Wednesday, August 24, 2016

Player-Parent Meeting Highlights Thursday Schedule

As we move closer to the start of the school year and a trio of regular-season opening games on Friday, we look forward to seeing most if not all of you at the HHS Athletic Department Player-Parent Meeting at 6:30 on Thursday.  All parents (even veterans) and all players (ditto) are requested to attend.  All soccer parents will start with a presentation by the Athletic Department in the HHS Auditorium at 6:30.  Please go straight to the Auditorium, and do your best to be on time.  After that segment, lasting 30-35 minutes, there will be a 10 minute passing time for parents and players to head down the hall to the HHS Gym for a soccer-specific meeting.  We will introduce the coaches, discuss team policies, outline transportation procedures, and provide the opportunity for plenty of questions and answers.  We will certainly be finished by 8:00 p.m.  See you there.

There is a busy schedule prior to the meeting.  Both Varsity and JV teams will have their final practices before playing at Londonderry on Friday  The bus will depart at 1:45 for the 4:30 games.
The Freshman team will scrimmage the girls' Varsity team on Thursday at 4:30 at the HHS turf field.  Players should arrive at the turf at 4:00. The game will end at 6:00, giving doting parents the opportunity to feed them (EBAs delivers) before the 6:30 meeting. Boys should wear their white shorts and socks, and will be given their gold practice jerseys to wear for the game.  The Freshmen play a home game against Londonderry at Dresden on Friday, kicking off at 4:30.  They should arrive at 3:30.

The Reserve team will practice on Friday at Dresden from 4:00 - 5:30.  Attendance is important for securing a spot on the final Reserve roster.






Tuesday, August 23, 2016

Junior Varsity and Freshman Teams Named

We are pleased to announce the Junior Varsity and Freshman teams for 2016.  This requires a few introductory notes.  We have had a full week to evaluate most of the candidates, and that allowed us to spend the last two days focused on the players coming out.  Several in that latter group made the freshman team.  We have had numerous conversations back and forth over the past two days, and are very satisfied with the rigor and fairness of our decision-making process.

We have a huge number of players interested in playing for the four HHS teams.  As a result, the Varsity, JV and Freshman teams will each carry 26 players.  That will be a challenge for coaches and players.  Our immediate concern is that we will be hard-pressed to provide uniforms for every player.  While we ask for patience and flexibility, we also promise to have every player outfitted.  Playing time in games will be a challenge, but our policy of "fair though not equal" will allow us to give every player a chance to play in every game.

The players not chosen for the Varsity, JV or Freshman team are all now on the Reserve roster.  We will keep this fluid through the start of school, and indeed have several players who will be coming for the first time next week.  This will present a huge challenge, but we have been preparing for this particular one for months in terms of equipment, scheduling and practice design.  There is a slight schedule change.  The Reserve pool will not practice for the next two days, as the other three teams prepare for their opening games on Friday. The Reserves will practice on Friday at the Dresden Fields from 4:00- 5:30.  A reminder that all players and parents are asked to attend the Parent/Player meeting Thursday evening at 6:30 at HHS.

Tomorrow is photo day for the Varsity, JV and Freshmen.  There is a change of venue:  All three teams will meet at Dresden at 3:00.  They will be given uniforms, change, and have team photos taken.  They will then have regular practice from 4:30 - 6:00.

Here are the teams:

Junior Varsity

Lincoln Adam
Caleb Benjamin
Adam Blackburn
Ethan Cobb
Kyle Doucette
Christo Dragnev
Matt Fenner
Pedro Gallino
Sawyer Hanlon
Fletcher Kaplan-James
Keillor Kaplan-James
Harris LaRock
Will Laycock
Gary Li  
Tommy Madden 
Sam Maynes
Pierre Mayo
Blake Palmer
Max Patyk-Finkel
Alex Purcell  
Ben Ralston-Daniel
Mark Ralston-Daniel
Andy Rightmire
Aidan Rowley
Colm Seigne  
Owen Stadheim 

Vincent Versteeg

Freshman Team:

Judd Alexander
Latham Allison
Carter Auch
Will Blinkhorn
Brendan Brigham
Peter Burnham
Eli Bush
Andrew Chen
Antonio Correa
Nolan Gantrish
Carl Gemunden
Jordan Gottleib
Ben Ives
Nicholas Kim
Clay Kynor
Amaane Matsuoka
Anthony Maynes
Quincy McBride
Gray Messersmith
Tristan Meyer
Patrick Osborn
Joey Perras
Noah Pikelny
Ethan Ross
Eli Stack
David Stoffel

