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!
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