Although it took the two teams a while to get warmed up, Hanover and Timberlane did not disappoint in delivering a thrilling contest for the top spot in the NHIAA Division rankings. Top-ranked Timberlane took a 2-0 lead in the second half, but the gritty Marauders rallied to tie the match, setting up a wild back-and-forth conclusion that fell to the Owls, who scored the game winner with three minutes left to play to emerge on top.
The Marauders headed home with an 11-2 record, while Timberlane stays on top of D1 with a 13-1 mark. There is a lot of regular season yet to play, however. Timberlane still faces Bedford and Manchester Central, while Hanover has the opportunity to take care of business and maintain the top-three spot that will guarantee them a first-round bye in the NHIAA tournament.
The first half was contested largely at midfield, with limited offensive opportunities for either team. Timberlane enjoyed an edge, however, and had several dangerous forays into the Hanover end. Speedy forward Conner Ross, broke free into the left side of the Marauder box, and sent a shot toward the upper left corner that ticked the crossbar before heading over the goal. Owl senior Brandon Beane showed both skill and pace, and came close to breaking through the Hanover back line several times.
Hanover did a decent job winning balls at midfield, as Sam Strohbehn and Jake Acker continued to demonstrate their strength. The Marauder were not doing well getting numbers forward, though, and their only threat was a near miss on a corner kick when Sam Pych nearly connected with a glancing header. Timberlane jumped out to well-deserved lead in the 30th minute, as a Nick Skinne through ball found a streaking Beane, and he outraced his defender and hit a well-placed shot inside the left post for a 1-0 lead.
Hanover was hardly morose at halftime, however. Confident in their ability to make adjustments, which included familiarity with the challenging Timberlane grass field, the Marauders were eager to get on the front foot after the interval. In fact, that's what happened. Hanover too the play to Timberlane, and almost scored in a scramble after a well-placed cross from Jake Acker on the left flank. Another cross from the left found Griffin Johnson, and although he was unable to get his shot launched, it was a foreshadowing of things to come.
The senior-laden Timberlane squad wasn't about to go away, however, and after a good spell of Hanover pressure the Owls counterattacked with deadly accuracy, with Connor Ross sending the speedy Beane through a gap in the Hanover defense, and in alone on the Marauder goal. Beane's second goal of the match was a potentially crushing blow, and it would have been easy for Hanover to bail. Instead, the resilient Marauders rallied for two goals in the next ten minutes.
Will Smith was an offensive force on the left flank for Hanover all game, and his centering pass across the face of the goal created a chance for Charlie Adams, who was plowed over by Timberlane goalkeeper Matt Salois. Hanover was awarded a penalty kick, and Sam Strohbehn blasted the spot kick past Salois to get the Marauders on the board. Minutes later, Hanover set up shop in the Timberlane penalty area and ripped two shots that were labeled for the goal, but the offerings by Charlie Adams and Marcus Helble were both blocked. Helble, who was a presence at the top of the box throughout the match, then threaded a perfect pass to Griffin Johnson, racing into a gap from the right flank. Johnson ripped the tying goal into the Owl goal, and it was a new game.
The next 15 minutes were a dazzling show of back and forth soccer, with each team creating brink-of-disaster scoring chances. The Timberlane defense swept a Marauder scoring bid off the line, and then the Owls counterattacked, with Matthew Perry missing a shot over the top, and then breaking in alone and forcing Patrick Logan to make a great diving save at his feet. Sam Pych then stepped up on defense, snuffing a shot by Beane and foiling his attempt for a hat trick.
The Marauders had their great looks as well, but they suffered a double blow when Sam Strohbehn was whacked in the back going up for a head ball, and had the leave the game. There was a long pause while he was attended to, and this may have taken a little steam out of Hanover's momentum.
The sun started to set, and the teams appeared to he heading toward overtime.
Timberlane's pressure had forced Hanover to concede a season-high eight corner kicks, and the last one did them in. With less than four minutes left to play, an Owl corner from the right side found Nick Skinner, who headed the ball toward the goal. Before anyone could react, Kenny Thurston flashed into the box and got a second head on the ball, pushing it past Logan for the winning goal.
Hanover was unable to rally one more time, and the match ended with a jubilant Owl squad celebrating one of the biggest wins in their program history.
Any loss is a setback for the Marauders, but this one should be filed under "learning experiences". It could have been worse. Hanover played well enough in spots to be in a position to win a tough road match, but their best soccer may still lie ahead of them. They'll take the next three games one at a time, and work on the sort of momentum that will propel them into postseason. First up on Thursday is Dover, and the Marauders will also be celebrating the Grassroot Soccer Charity Game. They have raised nearly $2,000, and hope to reach that mark prior to game time, which would allow the amount to be doubled by Positive tracks. That's an impressive donation for an important charity.
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