Marauders Open NHIAA Playoffs by Beating Memorial, 4-0

Hanover's second season got off to a great start Tuesday as they scored three first-half goals and controlled play throughout, beating Manchester Memorial 4-0 in the first round of the NHIAA Division One playoffs.  The third-seeded Marauders will now host sixth-seeded Exeter on Saturday at 2:00 p.m. in a quarterfinal match. Hanover outshot Memorial 20-2 and had a 9-1 edge in corner kicks, dominating the match with excellent midfield play and superb play by the back line.

The Maruaders got off to a fast start, scoring twice in the first thirteen minutes to deny the disciplined and talented Memorial side from getting any sort of foothold in the game.  Nine minutes into the game, Hanover was awarded a free kick on the left side, 30 yards from the goal.  Junior midfielder Asa Berolzheimer drove the restart into the box, and Ian Caldwell rose high to head the ball past Memorial goalkeeper Ray Ripaldi for a 1-0 lead.  It was Caldwell's sixth goal of the season.

Less then three minutes later, Berolzheimer continued his playmaking, sending Jamie Dinulos into space on the left side of the penalty area with a well-weighted lead pass.  Dinulos ripped a shot that glanced off of a defender and past Ripaldi for his fifth goal of the season.  Hanover kept hammering, with starting center forward Noah Kahan working hard to win balls and drive to the net.  He forced Ripaldi to make a good save with his creative toe-poke, and had several superb crosses from the left side.  Josh Wallace celebrated his start on the right side with several good moments of ball-winning and a dangerous dipping shot on goal.

When the Marauders subbed midway through the half, the level of play stayed very high.  Seth Stadheim kept the pressure on up front, and Avery Kravitz and Will Smith did equally well on the wings.  Jake Acker was a threat at attacking center midfield, launching a pair of close-range shots in succession.  The first was blocked, and the second forced Ripaldi  to make an excellent save.  With less than six minutes to play in the half, Acker won a ball at midfield and hit a nice through ball to Kravitz on the right side.  The speedy senior closed and ripped a shot into the corner for his second goal of the season and a crushing 3-0 lead.

The Hanover defense worked hard all half, with center backs Max Greenwald and Luke Strohbehn picking just the right time to step up and win 50-50 balls, and wing backs Cian Kelly, Tim Alibozek and Josh Wallace refusing to be beaten.  The latter two, midfielders by trade, did a superlative job filling in for a rehabbing Andrew Kazal.  Greenwald in particular was a force in the air, and has joined with Strohbehn to give the Marauders a pair of  dominating defensive headers.

The Marauders kept the pressure on Memorial in the second half, with Noah Kahan continuing to knock on the door, especially with his headers on corner kicks.  The Marauders have worked hard all season to be dangerous on restarts, and saw this effort bear fruit in the tenth minute, with Captain Luke Strohbehn heading home an Asa Berolzheimer corner kick for a 4-0 lead.  This may not be the last time that Hanover scores in this fashion as the playoffs continue.  Henry Allison, who started the second half at right midfield, also came close to scoring with his head, just missing connections twice.

Jake Acker and Marcus Helble took over for workhorses Berolzheimer and Jonah Levine at center midfield, and the Marauders continued to keep possession at midfield, and create scoring opportunities.  Connor Edson made his playoff debut in goal for the Marauders, and made a good save on a long-range shot by Memorial center back Cameron Ferry. Edson also demonstrated  his excellent distribution skills, launching a pinpoint throw to Will Smith at midfield.

Hanover's win was their seventh in their last eight games, and upped their record to 12-4-1.  Next up with be the sort of challenge that teams work all season to prepare for.  The Marauders host 11-5-1 Exeter on Saturday at 2:00, and will have one of their toughest tests of the season.  Hanover beat the Blue Hawks 2-0 back in the dog days of September. Since then, Exeter has compiled an impressive resume, earning shutout wins over Keene and Central, both team that have beaten Hanover, and whitewashed a total of right opponents. The talented Hawks will have plenty of motivation to try and turn the tables on Hanover.

"You could not ask for more than this," commented Coach Grabill.  Two proud franchises with plenty of playoff experience, peaking at the right time.  All of us will be hoping that we can rise to the occasion and play some beautiful soccer."  Bundle up on Saturday and join the fun!

Marauder Playoff Game Set for 4:30 on Wednesday

The Marauders will host Manchester Memorial at 4:30 on Wednesday in the first round of the NHIAA playoffs.  If they beat Memorial, they will host a quarterfinal game on Saturday at 2:00 against the winner of the Wednesday game between Exeter and Salem.

There will be no admission charge for the games, but we are asking all players attending to comb through their mudrooms and bring donations of used soccer equipment  (shoes, shin guards, soccer socks, clean uniforms/jerseys and balls.  This is being collected by HHS girls' JV players Sophie Miles and Cate Wagner to support a girls' team in South Africa.  They will be collecting donations on Wednesday, as well as Saturday if the team advances.

The Varsity will scrimmage Lebanon today at 5:00 on the HHS turf.  Players are asked to be at the field by 4:00 to record video interviews, and warm up.

The JV will scrimmage after school on the grass field, playing the annual VT-NH game.

All sub-varsity tams are asked to return game and practice uniforms as soon as possible to the collection box outside the HHS Athletic Office, cleaned, bagged and labelled.

Save the date for the four-team Soccer Celebration on Nov. 13th at 6:30.  Dessert Potluck in the HHS gym, followed by awards and music recital

Junior Varsity Boys Finish A Superb Season at 12-3-1

The last home game for the successful Hanover JVs began on a day that felt much colder than the 50 degrees on the home thermostat.  With fans shivering and bundled,  (except for photographer and guy about town Lars Blackmore, in shorts) the boys faced a Dover team determined to be the spoiler, with an unbeaten October on the line for the lads in white. 

The spoiler role suited Dover just fine.  Hanover’s tough midfielders of Hazard, Cooper, Starr, and more, along with very solid defense, was matched by the visitors, with sharp play contained in the middle third of the field without any penetration from either side.  This trend continued for much of the half.  The home team launched a few shots from afar that the Dover keeper casually stepped up to thwart, and he used a similar technique of knowing when to leave the line to intercept any long passes before the offensive powerhouses of Yedne Atkins, Robbie Murdza, Dan Healy, Griffin Johnson, or Luke Messersmith could catch up to the ball.

Then, late in the half, with our keeper off the line to meet an offensive run of many Dover fellows, the goal was left open when the ball was crossed well to a streaking visitor who pounded in the only goal of the first half held up to leave us behind at the intermission, 1 – 0 Dover.

But the second half was a different story, with the homeboys determined to keep their unblemished October intact.  The offense was alive, with more leaks through the Dover defense opening up some chances, which led to, at the half way mark of the half, to a smash from David Seigne off of a precise throw in and assist from Griffin Johnson to tie the game at 1 – 1.

There it stayed, with the teams matched up well, but with Hanover moving the ball more freely off and an increasingly confident defense led by Lucas Adams-Blackmore, Addison Wanner, Brendan Amos, Ben Sobel, and Jack Pattison.  The game had become more physical, without many whistles, and many home players tasted the cold turf, but pulled themselves up without malice to play on, sportsmanship intact.

Then, with the game winding down, from the foot of the technically strong defenseman Wanner, came the highlight.  He crossed midfield with the ball, and launched a long range cross or shot (he’s not telling!), that headed high and towards the far post, where a host of Hanover boys were ready at the line to head it in, but it needed no header to find the deep corner of the goal.  Addison’s first goal of the season came at the best of times, and as the nets fluttered to embrace his long shot, the crowd erupted in appreciation. 

