Hanover Grads Shine in College Soccer

Hanover High School boasts a large number of graduates who are currently playing soccer in college, including a number who have earned significant distinction, and/or have had their teams record highly successful seasons.

Former Marauders Jory Kahan and Woody Redpath helped lead Wesleyan University to the best seasons in school history, wining the NESCAC regular season title and advancing to the Round of 16 in NCAA Division III Tournament play. Kahan, a Wesleyan Captain, and Redpath, both seniors, started every game for the Cardinals. Redpath, a holding center midfielder, was named to the All-NESCAC First Team. Kahan was chosen as a CoSIDA Second Team Academic All-American. A center back, he had a goal and an assist.

Three former Hanover players have helped Wiliams College to the NCAA Division III Final Four. The Ephs will meet Messiah College this Saturday in a semifinal game to be played in San Antonio, Texas. Senior Ben Mackinnon was a starter for 16-2-3 Williams in last Sunday's shootout vistory over Christopher Newport. Hanover's all-time career scoring leader, Mackinnon has played in 17 games for Williams, and started five. Sophomore Angus Kennedy has appeared in 18 games for Williams, and played half of Sunday's match as a defender. Junior Jeff Levin appeared in four games for the Ephs before an injury ended his season.

Senior Nolan Lincoln was Captain of Middlebury College, the 2007 Division III National Champions. Lincoln started 16 games for the 10-5-2 Panthers, who made it to the semifinals of thie year's NESCAC Tournament, barely missing out on an NCAA bid.

Senior Jimmy Alexander finished an excellent career as a four-year varsity player at Bentley University. Competing in the highly-competitive Northeast 10 in Division II, Alexander started 8 games for the Falcons this year and was third on the team in schoing with 3 goals and an assist. Bentley finished with a record of 6-10-2.

Sophomore Matt Wetherell and Freshman Trevor Barlowe were part of a rebuilding effort at Haverford College under first-year Coach Bill Brady. The Fords finished with a 6-11 record and recorded the most wins in the past six years, also winning their first Centennial Conference game since 2006. Wetherell, a Lyme resident, started 16 games as a center back and scored 2 goals. He was also named to the Centennial Conference Fall Academic Honor Roll. Barlowe, from Etna, appeared in 10 contests and started one of them, paving the way for a much larger role in future seasons.

Junior Sandy Feuer appeared in 6 games for the Colorado College Tigers, who had a record of 10-9-1. Freshman Yosef Oshayack played in three matches for the Rochester Institute of Technology, which was 8-8-1 and made it to the semifinals of the Empire 8 Tournament. Sophomore Oliver Horton made 13 starts for Knox College in Iowa. The Prairie Fire had a record of 4-14. Sophomore Eric Barthold of Lyme appeared in four games for Colby College. The Mules finished with a 5-8-2 mark and qualified for the NESCAC Tournament for the first time in several years. Freshman Lou Gemunden played for the Reed College Soccer Club. Known as FC Reed, the team plaed in the Cascade Collegiate Soccer League.

Marauders Honored at Soccer Awards Banquet

The Hanover Varsity Boys celebrated their 2009 season at a team dinner last night with a number of individual and team honors. Over 70 players, parents and coaches gathered at Pierce's Inn for the ceremonies, which included the debut of a season highlight video by Mike Murray which brought down the house at the end of the night.

The loudest ovation of the night came with the announcement that the Marauders had been voted by opposing coaches as the winner of the NHIAA Class I Sportsmanship Award. This is the 4th consecutive year that Hanover has been honored with this citation, and all agreed that this is at least as significant as the Class I Championship.

Senior Captain Dan Remillard was chosen by his teammates as the recipient of both the Sportsmanship and Defender of the Year Awards. Junior Eric Jayne was named Most Valuable Player. The Most Improved Player Award was shared by Senior Chris Tecca and Junior Connor Bentiovoglio. Junior Joe Carey was honored as the team's Unsung Hero. Senior Aaron Segura was chosen as the Rookie of the Year. Sam Gest was selected as the winner of the Coaches Award. Senior Gunnar Shaw shared Defender of the Year honors with Remillard.

