Following their 1-0 loss to Bedford three weeks ago, the Marauders put together a modest win streak, beating four poor to fair teams, all by shutouts, and working hard in practice. All the while they were pointing toward a Monday match with Pinkerton. The Astros are always strong. Two years ago they beat Hanover on penalties in the NHIAA Division One Semifinals and won the title. Earlier this year, they beat top-ranked Timberlane, now 10-1. This was the test the team was looking for. When Pinkerton scored first early in the match, it was clear that Hanover would need to make a statement. What followed was some of the best soccer that a Hanover team has played in years. The Marauders quickly tied the game, patiently did the work that would give them the lead before the end of the half, and then blew the Astros out in the second half, scoring four goals for an emphatic 6-1 win.
Hanover combined determined defense with speed, strength and courage on offense, picking up momentum and ending the match with dazzling displays by Casey Starr, who collected a hat trick, and Charlie Adams, who score a critical goal and collected his second three-assist game of the year.
The question for the start of the season for the Marauders was "who's going to score the goals?" Now we know.
The match didn't get off to a great start. Hanover bustled into the Pinkerton end in the opening minutes, but seven minutes into the game it was Pinkerton breaking on top. A ball was played into the Hanover box, a defender swung and missed at it, and the ball continued to Brian Castle, who may very well have been offsides. Castle flicked the ball inside the left post, and the Astros were up 1-0. It was impressive how calmly Hanover reacted. Expressions of concern to the official were handled succinctly and carefully, and the Marauders moved on.
It didn't take long. Four minutes later Hanover retaliated with one of their best goals of the season. Sam Strohbehn, looking more and more like a midfield maestro, hit a through ball to the corner flag for a streaking Henry Kahl, there was no way Kahl could catch up to it before it slid over the endline, but somehow he did, hitting a screaming worm burner of a cross that found Casey Starr in full stride, knocking the the ball into the next and squaring the match.
Hanover was now on the front foot, and pushed hard for the go-ahead goal. Henry Kahl clanged a free kick off the crossbar and out over the top. In an amazing piece of foreshadowing, Charlie Adams redirected a long throw from Griffin Johnson that nearly found the back of the net. Strohbehn threaded a great through ball to David Seigne, whose close-in shot was snuffed by Astro goalkeeper Max Fairbank. Two minutes later, Adams threaded a pass through to Johnson, whose shot was partially saved by Fairbank. The ball trickled toward the goal line at the left post, and Seigne got to it first and deposited it for his first goal of the season, well-deserved. Seigne nearly had another score two minutes later on a breakaway, but held his shot long enough for a defender to catch up and pressure his shot. When the half finally ended, Hanover had an 11-2 edge in shots, and they were licking their chops for the second half.
As has been the case this season, the Marauders were strong from the start. Luke Messersmith's diving head off of Pikielny cross from the right baseline in the first minute grazed the crossbar. That's right, in a one-goal game Hanover's right back was 110 yards away from his goal. That's how they roll. Thirteen minutes into the half, with the first wave of subs in the game, David Seigne was taken down in the box as he raced to meet a centering pass, and the Marauders were awarded a penalty.
Sam Strohbehn stepped up and overthought the matter, hitting a savable shot to the middle that relief goalkeeper Tucker Robbins saved. Was this a turning point? Hardly. 15 minutes later, with Hanover still on the front foot, Will Smith launched a long throw from the midst of the fan base and Charlie Adams, sent into the box to intimidate the goalkeeper, was in the right place at the right time and used his head to pop the ball over Robbins for a three-one lead.
Hanover's lead was safe, but Pinkerton was still working hard to stay in the game. They penetrated the Marauder box and launched a two-shot sequence that produced a pair of spectacular saves, the first from Patrick Logan, and the second from center back Sam Pych, who extended himself full length to block a sure goal.
Then it was Hanover's turn, and they blew open the match with three goals in five minutes. Starr started things, taking a through ball from Henry Kahl and breaking in on goal. Colliding with the keeper, Starr got the ball past him, shook loose from two attempts to tackle him by Robbins, and finished for a 4-1 lead. School was out. Three minutes later Adams hit a diabolical through ball against the grain to Starr, who calmly finished for a hat trick. Starr leads the team with eight goals, and has seven in his last four games. Two minutes later Jake Acker was the beneficiary of a similar act of largesse from Adams, whose assist was his eighth of the year. Acker's goal was his fourth of the campaign.
This was a signature win, and it gives the Marauders a nice head of steam as they complete their busy week with a Wednesday home game against Nashua North and their Homecoming match with Manchester Memorial. Timberlane looms next Tuesday, but for now it's one game at a time for Hanover, 9-1 on the season and hoping for double digits.
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