With only a few minutes left, Coach Callanan parked the bus with 5 players back, and the final whistle blew to end a great game and a great win to keep the streak alive.  This was exciting game on the Hanover grass, and it was great to watch this team rise to the occasion on this day, and throughout the month, running their record to 12 – 3 – 1.

The brief postseason for the Marauders started and finished on Sunday morning at the Nashua JV Tournament.  Hanover lost a 1-0 game to Pinkerton on a penalty kick during stoppage time, and then lost an equally frustrating 1-0 match to Londonderry.  Demonstrating their class and composure, the Marauders bounced back with a solid performance in their third and final game against Nashua North.  Dan Healy scored 22 seconds into the match, and added a second goal midway through the half.    North pulled a goal back early in the second half, but then Ben Sobel iced the game with his first goal of the season, assisted by Roger Danilek.

The JVs will celebrate the season on Monday with the annual NH - Vermont game on the HHS grass field after school.  It has been a superb one! 

Marauders Beat Dover 3-0 and Surge to Third Place

Everything fell into place for Hanover on Senior Night, as the Marauders beat Dover 3-0 and then saw all of their scoreboard-watching dreams come true.  Hanover's regular season record of 11-4-1 puts them in third place in the NHIAA Division One standings, and provides the possibility of a quarterfinal game at home next Saturday if they take care of business in their opening round game on Wednesday.

The Marauders were ruthless and efficient in dismissing Dover, outshooting the 25-0 and taking six corner kicks to only one for the Green Wave.  Hanover played patiently throughout the first half, and was rewarded with Seth Stadheim's goal with five minutes to play before halftime.   The second half was nearly a copy of the first.  The Marauder dominated territorially right from the start, and were ultimately rewarded with goals by Jamie Dunulos and Cian Kelly to put the game on ice.

Hanover started all ten seniors on the squad as a salute to their contributions to the program, and they put on an excellent performance, particularly midfielders Josh Wallace and Avery Kravitz, and the forward line of Noah Kahan, Henry Allison and Chris Powell.  Ten minutes into the game Kahan made a great run on the left side and hit a sweet cross through the box.  Luke Strohbehn came as close to scoring as he has all season, volleying a corner kick from Kravitz on goal, only to see Dover goalkeeper Kieran Lombard deflect it over the top with a desperate lunge. 

The Marauder back four of Strohbehn, Max Greenwald, Cian Kelly and Adam Pikelny (subbing for rehabbing Andrew Kazal with 78 minutes of competent soccer) did an excellent job controlling play from the back and switching the point of attack with patience and precision.

The ten Hanover seniors were honored along with their parents at halftime, and then got back to business in the second half,  continuing to set a high standard with their passing game.  The one alteration in the lineup saw Cian Kelly move into an attacking position, with the intent of securing his first career goal.  Once again, the Marauders created a number of chances, including a pair for Kelly and two golden opportunities for Kahan, who barely missed connecting on a far post header off of a corner kick.

Hanover's subs took over midway through the half, and capitalized on a defense that was pretty tired from defending hard for the first twenty minutes.  Ten minutes later, the Marauders doubled their lead when Jonah Levine threaded the needle through the Dover defense to Jamie Dinulos on the left flank, and the elusive left winger raced in on goal and scored for the third time in his past four games.  He's heating up at exactly the right time of year.  Eight minutes later, Kelly delighted the large crowd (including the entire Trinity High football team, sitting right behind the Dover goal) by meeting a brilliant Ian Caldwell cross at the right post and tucking in his long-sought goal.

One more sub got into the game in the last five minutes as Benny Gantrish made his varsity debut, earning bragging rights over his two older brothers.  The speedy sophomore had just completed a MVP season with the Marauder Reserve team, and was rewarded for his full-out dedication and positive attitude, and also for leading the team in scoring.  He looked right at home with classmates Will Smith,  Jake Acker and Marcus Helble, who nearly collected his first goal with a nicely-created shot opportunity.

Now it's time for the Marauders to defend their State Championship.  They have taken a different trajectory this season, but their aim has been true, and they find themselves in a position to make a serious bid to get back to the final four.  They have learned a lot of hard lessons and grown a great deal. They will bring well-earned confidence and uncharacteristic humility to the task, but they know for certain that they are among the best teams in the state. They fear no one.  First up will probably be Manchester Memorial on Wednesday, although the game time has yet to be set. 

If the Marauders play Memorial in the opening round, it will be the second year in a row that they have opened with the Crusaders.  They would do well to remember last year,  After beating Memorial easily in the regular season, they were sluggish in the tournament opener, conceding the first goal before winning 3-1.  Hanover beat Memorial 3-0 three weeks ago, but they saw enough skill and organization to keep them from any sort of overconfidence.

When the Marauders practiced at The Pasture on Monday to prepare for their mud bowl adventure at Alvirne, it was their unstated find hope that they were done with playing on grass for the rest of the season.  That wish has come true.  It's all turf, all the time from now on for Hanover. It's getting cold.  Halloween is coming.  This is their time of year.

Reserves Play Two Wet and Wild Games to Finish the Season

The Marauders Reserves squeezed in their final two games of the season despite the prevailing rainy conditions, losing 2-1 to the KUA Junior Varsity 2 team on Wednesday, and tying Newport 4-4 on Thursday.

On Wednesday, Hanover showed their toughness once again against a strong KUA JV 2 team. Facing off on the Merriman-Branch turf field under the light sprinkles of rain, Hanover had a strong showing with 24 players dressed to play. Both teams started the game hard and fast, as the ball moved much quickly on the wet turf. KUA netted the first goal in the tenth minute,  forced through on a low cross. Hanover was quick to answer scoring in the thirteenth minute from Francesco Navarro delivered from Benny Gantrish and Kaz Matsouka. After making a good run,  Kaz found Benny off the 18. Benny drew the defense and found Francesco holding the line, and he buried it on the right side. Not more than two minutes later, Arturo Johnson would make the save of the match, sprawling out to save a ball to his right and keeping the game knotted at 1-1. The first half continued to have more scoring chances with Hanover earning a free kick off the outside of the 18 yard box. A good kick was nearly netted by Gabe Loud, but couldn't knock it through the keeper. KUA would continue to apply its pressure, and forced the ball through our defense to net one with five minutes to play in the half.

After returning from the halftime break, both teams battled hard through the middle third of the field. Hanover would take its best chances on some long through balls. Both Kaz Matsuoka and Austen Thum would make great runs on balls from Tenzin Tashi and Sam Waite. The best chance Hanover would have would be in the fifty-sixth minute on yet another free kick off the edge of the 18. Taken by Benny Gantrish,  it sailed right to the area in front of the back post. Alassandro Vasconi would head it right under the cross bar bouncing to the ground. The ball got knocked around the mixer but Hanover could not net one to tie. Hanover would continue to pressure send up outside backs, but could not net an equalizer. The match ended 1-2, with the lights and players glowing.

The Reserves would conclude with a wild match in the occasional heavy rain on Thursday against Newport. The Dresden fields were sodden and wet from all the rain the last two days, but the game was able to kick off in just a light drizzle. Both teams would find their footing quickly though. Newport took a long shot from 22 yards out and scored eight minutes into the game. Hanover would respond right away, scoring a minute later.  Benny Gantrish made the run onto the 18 on a ball from Gabe Loud, and found the first of his four goals. Gantrish would score again in four minutes later after Jonathan Klotz took the ball down to the touch line and passed it to him. Benny would continue his torrid pace by scoring another at the sixteen-minute mark after another good through ball from outside the penalty area. Newport would answer after Gantrish had earned his hat trick, narrowing the score to 3-2.  Benny continued to his nose for the the net by making a diagonal run onto the 18 where Adam found him. Benny blasted it hard and high through the jumping goalkeeper's hands. Arturo Johnson would make a great diving save to keep the 4-2 lead into the half.