Monday, August 22, 2016

Camp Report - Day One

Early on Monday morning, the Marauder Varsity boarded their second shiny new school bus in three days and headed up Rt. 89 to the outskirts of Northfield, and the Windridge Tennis and Sports Camp at Teela-Wooket.  We have been coming here for a preseason overnight trip for seven years, and it continues to be a highlight for us.  We arrived in time to move into our cosy cabins, and then after an ample warmup we took the field to play Burr and Burton Academy from Manchester, VT.  We've played them in preseason before, and knew that we could expect a very competitive game.  After missing several early scoring opportunities we took an early lead on a goal by Casey Starr.  B&B answered with three goals, owing to some uncharacteristic sloppiness in our defensive end.  Sam Strohbehn buried a nice free kick late in the game to pull one goal back, but we went down 3-2.

By now, two other high schools, Essex and Rice, both Vermont superpowers, had arrived, and all four teams crowded into the dining hall for lunch.  We had options:  tacos, corn dogs, salad bar and a well-stocked sandwich bar.  Everyone ate quickly, and Rice headed to the field to engage Burr & Burton, while we had several hours to relax.  On a hot day, we would have headed to the swimming pool, which has been a welcome relief from the August heat.  Today was cool and cloudy, and we confined ourselves to the volleyball court, basketball court, and the octagonal court constructed for Ga-Ga, a Camp Coniston favorite. Hans Williams ruled the day!  Soon it was 3:00, and time to warm up for our second match of the day against Essex.

This time, we wasted little time falling behind 1-0, as a foul outside the penalty area gave the Hornets a free kick,  which snuck under Patrick Logan, changing the tenor of the game.  Our starting group wasn't getting much done, and after 15 minutes we put 10 new players on the pitch.  This crew worked hard against an experienced Essex squad, but late in the half one sub-par defensive play allowed them a centering pass, and a bit of bad marking left a charging Essex striker plenty of time to double the lead.

We started the second half with a resolve to do better, and nearly scored when Casey Starr's shot off of a centering pass was well-saved by the keeper.  The rest of the half was an improvement, but the best we could do was a scoreless draw in the second half, and we had our second loss of the day.  We'll try to learn from both of these disappointing results, and we have two great opportunities tomorrow. We'll play Rice, the defending Division One champions, after breakfast on Tuesday, and the head for home.  After a brief break, we'll head to Lebanon and play our our neighbors and friends at 4:00.

We had a sumptuous pasta supper, and then circled up for a team meeting that has always been an invaluable part of our bonding process.  We watched the first half of our Oyster River scrimmage on the big screen in the darkened dining hall, and then headed to the campfire circle outside of our cabins.  Sam Strohbehn helped kindle a campfire, and the team settled down for s'mores while I headed back into the dining hall (with its wi-fi) to write this blog entry. Walking in the dark over familiar pathways, my gaze naturally headed to the heavens.  The waning gibbous moon had not yet arisen, and the stars were spectacular in a location with no light pollution and a crystalline atmosphere scrubbed of moisture by a gusty northwest breeze.  I looked east and saw the diamond of bright stars, forming the Great Square of Pegasus.  Looking south-southwest, Mars was shining above its bright rival Antares, and below Saturn.  This trio outshone the three vertical stars to their right, forming the head and shoulders of the Scorpion.   Overhead, I could make out the seven sisters, or the Pleiades.  The Milky Way was as vivid as I have seen all summer, more so than on the night 10 days ago when I camped out at Fullington Farm at 1:00 a.m. to watch the Persied meteor shower.  I learned all of these constellations and many more during many summers of camp, and for me coming back here gives me a chance to get in touch with the child-like sense of wonder and awe that grounds me in many good ways.  Preseason wins and losses don't seem very important right now.

I will leave the boys along at their campfire for the rest of the night.  They are smart and sensible, and  they have identified this time to bond with each other as a crucial part of the team building process.  Tomorrow it's back to screen time, but tonight it's just wood smoke and stars and a chilly night to drive them deep into their sleeping bags.  Goodnight!

