Hanover worked hard for 100 minutes against a well-coached Bedford team on a crisp, sunny fall afternoon at Merriman-Branch, and emerged with a 1-1 draw. The Marauders took the lead on a well-made goal from Jonah Levine, and surrendered the tying goal early in the second half. The visiting Bulldogs circled the wagons after that, and Hanover was unable to create another go-ahead goal. Losing a lead is always frustrating, but the Marauders had a lot to show for a hard day at the office, playing attractive soccer and keeping their composure throughout.
The Marauders got off to a bright start. In the first minute, a slick passing combination between Tim Alibozek and Seth Stadheim set Alibozek free on the baseline for a centering pass that was almost turned into the goal by a charging Jamie Dinulos. Minutes later, Dinulos broke in on the left flank, but was tackled for a corner kick before he could get a shot off. Hanover had a territorial advantage for most of the half, and got good shots from Ian Caldwell and Alibozek.
Hanover broke through in the 36th minute, taking a 1-0 lead on Jonah Levine's second goal of the season. Jamie Dinulos broke in on the left baseline and hit a centering pass that Levine first-timed into the goal.
Bedford was well-organized and aggressive defensively, and waited for their chances. They only had one, but it almost tied the game in the final minute. Bulldog talisman Danial Smushkin pounced on a poor clearing pass outside of the Marauder penalty area and dribbled past three diving defenders before breaking in on Konrad Mitchell. The Hanover keeper came off his line superbly, and spread wide to gobble up the ball, exposing himself to Smushkin's high spikes.
Hanover continued to probe for a second goal as the second half started, and almost hit paydirt right off the kickoff, as Asa Berolzheimer and Stadheim came very close. With the Marauders pushing up, they were potentially vulnerable to a counterattack, and nine minutes into the half, Bedford tied the game against the run of play. A long, very high ball was played into the Hanover end, and Mitchell elected to stay on his line. Luke Strohbehn managed to clear the ball, but conceded a corner kick in the process. Bedford pounced on the gift, and converted the corner with a header to the far corner that was nearly cleared by a well-positioned by Jonah Levine.
Hanover stayed composed, and maintained their edge in play, not losing composure in the face of a 10-2 Bedford edge in fouls. Josh Wallace hit a dangerous cross from the left corner that was well-played by Bulldog keeper Joshua Reeks. Ian Caldwell and Jake Acker had good looks at goal, and Avery Kravitz hit a wonderful shot from the right side that required a diving save from Reeks.
With time winding down, Bedford appeared to be more and more content with playing for a draw, and regulation time expired with the score knotted at 1-1.
The Marauders completely dominated the two ten-minute overtimes, winning all of the 50-50 balls and linking passes with precision and determination. Jamie Dinulos had two excellent chances in the first overtime, and Caldwell had another sniff in the second. Hanover's one corner kick in the final extra period didn't produce anything, and each team walked away with a point at the conclusion of a hard-fought match.
The draw leaves Hanover with a 5-1-1 record, keeping them in a second-place tie with Manchester Central in the standings. The one blemish on Central's record is a 2-1 loss in overtime to............
Bedford. Coincidentally, Hanover's next match, one week hence, is against Central at Manchester's storied Gill Stadium. The Marauders and Little Green have a history of close matches, and have been the top two teams in Division One for the past two-plus seasons. This will be a compelling match, and a good mid-season measuring stick for two programs accustomed to being around at the end of the season.
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