Newport's hard,  aggressive play earned them a goal six minutes into the second half, tackling the ball off Arturo and rolling it into the net.  The field conditions were slippery and both teams were slip sliding around. The game became a drudgery in the middle third with both teams pushing on each other's 18 yard lines. Unfortunately Newport put a hard slippery ball just off through Johnson two minutes from the end of the match.  The game would end 4-4 with the skies setting along with the season.

Hard fought and well played
Season never to forget
Let's do it next year!

Coach Willie

Freshmen Finish on a High Note, Beating Keene 2-1

The Marauder Freshmen ended their season on a high note Tuesday, traveling to Keene and beating the host team 2-1.  The Blackbirds got off to a quick start and caught Hanover napping in the second minute of the game, scoring on a 25-yard blast to take a 1-0 lead.  From there, the Marauder defense shut Keene down, with Daniel Pinigin  stepping into the center back role without missing a beat.  Maxwell Wonsavage had his best game of the season at outside back.

After several near misses in the first half, Caleb Putnam found his touch on a through ball from Sam Pych and tied the game at 1-1.  Less than two minutes later, Pych went on one of his patented twisting runs from midfield and put Hanover ahead to stay.  Brook Leigh and Lincoln Adam kept the pressure on up to for the rest of the game, and Harris LaRock in goal cleaned up a number of through balls.  Benjamin Parrado was a force all game long in the midfield.

The young Marauders have several important tasks to accomplish as they make the transition to the off season.  By the end of the week, all game and practice uniforms need to be turned in to the HHS Athletic Office, washed, folded, bagged and labeled.  More importantly, it is crucial that for the next four weeks they establish a productive routine for the "found" after school time no longer occupied by practice.  For many, the afternoon hours can now become a valuable block of time for homework.  This time cannot be wasted hanging out.  Please be intentional about this.

After two days of hunkering down in the rain, the team is cordially invited to have a reunion in the stands on Friday at 4:00 to watch the final Varsity regular season home game of the year against Dover.  Rumor has it that Coach Edson will be there to lay some wisdom on you.

Finally, all team members and their families are cordially invited to the four-team Soccer Celebration  at HHS on Thursday, November 13th, beginning at 6:30 p.m. in the Gym with the famous Dessert Potluck.  Bring one dessert and then sample four others (having eaten supper first)!  Follow dessert each team will have a short awards ceremony (coaches are limited to 10 minutes).  Then, we will all move to the Gym for the annual Music Recital.  You will be amazed by the varsity and quality of music from within the soccer program.  And we are specifically looking for volunteers from the Freshman team to play.  If you have a recital piece prepared, please consider volunteering.

Congratulations to Coach Edson and the team for a productive, cohesive and valuable team experience.

Alvirne Shocks Marauders in Overtime, 3-2

For 46 minutes, the match between Hanover and Alvirne bore a remarkable resemblance to last year's NHIAA Division One Championship game.  Just like last November, the Marauders scored a well-made goal in the first half and then doubled the lead early in the second half.  That's when Hanover suddenly dissolved in the rain, looking for all the world like the Wicked Witch of the West in the Wizard of Oz: "I'm melting!  I'm melting!  What a world!"  Alvirne scored twice in 67 seconds to tie the match, and eventually won the game 3-2 in the first overtime.  It was a bitter loss the the Marauders, their second sudden death defeat of the season. 

The loss drops Hanover's record to 11-4-1 with only Friday's regular season finale with Dover remaining.  They sit in a fifth-place tie with Exeter (4-2 losers to Salem on Tuesday), and will need Concord to lose one of their two remaining matches if they hope to slide into fourth place in the Division One standings, and secure the possibility of a second-round home game in the NHIAA playoffs.

The match started with sunny skies and equally bright play from the Marauders, who dominated the match in the early going.  Hanover's standard kickoff play worked like clockwork, and resulted in a shot on goal by Tim Alibozek after only 17 seconds.  Hanover continued to apply the pressure, and only a spectacular save by Alvirne goalkeeper Jake Schofield foiled a pont-blank shot by Alibozek.
Hanover created three corner kicks, and would eventually outshoot the Broncos 9-4.

Sixteen minutes into the half, the Marauders jumped out to a 1-0 lead when Jonah Levine hit a through ball to Jamie Dinulos, who sprinted onto a gap in the Alvirne defense and beat Schofield cleanly with a shot to the corner for his third goal of the season.  Alvirne dug in and countered a few minutes later, with Bronco Captain Matt Lubinski breaking in alone on Konrad Mitchell, who was as quick as a big pink bunny to make a nice diving save.

Hanover had a great chance to take a 2-0 lead near the end of the half when Asa Berolzheimer was pulled down in the Bronco penalty area.  This is the exact quote from the official when he placed the ball for the free kick outside the penalty area:  "It wasn't that bad a foul, so I'm moving it outside."  Berolzheimer's ensuing free kick, strong but not quite as dangerous as a penalty shot, was saved by Schofield.  Minutes later at the other end, Mitchell came hopping off his line to sprawl at Lubinski's feet for another big save, and the half ended with Hanover on top.

The rains came during halftime, but the precipitation didn't seem to bother the Marauders, who doubled their lead in the seventh minute of the second half.  Jonah Levine worked free on the edge of the area after some nice work by Tim Alibozek, now playing in back for the injured Andrew Kazal.  Levine's centering pass found Berolzheimer, who worked free for a shot that beat Schofield to the left corner for his seventh goal of the season.

They say that a 2-0 lead is the most difficult one in soccer.  They're right.  There was no specific breakdown by the Marauders, but less than eight minutes after Alvirne lined up to kick off with a 2-0 deficit, the match was tied.  The first Bronco goal was the result of some nice passing between center forward Brett Richardson and Postgraduate Fellow Raul Stedile.  Richardson penetrated the Hanover penalty area, drew a defender, and dished to Stedile, who found the right corner of the net.  67 seconds later the Marauders gave up a soft goal, when Lubinski raced past his marker on the right flank and hit a bad angle shot that Mitchell boxed into the net.

To Hanover's great credit, they didn't  wilt when they had every right to. They tightened their defense, and resolutely regained their momentum on the attack.  Asa Berolzheimer just missed connecting with a chance for a clean header, and Noah Kahan made a dangerous run into the box for a shot that was saved by Schofield.  Anthony Olivera countered with a long, low shot that Mitchell scooped up in the dangerous slippery conditions.

With time winding down in regulation, each team had a golden opportunity to score.  Noah Kahan made another great run into the box and had Schofield dead to rights, but he hit the right upright with his well-timed shot.  Minutes later, Alvirne was gifted a free kick at the edge of the box, and Stedile, perhaps the best free kick taker in the state, set up for his chance at glory.  He hit a bending shot over the wall and headed for the upper right corner, but Mitchell used all of his athleticism to make a spectacular dive to his right to punch the ball away.

For the fifth time this season, the Marauders headed into overtime.  Having won their last two sudden death matches against strong opposition, they had reason to be confident, and it showed.  They held an edge in play, and once again almost say Berolzheimer get open for a header in front of the goal.
Alvirne was also eager to go for the win, and with less than a minute to play in the first overtime, Anthony Holzhauser, one of nine seniors in the Bronco starting lineup, got loose on the right flank and hit a driven, perfectly-placed cross into the Hanover area, too far out for Mitchell to reach but right in the path of an onrushing Anthony Olivera, who volleyed the ball into the Hanover goal.

This was a heartbreaker for Hanover, but not a gamebreaker.  The last time the Marauders tasted overtime defeat, three weeks ago at Keene, it launched them on a five game winning streak.  The first step for a similar rebound will be Friday's Senior Night match against Dover.  Kickoff is at 4:00.

