Big Games on the Final Sub Varsity Weekend

Al three subvarsity teams close the season with a bang this weekend.  Dress warmly!

The Reserves and Freshmen go to Cardigan on Saturday.  Busses leave at 1:00 for 3:00 games. It's a short trip and a weekend, so you are on your own for snack and drinks.  Please bring food for the Cardigan food drive.  Wear white uniforms, but bring your maroon short just in case.

Reserves, please bring your uniforms to school on Monday and turn them in to me in the gym on Monday.  They should be washed, folded, bagged and labelled.  This is very important.

JV leaves for Nashua Tournament at 6:30 Sunday morning.  Parents will provide snacks, but there will also be concessions there.  Wear maroon uniforms, but bring your white shirt.  JV uniforms get turned on on Tuesday.

Freshmen play the Varsity girls on Monday on the turf RIGHT after school.  Wear Gold practice jerseys and white shorts and socks.  Freshman uniforms get turned in on Wednesday.

We will send invoices for unreturned uniforms on Friday.  We need all game and practice gear returned.  Freshmen and JVs all have practice shorts that must be returned.

Play your best this weekend.  Highest priority is representing the school well.  There will be many eyes on you this weekend.  Good luck!

Reserves Hold Off Sharon Academy, 3-2

Wednesday was a postcard day for a match. The Reserves rolled onto the campus of Sharon Academy past the yurts in the front yard and the sugaring shack onto a field etched into one of the many hills in Vermont.  Hanover opened up dominating Sharon's half of the field.  So much so that there was enough comfort of put in our third string goalie: Matt Abilozek moved back from center defense to spell Andrew Enelow.  This pressure would continue for the first half, and eventually produce a goal from Gabe Loud.  He won a ball up front, and made his way through a number of defenders and got loose a shot that bounced off an opposing player and the goalie and into the goal.  That would be it for the half.

  In the second half, Hanover resumed the attack which yielded a second goal on a nice ball from Andew to Gabe, who eluded a defender and placed a shot in the lower corner of the net.  Sharon though, had taken some cues from other leagues and tournaments as seen on TV.  They parked the bus and waited for the counter-attack.  This would be prove to rather effective when in a moment of miscommunication in the Hanover backfield they would pounce on the ball and put in it the net.  Hanover answered once again with Gabe who received a pass from the midfield and in a similar fashion made his way past a defender and found the back of the net for his third hat trick of the season.

 Hanover wasn't out of the woods yet when Sharon once again moved on a counter-attack and netted a goal.   Hanover would continue to create chances and dominate the midfield, making runs, and effective crossing passes from James Roth, Henry Bernard, and Alec McDevitt.  The interior midfield started to realize what the defense was doing and began to take dangerous shots at the top of the box from Theo, Vinzent, and Daniel Wilson who unleashed a left-footer just over the bar with a few minutes remaining.  The defense held despite some personal changes and Matt Abilozek found his goalie hands well in time to make some critical loose ball saves in the box to hold for the win.   All in all it was a disciplined performance from Hanover where they could of lost composure on a few occasions, but didn't.  Now on to Cardigan, for a full-team reunion at 3:00. Bus leaves at 1:00.  Please bring non-perishable food items for the Cardigan food drive!

Freshmen Rally to Beat Salem 2-1

A warm afternoon belied the late October calendar date, as the Hanover freshmen took on the Salem Blue Devils Wednesday on a sun drenched home turf. Our boys, riding a six game winning streak and sporting a 9 -1 -1 record going into this last home game, came to send the enthusiastic crowd of parents and classmates home smiling. Mission accomplished, with a hard fought 2 – 1 win.

Crisp play marked the first 20 minutes, with the Marauders dominating the time of possession that led to a number of shots that usually came in traffic and were unable to get through. As the half progressed, Salem’s game improved, and they started to make things happen with a series of quick counter attack.

Then, at the 25 minute mark, on a defensive lapse, a corner was justly awarded to the Blue Devils, who placed a good ball to the front of the goal line where a no-doubt-about-it header gave them a 1 – 0 lead, which held up until the half time whistle.

The second half started in a similar way to the first, with our boys keeping the JV-infused Salem squad on their heels until Toño Correa slid a ball through traffic to the able foot of Latham Allison, who took his touch and found the room he needed to smoke a 25 yard low screamer inside the left post, tying things at 1 goal apiece with 30 minutes remaining.

Each team was creating chances now, with the keepers both playing well. Carter Auch held fast, coming off his line adeptly and wrapping up 3 balls between the posts, highlighted by a diving, parallel-to-the- ground save at 60 minutes to keep things even.

It just seemed like a matter of time before our freshmen took the lead, and indeed it was. Ethan Ross launched a free kick from 25 yards with almost perfect trajectory that barely soared over the top bar, and everyone groaned and tipped our caps to Ethan’s effort. Fresh legs rotated in continuously. Eli Stack ripped one from a tough angle that just missed wide. Will Blinkhorn settled things constantly, slowing down the play in a way that allowed strings of sharp passing and solid possessions.