Four different players were honored with the Goal of the Year Award: Sean Gemunden (Merrimack Valley); Eric Jayne (Lebanon); Ben Harris (Pembroke and John Stark); and Isaiah Fariel (Coe-Brown).

Coach Rob Grabill was honored by the players and parents with a generous gift to Heifer Project International in his name. HPI helps struggling people around the world become self-reliant for food and income with gifts of animals and training to keep the gifts self-sustaining. In honor of his herding ability, Coach Grabill's gift included geese, ducks, chicks, rabbits and a beehive, the later perhaps commentary on his stinging asides.

At the conclusion of the banquet, Joe Carey and Eric Jayne were named as Captains of the 2010 Hanover team, which will be celebrating the 50th year of Hanover soccer.

Alumni Game Set for Saturday, Nov. 28

The third annual Turkey Bowl Alumni Game will be played on Saturday, Nov. 28th on the turf at Merriman-Branch Field. Kickoff is at 12:00 noon. New this year is a girls' alumni game, slated to kick off immediately afterwards at 2:00.

Happily, several recent alums will be unable to play, since they will be participating in the NCAA Division III Final Four. Ben Mackinnon and Angus Kennedy will be traveling to San Antonio, Texas with their Williams College team to face Messiah in the NCAA semifinals on Saturday. Williams advanced with a penalty kick win over Christopher Newport in Sunday. They were almost joined in the Final Four by Wesleyan's Jory Kahan and Woody Redpath who lost a heartbreaker in overtime Saturday night to Rochester. Redpath was recently honored as a First Team All-NESCAC selection, and Kahan was honored by being chosen as a Second Team Academic All-American.

Six Marauders Named to All-State Team

Six members of the Hanover High team were named to the Class I All-State Team, selected by the New Hampshire Soccer Coaches Association. Captain Dan Remillard and Junior Eric Jayne were named to the First Team. Seniors Nate Hanna and Gunnar Shaw and Juniors Joe Carey and Ben Harris were named to the Honorable Mention team. No other team in New Hampshire had this many players honored.

Dan Remillard was also honored by his selection to the Lions Twin State Cup Team, and will compete this summer against the Vermont All-Stars. The team is composed of 22 of the top senior players from across the state.

Hanover Players Honored at Awards Night

Players from all three of Hanover's boys' soccer teams were honored at the 4th annual Soccer Awards Night at the high school. Following a bountiful dessert buffet, players from the Reserve and Junior Varsity squads received their certificates from Coaches Jason Landers and Mike Callanan. A number of individuals were cited for outstanding seasons:

Reserves

Most Valuable Player

Ryan O'Rourke
Daniel Wilson

Most Improved

Eben Holbrook

Coaches Award

Alex Brown

Sportsmanship

Bei Dai


Junior Varsity


Most Valuable

Chris Harwick

Rookie of the Year

Ian Strohbehn

Most Improved

Zach Taylor

Defender of the Year

Daniel Osheyack

Attacker of the Year

Ryan Brigham

Unsung Hero

Alex Pratt

Sportsmanship

Jay Mobilia

Both coaches were presented awards by Reserve Captain James Choi and JV Captains Alex Dodds and Chris Harwick. Varsity Coach Rob Grabill made several presentations, honoring exchange students Basel Dashti and Muhaimanul Riaz for their character and contributions to the program, and citing Duncan Piper and Ben Harris for the fundraising efforts during the CROP Walk to fight hunger. Varsity Captains Nate Hanna and Dan Remillard presented the NHIAA State Championship plaque to Athletic Director Mike Jackson. Varsity team awards will be announced at the Varsity Team Dinner next Monday evening.

The evening concluded with the second annual Talent Show/Music Recital, featuring Eric Jayne on 'cello, Matt Barth on trumpet, piano solos by Jonathan Kenkel and Bai Dei, the vocal stylings of James Choi, and a vocal quintet of Eric Jayne, Joe Carey, Connor Betivoglio, Sam Farnham and Trey Rebman, accompanied on guitar by the ubiquitous Jayne.