Junior Varsity Rallies Three Times to Tie Alvirne, 3-3

The Junior Varsity battled a strong Alvirne team and rainy, mussy conditions to forge a 3-3 tie on Tuesday afternoon.  The draw kept Hanover's unbeaten streak going, although their win streak was snapped at seven.

Alvirne jumped out to quick 1-0 lead after two minutes when goalkeeper Own Brooks misplayed a back pass.  The Marauders answered back less than seven minutes later when center back Brendan Amos carried the ball down the right side and centered it to Dan Healy, who interrupted his reverie about KFC long enough to volley it into the net.  Alvirne went back ahead midway through the first half, and held the 2-1 lead at halftime.

The threatened rain was a constant presence in the second half, soaking the players and the pitch to the extent that there was standing water in a number of spots.  The rain didn't dampen Hanover's eagerness to tie the score, however, and Robbie Murdza made a nice solo dash down the right side and beat the keeper to pull the Marauders back into a draw.

Midway through the second half, Alvirne took the lead for the third time, once again forcing Hanover to play catch-up.  Griffin Johnson obliged with ten minutes to play, hitting a free kick from outside the penalty area that beat the Bronco keeeper and tied the match at 3-3.  For the third year in a row,  Hanover and Alvirne battled in overtime, and despite the Marauder domination of both extra periods, the match ended in a soggy draw.  Now 11-3-1 on the season, Hanover returns home on Friday to face Dover at 4:00 before closing the season at the Division One state tournament in Nashua on Sunday.

Coach Callanan, who hates ties with a passion, was nevertheless pleased with his team's resilience.  He praised Casey Starr, the team's Swiss Army Knife  (put him anywhere, and he'll be sharp), and also cited Griffin Johnson and defenders Jack Pattison and Lucas Adams-Blackmore for their play.

Lost Cell Phone

Friends -  Particularly related to the Freshman team -  We are looking for Azor Goodwin's lost cell phone.  He had it on the bus to Cardigan Mountain School on Saturday, and it was gone when he came home.  We will be checking in with Cardigan, but hope you can keep an eye out.  It's an iPhone 5s in a black Otterbox.  Thanks!

Schedule Updates For the Week Ahead

There are several updates to the schedule with information that was not available Sunday when the weekly schedule was published.  The weekly schedule does contain all of these updates.

The Freshman team will make up the game at Keene on Tuesday, Oct. 21.  The team will be dismissed at 1:45, and the game will kick off at 4:00 in Keene.

The JV Tournament at Nashua is on Sunday, October 26.  The team will leave HHS at 7:45 Sunday morning.

The Reserve game on Wednesday will be at 4:00 on the HHS turf field against KUA.  That game will be played rain or shine.  The Varsity will practice on the turf after the Reserve game.

The Freshman and Reserve teams will turn in their uniforms two days after their final game.  All home and away uniforms (shirt, socks, pants) and practice shirts should be washed, folded, bagged and labeled.  The can be brought to the Athletic Office beginning on Wednesday, Oct. 22, and should be in by the end of the school day on Friday.  Freshmen and Reserves are cordially invited to the Varsity home game on Friday at 4:00 at the HHS turf against Dover.  It will be Senior Day, and we will honor the Seniors at halftime.

The Varsity will host a first-round playoff game on Wednesday, October, 29, with opponent and time to be announced.  Save the date!

Be sure to save the date of Thursday, November 13th at 6:30 for the annual four-team Soccer Celebration.  if you haven't been before, you will enjoy it.  We'll begin with the Famous Dessert Potluck Buffet, followed by the World's Shortest Sports Awards  (ten minutes per team - amazing), and finish with the annual Music Recital.  This year's recital will blow your mind.  There is a LOT of musical talent scattered among the four teams. 

Game and Practice Schedule Oct. 20 - 25

Monday, Oct. 20

3:40 p.m.             Practice Bus Departs for Dresden Fields

4:00 – 5:30           Regular Practice for all teams at Dresden Fields

Tuesday, Oct. 21

1:15 p.m.             Varsity-JV Bus Departs for Alvirne

1:45 p.m.             Freshman bus Departs for Keene

3:40 p.m.             Practice Bus Departs for Dresden Fields

4:00 p.m.             Varsity and JV games at Alvirne

4:00 p.m.              Freshman Game at Keene

4:00 – 5:30           Regular practice for  Reserves at Dresden

Wednesday, Oct. 22

3:00 p.m.             Practice Bus Departs for Dresden Fields

4:00 p.m.             Reserve Game vs. Kimball Union at HHS turf

3:15 – 4:45           Regular practice for JV -  No Freshman Practice

5:30 - 7:00          Varsity Practice at HHS Turf

Thursday, Oct. 23

3:40 p.m.             Practice Bus Departs for Dresden Fields

4:00 – 5:30           Regular practice for JV at Dresden

4:30 p.m.             Reserve Game vs. Newport at Dresden

5:00 – 6:30           Varsity Practice – HHS turf

Friday, Oct. 24

4:00  p.m.            Varsity and JV Home Games vs. Dover  (Senior Night for         Varsity at Halftime)

                 

Sunday, Oct. 26

7:45                    JV Bus Departs for Nashua JV Tournament

        

Looking ahead:

Wed. Oct. 29        Varsity Home Playoff Game -  HHS Turf – Time TBA

Freshmen Fall 5-1 to Cardigan

The Freshmen made their annual trip to Cardigan for their Parents' Weekend game last Saturday, and lost a well-played 5-1 match to their most skilled and athletic opponent.


 Sam Pych scored off a give and go from Caleb Putnam two minutes into the match. The Marauders played well, but were overmatched for the bulk of the match. Harris LaRock kept the score from being far worse with his excellent play in goal.  Lincoln Adam had a good game at wing.  Sawyer Hanlon, David Wilson and Ben Parrado were solid in the middle of the defense for Hanover

The team will practice on Monday, awaiting word on the status of their potentially rescheduled game with Keene.  Stay tuned for details. 

Junior Varsity Topples Timberlane, 6-0

On a fall afternoon that refused to cede the summer warmth, the giant sized Timberline JV team came to Hanover for a lead up to the varsity’s later Homecoming game.  The visitors fell behind early and further behind as the half and the game progressed.  Hanover is clearly on a roll, playing the way Coach Callanan predicted over a month ago, when he mystically predicted that this team's highest moments were in front of them and he felt good about the final half of the schedule and a strong tournament showing.  This win was the 7^th straight for Hanover, and this was the best game from both a defensive blanketing and consistent offensive tsunami.

Early on Robbie Murdza deftly crossed the ball to a very open Jack Hazard, who stepped up into the open space and calmly sent the ball to rest in the back of the net for a 1- 0 lead.  With Coach Callanan substituting freely, at the 20 minute mark a high bouncing ball was headed to the far post off the able foot of Hazard, where defenseman Lucas Adams-Blackmore put his head on it for the second Hanover goal.  2 – 0  Hanover.

The Marauders continued to send good shots toward the adept Timberline goalie that were either just off the mark or knocked down by the visiting keeper.  Harry Olszewski in our goal was well protected, and no attempts were close enough to warrant Harry’s attention.

Murdza used his speed to bring himself into position to present a strong shot into the beckoning white nets for goal number three, and the game was starting to have that runaway feeling.  The half ended with an asserting miss, off a beautiful exchange, with a combination started by Ingio Panos, only a small part of Ingio’s solid overall game.