The hammer was about to strike, though.  With 13 minutes remaining, it happened. Nolan Gantrish expertly slid the ball to Amane Matsuoka, who moved the ball into space and blasted one in, over the leaping goal tender, for the lead at 2 – 1 with time winding down.

The Blue Devils would not give up though, and their next corner kick led to a second spectacular Carter save, but they kept coming. The back line play of Judd Alexander, Carl Gemunden, Tristan Meyer, Noah Pikelny, and Brendan Brigham kept it safe enough with smart, long clearances, and the boys trotted off with a satisfying, challenging win against an older team.

The home schedule is now finished, with one more game remaining against the excellent Cardigan Mountain club. As far as away games go, it couldn’t get much closer. Come and bid adieu to the 2016 freshmen at CM Saturday at 3:00.  Bus leaves at 1:00.  Please bring food items for the CMS food drive!

See you then!

Reserves Drop a 4-2 Decision to Souhegan on Saturday

The first freezing morning of year started off in contrast to hazy days of preseason for the long ride down to Souhegan last Saturday.  Due to a pit stop on the way, the team had only a few minutes to warm up.  That didn't daunt them though as Moritz's presence was instantly felt on the pitch. He easily won the midfield with Lucas and Theo playing a hardworking defensive and deep lying attacking midfielder to start the game.  This allowed him to win possession and make a driving run toward the box and and finish for a goal with ease.

    

Souhegan was a very well coached team. As Gabe said "It's never good when the coach has a British accent." They answered with a breakthrough the line that just got past Andrew.  They added another quickly with well played cross off a run to the far post. Hanover hung there and continued to pressure.  So much that Henry Bernard managed to get tripped up in the box. Theo was chosen to take the kick where he stepped up and coolly put the ball in the net. This day would be one of unlucky breaks and bounces.  One of those bounces would be few minutes before the half where the ball found Deveon's hand while he was looking the other direction in the penalty box.  Souhegan promptly converted the penalty.

Going into the half, Hanover knew they could play with these guys.   The second half opened with Hanover winning the midfield, and created some real chances with Moritz and Eric up front.  This would become tested though when Theo would be taken out of the game with an injury.  Hanover hung in there though with strong runs from Eric Seltzer, Ian, and Moritz, and Vinzent.  On the left side, the Roth brothers locked down the midfield and defense as well created some attacking runs.  The second half would continue to be a back and forth affair until the ever hard working Deveon  would roll his ankle and have to helped off the field and spend the rest of the game sitting on the injury cart.  In the confusion after changing center backs Souhegan broke the middle once again for another score.  There was another chance later for Hanover with those forwards really pressing the back line that created some dangerous corners.  

Even though it was a loss, it was not without some highlights.I know this Reserve team is talented, but I don't know if I ever seen a player execute a Maradona move with such ease that I almost didn't see it, as well make an opposing player trip on his own legs.  It was also quite a site turning around seeing the two captains on the injury bench while one of them was trying to help another of our top scorers Henry Bernard stretch his injury.   Sitting next to this them was another sub asking to go back in while holding ice on his knee.  Rather than a woeful sight it showed resolve and grit on Hanover's part.  Next up for the young guys is Sharon Academy on Wednesday.

Marauders Beat Salem 3-0; Close Regular Season at 14-2

Hanover finished their regular season with a flourish, exploding for three goals in the second half to break a scoreless tie and beat Salem 3-0.  With the win, the Marauders concluded with a 14-2 record, the best regular-season mark for the program in three years.  They clinched third place and a first-round bye in the NHIAA Division One playoffs, and will host a quarterfinal match on Saturday, October 29th at 2:00 p.m.

Casey Starr scored twice to pace the Hanover offense, and reached the 10-goal mark.  Junior Sam Pych, who scored in the season opener against Londonderry, tallied his second goal of the year in a moment of symmetry.

It took the Marauders a while to settle into the match on Salem's small, slick pitch, and they also showed great restraint in handling the earnest efforts of a referee who lost his way to the recreational league he was scheduled to officiate and ended up witnessing his first-ever Division One game.  The first half was scoreless, and the Marauders almost conceded the first goal.  Moments after Casey Starr's far post finish was just wide, Salem Striker Josh Fichera broke in alone on the Hanover goal but was stuffed with a great save by Patrick Logan.  Salem tried continually to spring Fichera, and he was offsides four times, nevertheless challenging the Marauder defense.

Hanover had a few more close calls as they began to get comfortable.  Liam Collins sent a wonderful volley form the left flank to Charlie Adams, who headed just over the bar.  With seven minutes to play, Salem goalkeeper Anthony Bellomo made a nice save on another bid by Starr, who was coming closer and closer to finding the back of the net.