Marauder Teams to Celebrate Their Seasons

The Hanover boys' soccer teams will gather Tuesday evening at the high school to celebrate a successful fall season with the 4th annual Awards Night. Players, parents and siblings from the Varsity, Junior Varsity and Reserve teams will gather at 6:00 in the HHS Cafeteria for a dessert potluck (bring what you can!). That will be followed by team awards for all three teams, as the coaches, faced with a 10-minute time limit, strive for the brevity title. Taciturn Jason Landers has the inside track on the occasionaly long-winded Mike Callanan and the morbidly verbose Rob Grabill. Members of all three teams will receive their certificates of participation and varsity letters. The highlight of the evening will follow, as the entire group will be entertained by the second annual music recital/talent show in the auditorium. See you there!

Marauders Win Five In A Row

There are a number of stories in the media about Sunday's thrilling Class I title game against Coe-Brown. I've just discovered another excellent one from a home-grown source. Jonathan (Stally) Stallsmith graduated last spring from the University of Southern California with a major in ports Journalism. He also played soccer and hockey for Hanover for four years, and brings an insider's perspective to his game coverage. Here's the link to his article:

http://jtstally.blogspot.com/2009/11/all-my-children-grabills-boys-win-again.html

Hanover Wins Fifth Straight Class I Championship

Facing their strongest opponent of the season, the Hanover Marauders played their best match of the year when it was needed the most, outlasting Coe-Brown Academy 1-0 in double overtime to win their fifth consecutive Class I Championship Sunday afternoon at Southern New Hampshire University.

Sophomore Isaiah Fariel scored a brilliant goal to break a 100-minute scoreless deadlock and give the Marauders their 16th state title. Hanover finishes the season with a 16-1-1 record and a 12-game wining streak, and have whitewashed their last six opponents.

The victory was all the sweeter for the Marauders because the opposition was so strong, forcing them to play their smartest, most courageous soccer. In the end, Hanover's depth was a deciding factor in the match. After a stalemate in the first half, the Marauders turned up the heat for the remaining sixth minutes, dominating both the second half and the overtimes. Hanover outshot Coe-Brown 14-3 in that stretch, and only the acrobatics of Coe-Brown goalkeeper Skyler Speed kept his team in the game.

Eric Jayne and Ben Harris led the attack for Hanover, collecting thirteen shots between them. Jayne had nine, and several of these forces Speed to show why he is considered one of the top goalies in the state. When the deciding goal came, however, Jayne, Harris and three starting midfielders were on the bench. Their replacements looked very much at home winning the game, which took exactly 72 seconds after the start of the second overtime. The final sequence involved five consecutive Hanover touches, starting with Co-Captains Dan Remillard and Nate Hanna. Coe-Brown midfielder Cody Gerlt played a ball into the Hanover defensive third, and as imposing striker Ryan Mack bore down on him, Remillard hit a delicate chip over his head. Hanna collected the ball and quickly directed it to Aaron Segura, who one-timed a pass to Hayden Pressey-Murray, directly in front of the Marauder bench. Pressey-Murray, who earlier in the game had launched an arching shot from the left flank that had nearly found paydirt, hit the best ball of his life (so far), a driven left-footer that curled over the top of the Coe-Brown defense. The ball bent right into the path of a streaking Fariel, who split two defenders, touched the ball past an onrishing Speed, and then calmly buried a right-footed blast into the roof of the net.

It was the second career overtime game-winner for Fariel, who had opened last season for the Marauders with a sudden-death walkoff against Souhegan, and who was denied earlier in the game by Speed, whose acrobatic dive to his right denied the sophomore speedster a goal.

Speed may have been brilliant for Coe-Brown, but he was not the best keeper on the SNHU field. Sam Gest may have had fewer saves in the Hanover goal, but his sure-handed performance was the best of his career, and it marked the second consecutive sports season in which he walked off the field as a state champion in goal, following up on his victory in last spring's Division One lacrosse title. Gest made a full-out dive to his left to snag a snot by Kenny Bell in overtime, and earlier in the game made a remarkable save on a deflected shot that was labelled for the goal.