Callanan dialed in his “blitz” plan to orchestrate the early first half score, and the boys from Hanover, in snazzy home whites, scored again to make it 4 – 0 at the second half’s outset.  An all out offensive barrage is part of the blitz, with the vastly improved defense holding back enough to protect, even without the midfield protection.  This fourth goal was indeed sweet, with Ingio sending the ball to George Geraghty, who quickly sent the ball to Hazard, with Jack sending a through ball to DanMan Healy, who fed a blazing Robbie Murdza for a well executed net ripper. 

Then Healy scored, after a lovely, unselfish series of passes that fan and soccer aficionado Brett Wanner complimented by reference to  “Brazilian beach soccer”. The whole defense looked like a brick wall, led by Panos.  The keepers, in this case, Owen Brooks, had little to do other than try to look intimidating.  Adam Mendelsohn was back on the pitch after a two game absence from illness, with his first touch being brilliant, a through pass that Yedne Atkins buried for the goal.   The home team led by 5 – 0, but the show was not over.

For the sophomores, the plucky striker Luke Messersmith ripped one that hit the cross bar about as hard as Luke landed on the sod, getting up a bit slowly from him near miss.  Griffin Johnson looked dangerous, and Sander Macaulay covered space deep into midfield while choosing simple quick passes to move the ball forward.  Griffin Johnson scored the sixth and final goal on a play that was a carbon copy of the narrow angle goal in the previous game.  Coach Callanan, and the usual suspects of fans in the stands, called this one the best game yet, as Hanover plays know they can compete come tournament time, regardless of the opponent.

Another clean match, and the boys exited after the congratualtions across the field, with the feeling of a good team that doesn’t shy away for physical play, but with great sportsmanship across the board.  Coach leads by example, with 40-something years of coaching without ever drawing a card of any color.  Good stuff!

The Marauders have two more regular season games.  Hanover faces Alvirine on the road Tuesday at 4:00, then hosts the final home regular season game against Dover Friday, at 4:00.  

On Sunday, the team will travel to Nashua for the annual JV Tournament.  Departure is early 7:45 Sunday morning.  Stay tuned for details.

Reserves Tie Souhegan 1-1

After losing 5-0 to Souhegan earlier in the season, The Marauder Reserves stepped up on Saturday and battled the Sabers to a 1-1 tie.  After a long delay and warming up in the rain, Souhegan arrived 30 minutes after kick off time. The rain stopped just in time for a 2:15 kick off.

Hanover started with great pressure in the first half with shots on goal from Benny Gantrish, Francesco Navarro, and Tenzin Tashi. The Souhegan keeper was able to close out on the Marauder shooters and ran down many of the Hanover through balls.  The Marauder defense was able keep Souhegan off the score sheet in the first half,  and the teams went into the break with the score knotted at 0-0.

Souhegan netted the first goal of the match on a header off a cross to the six yard box five minutes into the half. Hanover responded eight minutes later on the foot of Tenzin Tashi. After Francesco Navarro played a long ball wide to the left, Joseph Glock passed it to the open Tenzin,  waiting at the penalty dot. Tenzin beat the goalie to the left as he lost his footing. The game would finish many scoring chances from both sides. Gabe Loud nearly finished on a free kick from Benny Gantrish. Arturo Johnson saved a shot on a free kick from just outside the 18 yard line to keep the game tied with six minutes left. The game would end in a 1-1 tie. 


Hanover hosts Kimball Union Academy on Wednesday at 3:30, and will then close the season with the rescheduled home game against Newport on Thursday at 3:30.

Happy Homecoming! Mauarders Dump Timberlane in Overtime

The Marauders took full advantage of a large and boisterous Homecoming crowd to play their best soccer of the season, taking down undefeated and top-ranked Timberlane 1-0 in sudden death overtime.  Ian Caldwell celebrated his birthday in fine style, volleying home a corner kick from Avery Kravitz eight minutes into sudden death overtime.  The win was the fifth in a row for Hanover, which solidified its playoff position and served notice to the rest of Division One that they intend to defend their state title with vigor.

Timberlane rode into town on the strength of  12-game unbeaten streak, and was coming off of a dramatic 1-0 win last Tuesday over second-seeded Alvirne.  They challenged the Marauders in a back-and-forth scoreless first half.  The second half was a different story.  Hanover started playing downhill, outshooting the Owls 8-1 and lunching seven corner kicks, many of the creating dangerous scoring opportunities.  Combining superb defense and goalkeeping with a precise passing game, the Marauders carried the momentum into their fourth overtime game of the season and second in eight days, and cashed in their eleventh corner mick of the match, delighting the huge, black-clad crowd.

Hanover opened the game with a slightly different lineup, with center back Max Greenwald absent due to a barbershop commitment.  No, not for a shave and a haircut. The musical kind of barbershop. Key of H at some sort of national competition. Caldwell slid back into the back four and contributed to a seamless defensive performance.  Goalkeeper Konrad Mitchell finally got to strut his stuff, making a crucial first-half save on a close-range shot from Timberlane striker Cam Donnolly, eliciting cheers from the German Big Band, perched in front row seats and teaching their American hosts a thing or two about how to support the home team.

Hanover had several good looks in the first half, the closest of which was a header from Caldwell off of a corner kick that was headed inside the far post before it was headed off the line by Owl midfielder Christina Dallaire.  Andrew Kazal, who has been playing superb soccer in recent games, sent several crosses into dangerous areas, but was unable to connect with Jake Acker on a particularly tantalizing one.

Most of the dialogue at halftime was how to take care of matters in the defensive end.  Although the Marauders may have appeared to be controlling the match, they took the Timberlane threat seriously, and made some important adjustments to limit the Owl counterattacks.  It didn't take long for Hanover to impose themselves offensively, however.  Jamie Dinulos was a constant threat on the left flank, constantly beating defenders and making dangerous runs to the goal.  He beat goalie Matt Rose on one of these runs, but his goal-bound shot was cleared off the line by defender Galen Morrill.

Asa Berolzheimer hit a long range free kick that was tipped over the bar by Rose, who also made several acrobatic plays to punch the ball clear on threatening Marauder corner kicks.  Hanover had been working all season on corners, and they were particularly potent as afternoon turned into evening and the lights began to blaze over Merriman-Branch field.  Berolzheimer and Dinulos came close on several short corners, and both Jake Acker and Josh Wallace authored dangerous inswingers from the right corner.  Noah Kahan, playing the best soccer of his career, hit a turnaround shot from outside the penalty area that sailed just over the top.

Timberlane only had one shot in the second half, but it was a dandy.  On a rare foray into the Hanover end, Owl striker Matt Salais found room to hit a shot that was headed to the upper left corner of the Marauder goal.  Konrad Mitchell mustered all of his athleticism to make a spectacular dive to corral the ball and keep the match scoreless.

As the clock wound down and the tension increased, Caldwell had two sparkling opportunities miss the mark.  He had a shot ticketed for the goal that was deflected over the top by a Timberlane defender, and pushed yet another corner kick conversion just wide.  Despite playing further back all evening long, Caldwell was Hanover's most consistent offensive threat, and he would be heard from one more time.

Huddling before the start of overtime, the Marauders doubled down on offense.  Confident in their ability to deal with any Timberlane counterattacks, they committed to going for the win, and set up shop in the Owl end of the field.  With two minutes to go in the first overtime, they earned their season-high eleventh corner kick, and it fell to Avery Kravitz to take it.  It was a moment for which he had practiced assiduously, and as his German houseguests raised the roof at the other end of the field, Kravitz quickly hit a driven ball that met Caldwell at the near post. Bucket drove the ball into the net, setting off a wild celebration that turned into a rolling celebration when Caldwell broke free of his mates and led a victory lap past the cheering throngs.