Sunday, August 21, 2016

Marauders Top Oyster River, Head to Camp; Tryouts Continue Monday

The newly-made Marauder Varsity got their first run-out Sunday afternoon, and looked competent and increasingly smooth in a 1-0 scrimmage victory over defending Division II State Champion Oyster River. The Bobcats are one of Hanover's most respected and longstanding rivals.  Together, they have won more state championships in Divisions One and Two than any other pair of schools.
They played a well-contested and hard-fought match with playoff intensity, and the Marauders emerged with a 1-0 victory, courtesy of a Sam Pych goal, converting a corner kick by Liam Collins.  Truth be told, Hanover dominated the match and left half a dozen goals out their, but aside from the lack of finishing, the Marauders were pretty polished, and continue to improve every day.

Tomorrow the Marauders head to their annual retreat at the Windridge Sports Camp in Roxbury, VT.  They will leave at 8:00 a.m. from the front of HHS.  They will play Burr and Burton at 10:30,  Essex at 4:00, and Rice, the defending VT Division One Champion, at 9:45 before heading back to Hanover.  They will change their socks, eat a few granola bars, and head to Lebanon for a 4:00 scrimmage.  Then it will be time to hunker down of a few days of training, in preparation for Friday's road opener at Londonderry.

Packing list of Windridge:  Two sets of soccer gear (shirts, shorts, socks); soccer shoes and shin guards; casual shoes/sandals; sleeping bag or bedding; pillow; bathing suit and towel; toiletries/meds; flashlight/headlamp; casual clothing for Monday postgame and evening; jammies; stuffies to keep Larry company:  check for $55 made out to Windridge Sports Camp.  Packing update:  It's going to be COLD Monday night.  Everyone should bring sweats and warm clothing for the campfire.

Monday is also the first of the two final tryout days for the three subvarsity teams.  Each session will be from 10:00 a.m. - Noon.  All players, including everyone who tried out last week, should attend. We'll be welcoming a significant number of players coming out for the first time this season, and will be focusing on them in scrimmage situations as we prepare to finalize the JV, Freshman and Reserve teams.  The latter two teams will be finalized on Tuesday night as they prepare for opening games on Friday.  The Reserve roster will remain more fluid until the start of next week as we deal with the challenge of our total of 116 players out for soccer this year.  We're equal to that task!

Please remember that there is a meeting for all players and parents on Thursday, August 25 at 6:30 at the high school.  The meeting will be in two segments:  there is a general 30-minute presentation in the Auditorium, and then a soccer-specific one in the Gym that will also last 30-35 minutes.  Please plan to attend, even if this is your fourth year and you've seen it all and heard it all before.

Here's our schedule for the week ahead (and the start of the following one!):  We'll do this every Sunday evening from now until the end of the season.

Monday, August 22

Varsity departs for Windridge                                                                           8:00 a.m.
Subvarsity Tryouts at Dresden Field -  All Levels Welcome                           10:00 a.m.-Noon

Tuesday, August 23

Subvarsity Tryouts at Dresden Field -  All Levels Welcome                           10:00 a.m.-Noon
Varsity Scrimmage at Lebanon                                                                         4:00 p.m.
Reserve, JV and Freshman Teams Posted                                                        8:00 p.m.

Wednesday, August 24

Uniforms and Team Photos for all Teams at Dresden                                           3:00 p.m.
Training for Varsity, JV, Frosh at Dresden                                                             4:00 – 5:30 p.m.

Thursday, August 25

Varsity/JV training at Dresden                                                                         4:00 – 6:00 p.m.
Freshmen vs. Varsity Girls at HHS turf                                                            5:00 p.m.
Team Meeting for all players and all parents   - HHS Auditorium/Gym         6:30 p.m.

Friday, August 26

Varsity/JV at Londonderry – Bus Departs 1:30                                               4:00 p.m.
Freshmen Home vs. Londonderry at Dresden                                                 4:30 p.m.
Reserve Training at Dresden                                                                            4:00 - 5:30 p.m.

Saturday, August 27

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

Sunday, August 28

Day off – all teams

Monday, August 29

Varsity Training – HHS Turf                                                                           3:00 – 5:00 p.m.
JV, Reserve, Freshman Training at Dresden                                                    4:00 – 5:30 p.m.

Tuesday, August 30

Varsity/JV at Exeter -  Bus Departs 1:30                                                         4:30 p.m.
Reserve and Freshman Training at Dresden                                                    4:00 – 5:30 p.m.

Wednesday, August 31 – First Day of School

Practice Bus Departs for Dresden                                                                   2:30 p.m.

Training for all teams at Dresden                                                                    3:00 – 4:30 p.m.

