Marauders Make A Statement, Beating Pinkerton 6-1

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.

Marauders Get An Early Start, Beat BG 5-0

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.

Junior Varsity Wins Two, Record is Now 9-1

The Marauder Junior Varsity won a pair of games on Friday and Monday, beating Bishop Guertin 2-1 in overtime on Friday, and then easing past Pinkerton 1-0 on Monday.  The Marauders are now 9-1 on the season, heading into their home game with Nashua North on Wednesday.

Playing on a challenging surface on Friday at Bishop Guertin, the Marauders took a 1-0 lead on a goal by Blake Palmer, who took a nice through pass from Christo Dragnev and finished past the far post. Although Hanover had an edge throughout the contest, Bishop Guertin tied the game with a late goal.  Coach Osheyack cleverly talked the hosts into overtime,and it didn't take long for Colm Seigne to score the game-winning goal, taking a lead pass and managing a shot that was saved by the oncoming goalkeeper.  The rebound popped loose and Seigne managed to direct it toward the goal, getting a third and final touch at the post to help Hanover to a 2-1 victory.

Hanover returned home to the friendly confines of the HHS grass (never looked better!), and handed Pinkerton a 1-0 defeat when Owen Stadheim converted a corner kick for the only goal of the game.
Harris LaRock collected the shutout, aided by the relentless defense of Alexander Purcell, Gary Li, Andy Rightmire and Matt Fenner (among others), and strong midfield play from Stadheim and Kyle Doucette in the center of the park, and Lincoln Adam and Aidan Rowley on the flanks.

Following Wednesday's home match with Nashua North, the homestand will continue on Homecoming Friday with a 4:00 match with Manchester Memorial at Dresden.  Yes, Dresden.
It will be worth the trek to Vermont to watch this match, and then zoom back to the Granite State for the Varsity match on the turf at 6:30.

Reserves Defeat Oliverian School at Dresden

It was a warm sunny day last Thursday at the Pasture as the two teams took the field.  The veterans were ready to go and quickly moved into the opposing team's field, the Oliverian team in hung there though and really went after the fifty-fifty balls.  Hanover, though, quickly unlocked the backfield and started moving the ball to Gabe Loud who recorded his second hat-trick of the season. Charles Chen recorded his first goal of the season as a midfielder with a breakthrough the back line with a run down the field which culminated with a ball in the back of the net.

 The second half opened up with two forwards that quickly yielded a goal.  Tenzing Rumrill with his undeviating pressure created a point from a bouncing shot of a defender.  His second goal though showed some maturity as a forward with a composed shot on the run from an assist from Harry Olszewski.   The final goal of the game was a finisher by Ian Surat-Mosher who pounced on a loose ball in the box, made a nice pull back move and put the ball in the corner of the onion bag.  The defense remained firm against any probing attack with solid work by Max Lutz and Avery Wallis, Daniel Wilson, Charles, Gabe, Dimitri Somoff, Kezar Berger and Daniel Wilson and net minding by Andrew Enelow.

Reserves Dominate Rematch with Sunapee

The rematch at Sunapee on Saturday opened with Hanover on their heels with Sunapee really challenging the midfield and putting Hanover defense in action.  Hanover weathered the onslaught though, and slowly found its way into the game.  The game was locked in 0-0 tie until Hanover managed to get into the eighteen and generate some chances. Once in the eighteen both teams went into a frenzy to attain the ball, and in the ensuing havoc Hanover earned a penalty.    Andrew Enelow volunteered and had enough presence of mind to collect the ball after it bounced off the keeper to put it back in. The play would continue to go back and forth until Theo  Sparks got a pass from Joe Brennan and took a well placed cracker into the net.

  

 The second half things really got going quickly where Theo pushed a ball out wide to Henry Bernard where he made his way into the eighteen and took his patented chip shot over the goalie. A similar goal would happen minutes later on a corner in which Theo managed  head it enough so that Henry could get a foot on it.  He then took an almost exact same chip shot as the previous one. Andrew Enelow got his second goal of the game with a laser like through ball from thirty yards out where he went in and got the goal.  Another point was attained when Moritz collected a ball outside the eighteen and finished with authority that confirmed his Bertha HSC club background. The final goal of the game was made by James Roth who struck from 15 yards and just out of reach of the keeper.

  The defense and Eric recorded their 3rd shutout with AJ  Ristino finding his legs as holding midfielder and Matthew Abilozek and Deveon  Martin putting in solid work as a defensive pairing with Chris Lee emerging as a very good wing back with not only his hustle but astute and well-made passes from the backfield.