Hanover won't have much time to celebrate their victory.  Next Tuesday, they head to Hudson for a showdown with an excellent Alvirne team that is still stinging from their loss to the Marauders in the NHIAA finals last November.  The Broncos have had another great season, and sit a notch higher than Hanover in the Division One standings.  They lost to Timberlane last Tuesday, but bounced back with an important 2-1 win over Bedford on Friday.  "This is a great time of year," commented Coach Grabill.  "All of the top teams are playing each other in the last two weeks, and no one has any idea what the final standings will look like.  We have our fate in our own hands, however.  If we play well in our final two games, we have a chance for a few more home games in the tournament."  Given their success in this most recent home match, that should work well for the Marauders.  It took them four years to get a Homecoming game, but it was worth the wait.

Game Times For Homecoming Weekend

Just so that we can all be on the same page, here are the game times for all of the Homecoming Weekend games:

Friday

4:45 -  Junior Varsity vs. Timberlane

5:00 -  Varsity vs. Timberlane  (Please bring food items for the Haven)

Saturday

1:30 -  Reserves vs. Souhegan

3:00 -  Freshmen at Cardigan Mountain School  (Bus at 1:45)

(Cardigan is also having a food drive, so if you can bring a few food items to the game, it would be greatly appreciated!)

Thursday Reserve Game Postponed

The Reserve soccer game with Newport scheduled with Newport has been postponed.  Stay tuned for updates.  There will be no Reserve , JV or Freshman practice today.

Undermanned Reserves Fall to Kimball Union, 7-3

The Hanover reserve team put forth a valiant effort against KUA's undefeated JV 2 team. Traveling with just eleven players, Hanover was put to its greatest test thus far in the season. Not being daunted by facing a squad of 22, the reserve team elected to field a full squad the entire match, with no substitutions.

Hanover was able to strike first in the 15th minute. After a corner in from Sam Lutz, Joseph Glock wound up and struck the ball. The ball would glance off Gwynn's head and Kaz's arm before trickling in though the five hole of the keeper. The goal was allowed despite the errant arm of Matsuoka, given its unintentional manner. KUA would capitalize just three minutes later on a shot outside the 18 that just ricocheted off the bottom off the cross bar. KUA kept pressure on Hanover's tiring players by substituting full groups of ten on and off regularly, and led 4-1 come half time.

Never shying away from the challenge Hanover continued to play without substation for the second half. KUA scored another two goals before Kaz Matsuoka would net the first of his two second half goals. The first was created by Joseph playing a ball back to Liam Abbate, who cranked a ball up to Sam Lutz. Lutz played the perfect through ball to Kaz who beat the keeper with a low hard ball to the right. Kaz would score again four minutes later with Sam and Benny playing the ball up. Kaz dribbled hard at a defender only to win the tackle himself and was once again alone in on goal. KUA would wrap up the scoring with a final shot from the 18 into the side netting in the last five minutes.

Despite the lopsided result of 7-3, Hanover truly out preformed expectations given the circumstances. Arturo Johnson had more saves than goals allowed, including a spectacular diving save to his right in the second half. All eleven deserve mention given there dedication to playing. So Liam Abbate, Benjamin Gantrish, Joseph Glock, Gwynn Granizo-Mackenzie, Kaz Matsuoka, Hayden Hatfield, Arturo Johnson, Ryan Kynor, Gabe Loud, Sam Lutz, and Daniel Wilson, you gave it your all and put forth an effort that I could only hope for. You not only impressed my but the opposing coach, and the officials as well.

Let's see what we can do tomorrow!  (And since rain is in the forecast, stay tuned for updates!)

Marauders Beat Winnacunnet 3-1; Face Homecoming Showdown

The Marauders took care of business on a warm Tuesday afternoon , beating visiting Winnacunnet for 2-1 for their fourth win in a row.  Hanover is now 9-3-1 and slides into a fourth-place tie with Exeter and Concord in the NHIAA Division One standings.  With games upcoming against the top two teams in the standings, their fate in firmly in their hands.

It didn't take long for Hanover to jump on top of Winnacunnet, which rolled into town as winners of three of their last four games.  Jamie Dinulos set up the goal, racing past Warrior defender Thomas Vincent on the left flank and hitting a sweet centering pass to Seth Stadheim, who one-timed it into the next for his second goal of the season.  The Marauders nearly doubled the lead a few minutes later when Andrew Kazal drove a sweet cross across the face of the goal, but Tim Slibozek couldn't convert the sitter. 

Hanover's pressure continued throughout the half, and shortly after the first wave of subs took the pitch, the Marauders doubled the lead.  Kazal hit another cross from the left side, and when Winnacunnet goalie Nick Seta was unable to handle it cleanly, Noah Kahan pounced on the ball and rolled it past the right post for his third goal in four games. 

Up until this point, Hanover had completely bottled up their visitors from the Seacoast, winning balls at midfield courtesy of the trio of Berolzheimer, Levine and Caldwell,  and getting excellent back line passing from Strohbehn, Greenwald, Kelly and Kazal.  Pressing for a third goal, the Marauders fell victim to some excellent counterattacking play, and surrendered a well-made goal on Winnacunnet's one offensive thrust of the game.  Senior striker Andrew Soderberg took a ball at midfield and hit a lead pass to Ben Cranford, who found some space outside the Hanover penalty area and hit a once-in-a-lifetime chip over Konrad Mitchell with then minutes to play in the half.

Hanover continued to attack with urgency, and had three great looks before the half ended.  Seth Stadheim hit a deflected shot from in close that grazed the goalpost, Asa Berolzheimer struck a good-looking free kick just over the crossbar, and Cian Kelly crushed a bad-angle shot from the right side that forced Seta to make a quality save.

The Marauders were all business at the start of the second half, and quickly re-established their two-goal lead, scoring before two minutes had elapsed.  Some good combination play gave Stadheim some room in the corner, and he hit a soft centering pass that hugged the endline.  Tim Alibozek got to the ball before two Winnacunnet defenders and quickly redirected it in front to Dinulos, who cashed in at short range for his second goal of the season. 

There were 38 minutes to play, but the Marauders took any suspense out of the match, completely dominating possession and territory.  Hanover outshot Winnacunnet 10-1, took four more corner kicks while not conceding a single one, and saw five or six good scoring chances just miss the mark.  More importantly, the Marauders accomplished this using every healthy field player.  Having decided at the start to play a high pressure game and flaunt their depth, Hanover made the tactic work with players shuttling in and out of the game.  In all honesty, the quality of play increased as the half wore on, a testament to the quality of play by Jake Acker, Marcus Helble, Will Smith, Avery Kravitz, Henry Allison, Adam Pikelny, Noah Kahan and Keeper Patrick Logan.

Now, Hanover turns its attention to a Homecoming matchup on Friday at 5:00 against undefeated Timberlane.  The Owls are the top team in Division One with a 10-0-2 record, and are coming off  of a 1-0 overtime road win against a strong Alvirne team.  The Owls will be in the midst of their toughest stretch of games, but have developed a great deal of chemistry and confidence, and present the biggest challenge of the season thus far for the Marauders.  The last time Timberlane lost a game was last October, at Merriman-Branch Field, when Hanover dumped them 4-1 in the NHIAA quarterfinals.  In all likelihood, a quarterfinal home game is at stake for the Marauders in Friday's game.  These are the games that high school athletes dream about:  top teams, high stakes, and a huge Homecoming crowd on a warm fall evening.  If both teams are able to rise to the occasion, it will be a night to remember.

Junior Varsity Beats Winnacunnet 2-1; Six Wins in a Row

On a perfect warm autumn day, the Hanover JV team greeted the Winnacunnet visitors to their home grass, and played a game that was pretty one sided in all aspects other than the score, as the Marauders squeaked out a 2 – 1 win.  This was the sixth straight for Hanover, running their record to 10 – 3, with last loss on September 23.  No loss has been by more than one goal, and with a few small breaks, the record could be even better than the current 10 – 3.