Saturday, August 20, 2016

Varsity Roster Named / Oyster River Scrimmage Sunday

The 2016 Marauder Varsity team is now finalized.  It took every minute of the first week of preseason to do this, and some of the final selections (and cuts) were very hard.  Hanover is blessed with a ton of talented, dedicated players, and paring down to a NHIAA-sized roster is a tough task.  Congratulations to those who have been named to the team, and huge respect to the dozen or so players who are clearly at Varsity level and will now assume leadership positions on the Junior Varsity and Reserves.

The Marauder Varsity will scrimmage Oyster River High School on Sunday at 5:00 at the HHS turf field.  Please note the time change.  Following the game there will be a barbeque at the HHS Patio for the Hanover and Oyster River Varsity teams.

The Varsity will travel to the Windridge Sports Camp in Roxbury, VT on Monday, leaving at 8:00 a.m.  They will play Burr and Burton at 10:30, and play Essex High School in the afternoon.  On Tuesday morning, they will play Rice Memorial High School, the VT defending Division One Champions, and the return home, change their socks, and travel to Lebanon for a 4:00 friendly on the LHS grass field.

Here are the Marauders:

      
Jake Acker * (Capt.)                 Sr.              MF  
Charlie Adams                          Fr.              S  
Lucas Adams-Blackmore*        Sr.              B
Dillon Bradley                           So.             MF
Liam Collins                              So.             MF
Alvaro Cooper                           Sr.              MF
Roger Danilek                            Sr.              B  
Bauti Gallino                              So.             S   
Marcus Helble*                          Sr.              MF
Griffin Johnson*                         Sr.              MF 
Simon Kahan*                            Sr.              B
Henry Kahl*                                Jr.              MF
Patrick Logan*                            Sr.              GK
Luke Messersmith*                     Sr.              MF
Ben Parrado                                 Jr.               B
Sander Macaulay                         Sr.              MF
Nicolas Mayo-Pushee                 So.             MF     
Adam Pikelny*                            Sr.              B
Sam Pych*                                   Jr.              B
David Seigne                               Sr.               MF   
Will Smith*                                  Sr.              B
Ben Sobel                                     Sr.              B
Casey Starr*                                 Jr.               S
Sam Strohbehn*  (Capt.)              Sr.              S
Hans Williams                              So.             GK
Elias Zinman                                So.             MF

* Letterman

Travel Directions to Keene State College

Here are driving directions from the Upper Valley to Keene State College:

Take Rt. 91 South to Exit 5

Turn left at the end of the ramp and follow the road down the hill to Rt. 5.  You'll be looking for signs for Walpole, NH.  Turn right at the bottom of the hill, and then after 1/2 mile, pass the Mobil gas station and immediately bear left as the main road curves right.  You will immediately turn hard left and go under a narrow, one-lane railroad overpass.  (I have talked many skeptical bus drivers under this!).

Cross the Connecticut River and turn right on Rt. 12.  Follow Rt. 12 for 10 miles (guesstimate) through Walpole and Westminster toward Keene.  Stay on 12 until it intersects with Rt. 101.  Turn left on Rt. 101.  If you're parking where we're parking, turn left on Winchester Street (I think it's a ropundabout) and after 1/4 mile look for the Keene State parking lot on your right, opposite MacDonald's.  At the far end of the parking lot, there is a path over the railroad tracks and under the power lines to the playing fields.

You can also continue on Rt. 101 and take the next left at the lights onto the Main Street.  The Keene campus starts on the left shortly, and you can look for a left turn that will take you to the gym.  I''d advise the former option.

Keene Jamboree Directions, Sunday Schedule

The Varsity and JV squads (not the finals teams quite yet) will play in a Jamboree at Keene State College Saturday.  The first games for both teams are 12:15.  The games are at the Keene playing fields (Joyce Field) near the gym (not at the field complex south of rt. 101).  I will publish specific directions, but if you can find the gym on the Keene campus, you can find the fields.Our bus will park in the Keene State parking lot on Winchester Street, opposite MacDonald's.  Winchester Street is a left turn off of Rt. 101, shortly after you have turned left (East) on Rt. 101 from Rt. 12.  At the far end of the parking lot, there is a path to a bridge over the train tracks that leads to the fields.  Look for the power lines.

There are no concessions at the fields.  Players have been told to bring water, snacks and lunch.

Sunday's team barbeque is for the Varsity players from Hanover and Oyster River.  The JV has the day off.  The game time has been changed from 4:00 to 5:00 p.m.