Freshman Boys Roll On, Beat BG 6-0

Bishop Guertin late and they came with barely a full team, as our 23 dressed players expected that they would wear this team out  before things went too far. That perception was not misplaced, and the boys took a quick lead, and then were able to add to the scoring early and often on this misty Saturday morning on the home turf.

Things started within the first four minutes, as Toño Correa ranged right with the ball close to his foot, then threaded a cross to Eli Stack, whose one touch moved him to his right, where he crisply sent one home for a 1 – 0 lead.

Hanover continued to dominate, and the always steady play of Ben Ives, Gray Messersmith, Tristin Meyer, Anthony Maynes, and Jordan Gottleib came as part of the waves of white to defend, control, and attack throughout the half and the entire game.

At the offensive end, striker Nolan Gantrish corralled a loose ball at the top of the box, slid up and to his left and pounded a left footed shot inside the near post to give our boys a 2 – 0 lead after only 10 minutes of play.

Ben Ives had a strong showing at midfield as he logged his minutes, and Clay Kynor flashed some slick footwork to stop the occasional BG run and win balls that became counter attacks. Andrew Chen was the receiver of one of those attacks, and the hustling right winger wisely slid an on point assist to Quincy McBride who buried the third Hanover goal before the official’s whistle ended the first half.

It was a coming out party for Amane Matsuoka, who has been out most of the season due to injury. He impacted the game quickly, using speed and control to reveal what a weapon he can be. Later, he was hammered in the box, and adroitly converted the PK to give our boys a 4-goal lead with 30 minutes remaining in the game.

At this stage of the game, BG was fatiguing and becoming a bit frustrated with the one sided nature of the game, and things got a bit chippy. Our boys, true to form, never reacted to the pushing and chatter, showing class all the way. 

Later, with 13 minutes remaining, Latham Allison did his thing on an eye-opening free kick from 25 yards, a booming screamer high and well inside the right post. 5 – 0.

Through the second half Hanover consistently possessed the ball in the offensive area, at one point for over 15 interrupted minutes. It became a passing clinic against an undermanned opponent, but it was still a joy to watch, with Will Blinkhorn and Pat Osborn adding their usual flair to the center mid and right wing positions.

Carter Auch finished off the scoring as he sprinted in from his wide position on the left wind to create enough of an angle to put in a fine finish. Final score, Hanover 6, Bishop Guertin 0.

Joey Perras kept another clean slate in goal, but he didn’t have to work too hard to achieve it, as his teammates kept things pretty much in check in front of him.

The Marauders have two away games over the next 10 days, and won’t have another home game until October 19^th against Salem. That will end the home schedule, with the final 2016 game at Cardigan Mountain October 22. Put those two in your calendar! See you then.

Game and Practice Schedule October 3 - 8

October 3 - October 8, 2016

Monday, October 3

                                               

Practice Bus Departs for Dresden                                                                   3:45 p.m.

Reserves and Freshmen Training at Dresden                                                 4:00 – 5:30 p.m.

JV Game vs. Pinkerton – HHS Grass                                                             5:00 p.m.

Varsity Game vs. Pinketon – HHS Turf                                                          6:30 p.m.

Tuesday, October 4

Practice Bus Departs for Dresden                                                                   3:45 p.m.

Freshman, JV and  Reserve  Training at Dresden                                            4:00 – 5:30 p.m.

Varsity Training – HHS Turf                                                                          7:00 – 8:30 p.m.

Wednesday, October 5

Practice Bus Departs for Dresden                                                                   2:45 p.m.

Freshman Training at Dresden                                                                        3:30 – 5:00 p.m.

Reserve Game vs. Lebanon at Dresden                                                          3:30 p.m.

JV Game vs. Nashua North – HHS Grass                                                      4:30 p.m.

Varsity Game vs. Nashua North – HHS Turf                                                 4:30 p.m.

Thursday, October 6

Practice Bus Departs for Dresden                                                                   3:45 p.m.

Freshman, Reserve and JV Training at Dresden                                              4:00 – 5:30 p.m.

Varsity Training – HHS Turf                                                                         5:00 – 6:30 p.m.

Friday, October 7

No Freshman and Reserve Training

JV Game vs. Memorial at Dresden                                                                  4:00 p.m.

Varsity Game vs. Memorial at HHS Turf                                                        6:30 p.m.

Saturday,  October 8

Freshman Game at Memorial – Bus Departs 10:00 a.m.                                 12:00 Noon