On this perfect soccer day, the sophomore group was particularly dominant, taking seven corner kicks in the first 20 minutes, to none for the visitors, but alas, none were converted.  But, the recently resurgent Griffin Johnson found the ball loose on the left side, and from 25 feet he let one fly hard and true, fluffing the nets of the lower right side for the first goal of the game. 

Luke Messersmith received some harsh physical treatment, hit the ground hard a few times, but bravely soldiered on.  Casey Starr pulled off a deft step over, then just sailed a left footed attempt, then just missed from long range, followed by Alvaro Cooper’s great shot from the middle of the field that was saved point blank.  A Winnacunnet jailbreak occurred through the previously airtight middies and defensemen, but Sander Macaulay thwarted the run with some hustle from his offensive line when needed. 

The juniors entered at the 20 minute mark of the first half.  It already felt like the lead should be greater, as Griffin  Johnson had laid out seven corner kicks on the mark without any serious finishing from the white lads in the box, compared to zero corners for Winnacunnet.  The juniors attacked early, which paid off on a sweet exchange between Dan Healy to Robbie Murdza, back to Dan that Healy, who buried from close in for a 2 – 0 lead.

Then Winnacunnet snuck in a goal, when keeper Harry Olszewski leaped to make a save, but the ball squirted through his fine attempt and the lead was cut in half, at 2 – 1.  The Mauarders had some good chances that just missed, with George Geraghty’s shot from close in just sliding off to the right, and Murdza just missing high at the half’s end.

The sophomore side started the second half relentlessly, sending shot after shot towards the goal, many of which were close but without their final destination being discovered.  Messersmith rocketed his signature left foot shot on the run that just missed off the left post, followed soon thereafter my another pretty near miss from Griffin, then a second near miss from the flying Johnson.  In the meantime the defense continued to play airtight, keeping the visitors at bay, with Cooper and Starr causing Winnacunnet fits, redirecting and keeping the ball moving in the right direction. It still seemed like Hanover would break this game wide open.

But Winnacunnet stuck around, and the juniors' second half entry was without much action.  Addison Wanner played sound technical defense, along with good stops and clearing the ball upfield from Jack Pattison, and good saves from Owen Brooks, and the game stayed at 2 – 1.  Some good chances on corners for the visitors came up empty, fortunately for Hanover.  The whistle finally blew, and the fans exhaled. Everyone, including Coach Callanan, thought it was closer than it should have been, but it was a win nonetheless.

Next game is Homecoming afternoon, at Hanover, against Timberlane.  See you then.

Homecoming Weekend Updates: Reserve Game Time Changed

The Reserve game against Souhegan on Saturday, Oct. 18 has been changed from 11:00 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. to allow players to take the PSAT exams that morning.  We hope that this will allow the pizza party to take place after the game as planned!  Stay tuned!

The Varsity will host undefeated (as of Tuesday) and top-ranked Timberlane on Friday at 5:00 p.m. as a feature game on Homecoming Weekend.  (This is a nice change from three straight years of playing road games on Homecoming weekend, lest anyone representing other fall sports tells you how unfair it is for soccer to have Friday Night Lights.

In addition to  being one of the most compelling games of the entire NHIAA Division One regular season, the game will present an opportunity for all of us to support The Haven.  We will once again be sponsoring a  food drive for the Haven, and encourage everyone (players, parents, alumni and fans) to bring non-perishable food items to the game.  We are also hoping that you will consider tax-deductible cash donations.  Last month's Go Orange promotion realized more than $2,000.  We learned form Lori Lounsbury at The Haven that this specific contribution allowed every family to have fresh eggs for an entire month. The donor who matched our contributions dollar for dollar last month has extended that offer.  Each donation we receive will be doubled!  We will happily be collecting checks at the food table and the snack shack during Friday's game.  Thanks for your help!

Game and Practice Schedule Oct. 13-18

Monday, Oct. 13

3:00 – 4:45           Varsity Practice at HHS  Turf

Tuesday, Oct. 14

3:40 p.m.             Practice Bus Departs for Dresden Fields

4:00 p.m.             Varsity and JV Home Games vs. Winnacunnet

4:00 – 5:30           Regular practice for  Freshmen and Reserves at Dresden

Wednesday, Oct. 15

3:00 p.m.             Practice Bus Departs for Dresden Fields

3:00 p.m.             Reserve Bus Departs for KUA

3:15 – 4:45           Regular practice for JV -  No Freshman Practice

4:00 – 5:30           Varsity Practice at Dresden Fields

4:30 p.m.             Reserve Game at KUA

Thursday, Oct. 16

3:40 p.m.             Practice Bus Departs for Dresden Fields

4:00 – 5:30           Regular practices for JV, and Freshmen at Dresden

4:30 p.m.             Reserve Game vs. Newport at Dresden

7:30 – 9:00           Varsity Practice at  HHS Turf

Friday, Oct. 17

3:40 p.m.             Practice Bus Departs for Dresden Fields

4:45 p.m.             JV Home Game vs. Timberlane

4:00 – 5:30           Regular practice for Freshmen and Reserves at Dresden

5:00 p.m.             Varsity Home game vs. Timberlane

Saturday, Oct. 18

9:30 – 12:00         Varsity Public Service at The Haven

1:30  p.m.            Reserve Game vs. Souhegan at Dresden

1:45 p.m.             Freshman  Bus Departs for Cardigan

3:00 p.m.             Freshman Game at Cardigan Mountain School

                           (Bring non-perishable food for Cardigan Food Drive)

        

Looking ahead:

Tue. Oct. 21         Varsity and JV Games at Alvirne  4:00

Wed. Oct. 22        Reserve Game vs. KUA – 4:30 on HHS Turf

Reserves On a Roll, Beat Mount Royal Academy 2-0

Hanover donned their fresh yellows to play the visiting red Mt. Royal Academy of Sunapee, NH, and earned a satisfying 2-0 victory. With both teams arriving in personal vehicles rather than bus, there was quite the fanfare for the game. It was also a pleasant to see former reserve coach, Brian Benoit, officiating the game. The game kicked off with sunny weather and cool fall conditions on a holiday Friday.

  Hanover started with possession of the ball and were able to advance field position quickly. Using their disciplined passing structure of short to long, fullbacks and midfielders have been able to keep the attacking third. This created the first of Hanover's goals. After collecting the ball from the midfield, Tenzin Tashi possessed the ball on the eighteen where he was tackled off the ball. Francesco Navarro won possession and took a cool collected touch to his left before blasting it with his right foot to beat the keeper in the 10th minute.  It wasn't long before Hanover struck again in the 23rd minute on the foot of Alassandro Vasconi. On a ball that squeaked through after an interplay on the left side, Alassandro found himself open with no one on his shooting foot and buried it from ten yards.

  Hanover's stingy defense and excellent goalkeeping allowed them to post their first shutout of the year. Anchored by Gabe Loud, the defense was able to create five offsides calls by keep form. Arturo Johnson had six saves in the goal, advanced on long through balls, and saw the ball to his chest on multiple long balls in. As a whole Hanover's team defense has been extraordinary in being able to maintain pressure on the opposition and maintain field position. Hanover only allowed one corner and took four, by being able to win the field position battle.

Avery Wallis had several standout plays defensively, including one where a Mount Royal striker beat an onrushing Johnson, but had his shot (probably headed to goal) cleared at the last minute.  Dimitri Somoff demonstrated great two way play, getting forward to support the offense by always making it back in time to defend.

Goalkeeper/Scribe Johnson commented, "Once again, Gabe Loud played like the wall he is, and Wilson Rimberg was always open for the play. Daniel Wilson (our newly instituted backup goalie), kept his role of defense yesterday, and maintained his position well, along with Gwynn Granizo-Mackenzie, who returned to the field after sitting out the KUA game due to an injury. Great teamwork in the midfield and on the front line also contributed strongly to our success."

