Hanover's season came to an abrupt end in the NHIAA Division One Semifinals on Wednesday, as the Marauders lost to Pinkerton Academy in a penalty kick shootout following an electrifying 100 minutes of tense, physical soccer which produced a 1-1 deadlock. For the second postseason game in a row, Hanover came from behind to tie the match, rallying on a second-half goal by Asa Berolzheimer after falling behind in the first half. The two teams battled through 20 minutes of sudden death overtime, and then the necessity of determining a winner resulted Hanover's second tournament shootout in four years.
Five players from each team lined up to take alternating penalty kicks, and Pinkerton's unerring accuracy gave them the victory. After Marauder Asa Berolzheimer and Astro Kyle Hicks, fierce combatants all game at midfield, had each converted their kicks, Luke Strohbehn's shot was saved by
Pinkerton goalkeeper Hayden Pavao. Two more Pinkerton kickers sandwiched successful shots around a shootout goal by Ian Caldwell, and the score stood at 3-2 in Pinkerton's favor. Hanover keeper Konrad Mitchell's shot then kissed the post in a near miss, and when Astro Colin Coutts converted his spot kick, the Marauder season was over and Pinkerton advanced to the finals.
The first half of the match was typical of tournament play, with defense predominating and few shots for either team. Noah Kahan had a dangerous-looking turnaround shot blocked at the fifteen-minute mark, and Ian Caldwell left a calling card with a long shot over the top. Pinkerton was also confined to shooting form long range, with serial sniper Alex Ebner launching several prayers, all of which either missed the mark or were gobbled up by Konrad Mitchell in the Marauder goal. Pinkerton then got a shooting opportunity from way, way out, and it gave them a 1-0 lead at the 29 minute mark. Center midfielder Kyle Hicks collected the ball 40 yards from the goal and hit a long, high shot that carried over a retreating Mitchell and tucked under the crossbar. Neither team threatened thereafter, and the half ended with Pinkerton happily holding their lead.
The Marauders made a tactical adjustment at the start of the second half, moving Caldwell to a center forward spot, and the move paid immediate dividends. Hanover looked rejuvenated on offense, creating a number of quality opportunities. Caldwell came close on a shot following a nice centering pass from Jake Acker, and then a great run on the left wing by Jamie Dinulos created a good corner kick possibility for the Marauders.
Pinkerton was pinned in their own end of the field, and the one time they got into Hanover's end and lost the ball, it was their undoing. Konrad Mitchell hit one of his patented goal kicks which carried well beyond the center circle, and after a fortuitous bounce near the top of the Pinkerton penalty area, it was collected by Berolzheimer, who took a touch and then artfully chipped it over a stranded Pavao and into the net for the tying goal at the 51:11 mark. It was Berolzheimer's team-leading 8th goal of the year, and perhaps his most critical.
Hanover still had some momentum after drawing even, with Caldwell making a dangerous run on the baseline which earned another corner, and then penetrating yet again before shaking and baking once too often and losing possession close to paydirt. Jonah Levine, courageously playing with a painful bone bruise, two days after shedding his crutches, took a dastardly shot from long range that barely sailed over the bar.
Having spent so much energy coming from behind to tie, the Marauders were them obliged to play some great defense. Mitchell made a good save on a hard shot by Colin Coutts, and Max Greenwald continued his superlative defense to keep the Astros at bay. Time ran out in regulation, and the teams headed to overtime.
This was hardly unfamiliar territory for Hanover. The Marauders had played five overtime games during the regular season, including their 2-1 victory over Pinkerton four weeks ago. Hanover had a look or two in the first extra session, but they were forced to make several clutch defensive plays. Luke Strohbehn, a tower of strength all evening, got his head on a dangerous Ebner free kick into the box. Berolzheimer managed to break up a threatening free kick right at the top of the Marauder penalty area. In the second overtime, Ebner and Hicks both missed god opportunities, and at the other end Caldwell was just offsides after a nice buildup, and Berolzheimer also nearly shook loose. All too soon, the sand ran out of the hourglass.
So ends a 13-5-1 season that was full of twists and turns, but happily found the Marauders able to play some of their best soccer when it mattered the most. Penalty kicks are brutal, but they are a part of the game. Hanover's had some good luck over the years with these excruciating tiebreakers, so there was no beefing this time around. The Marauders swallowed their bitter pill with class and composure, congratulated their worthy opponents, and walked out of Bill Ball Stadium with heads high and no regrets. There are so many stories to tell about this season, and fortunately there will be both time and opportunity to do so. This was a season in which almost every player, starter or sub, demonstrated significant improvement. The team, as a result, was much, much better by the end of the campaign.
A few quick bon mots to close: Hanover benefited significantly this year from the quality coaching provided by Ben Snyder and Toby Niles. The latter dropped out of the sky in mid-September and quickly became indispensable. He oversaw the goalkeepers but contributed a great deal more as well. It's been a dream for years to have Toby on the staff, and this year the wish finally came through. The team is grateful. And then there's Coach Snyder, about whom no praise could be too excessive. Ben's been coaching for decades, and he invested so much of his time and energy and expertise and humor and wisdom and love. Most of the players were tactful enough to disguise the fact that Coach Snyder is now their favorite Hanover coach, most of the time. Like quicksilver, he flowed into every crack which needed filling, never disturbing the equilibrium of what was working, but always improving everything he touched. For the second year in a row, Hanover was lifted to great heights by an overqualified assistant coach. Thank you Ben, so very much.
The end of a season is always abrupt, but there will be a few more events to keep this crew knit together. Looking back, the players will rediscover what may have been lost in the shuffle: this aggregation registered some great victories, learned some great lessons, and cemented the fact that in their three years in NHIAA Division One, they are a class franchise. Stay tuned for an eventful and happy off-season. Thanks, parents, for your support. Thanks, players, for trusting and giving of yourselves and putting the team first. Goodnight!
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