The Marauders were calm and confident at halftime, and felt that things would break their way in the second half.  It turns out they didn't have to wait very long.  In the first minute, a nice buildup gave Marcus Helble an open shot from eight yards out, but his scoring bid went straight into Bellomo's breadbasket.  Hanover continued to dominate territorially, and eleven minutes after the interval Starr and David Seigne converged on a loose ball in the box, and Starr got the final touch and gave Hanover the only goal they would need.  Minutes later, Liam Collins' search for his first varsity goal almost bore fruit, when his screaming volley from a Henry Kahl cross. It was the third game in a row the Collins had claimed at least one assist, and gave him a season total of six.

Ten minutes after the Marauders broke the ice they emphatically doubled their lead. Liam Collins drove a corner kick into the box, and Sam Pych was well-positioned for a a rebound, blasting it into the back of the net.  Less than four minutes later, Starr claimed his 10th goal, converting a wonderful feed from Kahl, who tied Charlie Adams for the team lead in assists with ten.  Hanover stayed hungry.  Sam Strohbehn drove a beautifully flighted free kick just over the bar, and as substitutes poured off the bench, the offensive quality continued (or maybe even improved?).  Charlie Adams had a great crack on goal after a pass from Nico Mayo-Pushee, and Sander Macaulay, who played superbly at midfield, lined up a long shot  from way out that had a great chance of doing some damage.

Ben Sobel, Roger Danilek, Simon Kahan and Benjamin Parrado continued their strong play on defense, allowing Logan to record his 7th shutout of the campaign.  Hanover's eight clean sheets surpassed last year's regular season total by two, just one more way in which this season's accomplishments have allowed this year's team to stand strongly alongside its Division One predecessors.

Hanover's regular season is over, but the NHIAA season has several days to run, and it will be a while until the Marauders figure out who their quarterfinal opponent on October 29 may be.  Of course, all of the contenders will first have to survive an opening round game against a lesser seed.  If form holds completely, though, the betting here is that it will be the Exeter Blue Hawks making the trek to Hanover for the second time in three years.  More on that later.  The Marauders will train for three days, take the entire weekend off, and then get together on Monday for a post-season doubleheader on the turf.  First, the Marauder Freshmen will take on their arch rival, the HHS girls' Varsity at 3:30.  Then the boys' Varsity will host Lebanon in a working scrimmage at 5:15.  These former bitter rivals, now longstanding friends and mutual fans, who give each other the chance to work hard on restarts, and do some fine tuning as they head into a precious week of preparation.

The Marauders have come a long way since August, and put together an impressive resume.  There is much about which they can be very proud.  But there's still an upside.  As well as this team has played on occasion, every one of them knows that they can do more.  If they can find the stamina, and intelligence, and unselfishness required to build on the solid base of this regular season, there is long way that they can still travel together.  The journey continues.  Stay tuned.

Junior Varsity Beats Salem 1-0; Finished Regular Season 15-1

The Marauder Junior Varsity closed their regular season with a flourish, beating Salem 1-0 to close their campaign with a record of 15-1, one of their best records since moving to Division One five years ago. Christo Dragnev scored the only goal of the game midway through the second half, taking a bouncing cross from Blake Palmer and driving home a left-footed volley from the top of the box.  It was Dragnev's 8th goal of the season, making him second on the team behind leading scorer Palmer, with nine goals and five assists.

The Marauders will take a day off on Wednesday, and then train for the next three days  (adding a Saturday practice at 9:30 a.m.) before heading to Nashua on Sunday for the annual Desmarais Cup Tournament, the unofficial Division One JV Championship.  Departure time for Hanover will be 6:30 a.m., and their first game in pool play will be at 8:50 against Nashua North on North's lower field.  Their other two group games will be also be at North, against Londonderry at 9:40  (back to back) and then against Hollis-Brookline at 12:10.  All games are one 40-minute half.  The top two teams in each group will advance to the quarterfinals.  The Semifinals and Finals will be played at Nashua South.

On Saturday, Hanover had an easy time of it in their match against Alvirne, scoring five times in the first 20 minutes en route to a 7-0 decision.  Aidan Rowley scored twice, and the Marauders got single goals from Lincoln Adam (who also assisted on Rowley's first), Christo Dragnev, and Pedro Gallino to take a 5-0 lead.  Caleb Benjamin added a goal before the half ended, and Will Laycock scored in the second half for the final margin of 7-0.

Varsity and JV Head to Salem Tuesday

The Varsity and JV team will play their last regular season games at Salem High School on Tuesday at 4:00.  The busses will depart immediately after the end of fifth period.

The Freshmen and Reserves will train at Dresden on Tuesday in preparation for Wednesday games.  The Reserves will travel to Sharon Academy on Wednesday, and the Freshmen will host Salem on the HHS turf at 4:00.