, who hit one of his characteristic screamers that just sailed wide of the right post.
Bishop Guertin is not the pushover they have been in the past, and indeed they would bounce back from their Friday loss to Hanover by beating a strong Salem team. They kept pressing to pull a goal back, and forced Pat Logan to make two good saves, one on a free kick by Cole Neily. Logan, whose kicking game gives the Marauders an edge every time out, made three saves to earn his fourth shutout of the season.
The win was a satisfying one, and set the stage for Hanover's big home match the following Monday against Pinkerton.
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