   Other scoring chances included Kaz Matsuoka blasting on in the first half that sailed about three feet over the crossbar. There was an excellent ball to the eighteen from Sam Lutz that nearly found Benny Gantrish open to goal in the middle of the second half. Tenzin Tashi had a low hard ball saved by Mt. Royal's diving keeper shortly thereafter. Kaz would follow up with a late chance of flipping up the ball over the keep only to have it knocked aside.



The Marauders return to practice on Tuesday afternoon to prepare for their busiest week of the season, with three games, starting on Wednesday with a road trip to Kimball Union.

Statement Game: Marauders Beat Pinkerton 2-1 in 2d Overtime

Every season brings the possibility of  and opportunity for games which go beyond the normal levels of competition and excitement.  When two teams are good, and well-matched, and climbing in the standings, and when there is a lot at stake, sometimes the resulting match can provide the sort of drama that makes all of the effort poured into a season worthwhile.

Hanover was headed towards a workmanlike and well-earned win against a good Pinkerton Academy team on Friday, until the Astros struck with less than five minutes to play, and the game soon went to overtime.  The Marauders have not been fortunate in their two previous games with bonus soccer.  They experienced disappointment in a 1-1 draw with Bedford, and disaster in a 1-0 loss to Keene.  This time around, they found their best soccer of the season at the most crucial time and earned a 2-1 victory on a diving golden goal header by senior Noah Kahan.

The victory, Hanover's third in four days, vaulted the 8-3-1 Marauders over 8-4-1 Pinkerton into a tie with Exeter for fifth place in the NHIAA Division One standings, one notch below the coveted fourth-place slot that confers with it two home games in the playoffs.  There is still a lot of work left for the Marauders before they can begin thinking about the postseason, but Friday's win confirmed for them that they are relevant, and that they are allowed to dream.

A bit leg-weary at the tail end of their demanding week, Hanover nevertheless got off on the front foot in the first half at Pinkerton, and took a 1-0 lead in the 28th minute.  Jonah Levine was fouled at midfield, and quickly put the ball back into play, sending it to Jamie Dinulos on the left flank.  Dinulos was tackled on his way to the goal, but Hanover got their first corner kick.  It was easy to see that Pinkerton had been scouting the Marauders, since they sent two defenders to the ten-yard spot to prevent Dinulos and Asa Berolzheimer from their recently-effective "short corner" play.  No matter. Berolzheimer has also been on target with his longer serves, and he bent a driven ball into the Pinkerton box.  The serve just missed connecting with target man Luke Strohbehn, but it was poorly cleared to the feet of Ian Caldwell, who made no mistake in burying the ball for his third goal in three games.

Pinkerton had their moments in the first half. Their offensive pressure resulted in just two shots, but they forced six corner kicks, and only a resolute Marauder defense kept the Astros off the scoreboard.
Marauder goalkeeper Konrad Mitchell made a pair of excellent plays on the dangerous left-footed inswingers of talented striker Alex Ebner, and the back four of Strohbehn, Max Greenwald, Coan Kelly and Andrew Kazal had one of the best efforts of the season, owning the air, and collaborating on team defense with great balance and cover.

Hanover's second half was somewhat perfunctory.  They were busy enough containing Pinkerton to keep them from mounting much of a sustained attack, and most of the match was conducted at midfield, with neither team able to show much possession. As the clock would down inside of the final ten minutes, it was clear that the Marauders would be happy to circle the wagons and manage the match for a 1-0 road win.  Pinkerton had other ideas, however, and with less than five minutes to play they took advantage of a free kick on the left flank.  Ebner served a long ball across the face of the Hanover goal, and superb Astro midfielder Kyle Hicks met the ball at the far edge of the penalty area and headed it back into the middle.  Too many Hanover defenders had drifted to their left, and  attacker Cobi Moore found the space to head the ball home for the tying goal.

This was a watershed moment for the Marauders.  Would they be shellshocked to the extent of conceding another goal to the fired-up Astros?  Without much offensive momentum, would they be happy to grab a point and get through the week unbeaten, albeit blemished?  Too a man, Hanover chose the third alternative.  The final four minutes of regulation didn't yield much for either team, but once the overtime started, it was all Hanover.  The back four did a superb job bottling up Pinkerton, and the midfield began linking passes and spreading the ball in a cohesive attack.  Wingers Josh Wallace and Tim Alibozek contributed, and the Marauders began knocking on the door.

The first ten minutes of overtime waned quickly, and Hanover confidently lined up for the second ten, with fresh legs in the lineup:  Avery Kravitz, Jamie Dinulos and Noah Kahan up top.   Hanover defended Pinkerton's final corner kick, and then set up shot in the Astro end of the field.  Kahan pursued a Pinkerton defender toward his own goal, and when he coughed up a ball under the pressure, Kahan headed to goal and then laid a great pass across the face of the goal for Berolzheimer.
Asa's shot was deflected over the endline for a corner, only Hanover's second in the entire match.  Once again, the Marauders took full advantage.  Berolzheimer's corner nearly connected with Kahan, and Luke Strohbehn collected the loose ball and laid it back into the right corner.  Berolzheimer stayed onside and sent a brilliant ball back into the box.  Somehow, Kahan found an acre of room, and lunged forward for a diving header that hit the underside of the crossbar and down for the biggest goal of Hanover's season.

There won't be much time for Hanover to savor the win.  They return home to Merriman-Branch field for three of their next four games, starting on Tuesday with a 4:00 match against Winacunnet.  Looming a bit further down the road is Friday's Homecoming match against currently undefeated and top-ranked Timberlane. One step at a time, however.  The Marauders will be challenged to build on their successful week and continue to close the gap between where they are now and where they know they can be.

Bulletin - Freshman Game Saturday Cancelled

The Freshman game at Keene Saturday morning will not be played, due to a miscommunication between athletic departments.  Each team went to the others' home field.

This is despite the fact that I contacted our athletic department on Thursday and was told that the game was confirmed.

Nevertheless, the team is getting on the bus now  (10:40 a.m.)  and should be back in Hanover by 12:15.

I apologize for any inconvenience.

Junior Varsity Beats Pinkerton 2-1 For Fifth in a Row

It took a few hours for the Marauder JV to get on the field at Pinkerton on Friday, since they had to wait for the end of the Varsity's overtime victory, but it was worth the wait.  Hanover took advantage of two Robbie Murdza goals and great team defense to post a 2-1 win against one of the best teams in Division One.

Jumping onto the spacious Pinkerton pitch as the sun began to set, the Marauders took a 1-0 lead when Murdza took advantage of a bad touch by an Astro defender to steal the ball and deposit it for the only goal of the half.

A number of the Mauarders were missing due to illness or family plans, but the Left Behind bunch did a flawless job maintaining their possession and short passing game.  Lucas Adams-Blackmore and Brendan Amos were airtight in the back, and Hanover got great midfield play from Alvaro Cooper, Griffin Johnson and Peter Huizenga.  Sam Ives showed his great speed to good advantage in his newfound position as a striker.

Hanover increased their lead in the second half when Casey Starr his a perfect lead pass from midfield to spring Murdza on a breakaway, and the junior scoring ace made no mistake, slotting the ball for a 2-0 Marauder advantage.

As darkness began to fall in earnest, Pinkerton scored its only goal of the match on a free kick that  worked its way through the defensive wall and handcuffed Owen Brooks in goal.  It was too little, too late, however, and the Marauders chalked up a satisfying win against a team with only one previous loss.  Hanover returns home on Tuesday with a 4:00 match against Winacunnet.