There was another, quieter goalie performance that was part of Hanover's triumph. As Fariel, Jonathan Fenton, Pressey-Murray and Forrest Pratt were lining up for the kickoff to start the second overtime, Marauder goalie Stefan Dyroff began jogging on the sidelines, preparing for the eventuality of penalty kicks. The plan was to insert the altitudinous junior in goal a few minutes before the end of the match, and utilize him as the secret weapon in the event of the tie-breaking shootout that would follow. The team took comfort in knowing that they had this ace in the hole, and the fact that it was never necessary didn't diminish the hard work that had made Dyroff the best backup in Hanover history.

Other backups were equally ready, and similarly not called upon. Connor Bentivoglio, one of the most improved players in the squad, spent the last two days knowing that he might be called upon to replace right back Matt Barth, who had been ill for 48 hours, but showed enough improvement to at least make the bus trip. Barth started the game with a surge of adrenaline and never looked back, playing excellent soccer for the entire match. It was an amazingly gutty performance by Barth, and a characteristically unselfish one by Bentivoglio, who embraced his role and was another brick in Hanover's wall of character.

Chris Tecca, Robin Smith, Charlie Umland, Sam Farnham, Adam Kline-Schoder and Pedro Celaya all shared thusly in the victory. Their roles in the triumph were far less visible, but none the less important. Sunday's victory was forged in dozens of hard-fought training sessions, and the dedication and improvement of these players were what forged the steel of the Hanover starters.Freshman Brendan Barth (# .5 not in your program) accepted an even tougher role in the finals. NHIAA rules say that only 25 players on a squad can be dressed, and Barth accepted his assignment as the 26th. He dutifully stood on the sidelines when his mates marched to midfield, but happily joined them at the end of the match to accept his well-earned medal. Few players had a more positive impact on practice than Brendan, whose flashes of future promise in games this season augers for great things in the very near future.

Hanover's depth at midfield must be mentioned as a factor in not only the Coe-Brown match but the entire championship drive. The ball-winning and distribution of Joe Carey, Aaron Segura and lately Roland Hermann-Stanzel at central midfield was a huge plus for the Marauders. Senior Sean Gemunden and sophomore Trey Rebman, along with their aforementioned flank midfield partners, were the space creators who made the offense hum and provided the critical link for a seamless transition game.

The final apotheosis of Hanover heros falls to the trio of defenders who were the beating heart of the team. Once again against Coe-Brown, Dan Remillard, Nate Hanna and Gunnar Shaw played some of the most cohesive defense imaginable. Along with their junior partner Matt Barth, they formed a Maginot Line that bent on occasion that rarely broke. Their tackling and standup defense was straight out of the textbooks. Their dominance in the air was singular, and there was no more compelling difference in the game and for that matter the season than these three. Who knows what the quirks of post-season All-State voting and Twin State selection will bring about. There is no question in the minds of a few college coaches who watched Sunday's game. These three backs are the best in the state. Not among the best. The best.

There are a few more shoutouts to go before this weary blogger wraps up this rambling valentine to a singularly good Hanover team. Dylan Ness was a huge addition to the program in his first year as Manager. Mike Callanan not only coached the JV to another record-breaking season, but then joined the varsity on the sidelines for the tournament and made innumerable contributions, as only a Hall of Famer can. Rick Bourdon was another rookie, but his wise counsel and ability to read both individual players and game situations was invaluable. PLusthe man can serve a great ball in Power/Finesse.

There will be much written about this team in weeks to come, and undoubtedly there will be various post-season honors, emanating from both within the program and from all sorts of other sources. They will be all well and good, most of them undoubtedly well-deserved. The only real way to judge this team, however, is collectively. Fine young men as individuals, they are far greater as a whole, and it can be summed up simply. They got along splendidly, treated everyone they encountered with respect, and loved to play the game. More importantly they honored the game with the way they played, and did so many times in the face of provocation and adversity. Slowly but surely, this season didn't build their collective character as much as it revealed it: Steadfast. Patient. Humble. Good-Natured. Fun to be Around. Brave in the Best Sense of the Word.

The nature of the Hanover program will generate more great teams in the future. Time will attempt to blur the seasons together, and make them part of "streaks" that will want to diminish that which makes each year, each team, each season so distinctive. The 2009 season is over and the team will soon dissolve. Players will graduate, roles will change, new faces will join. Before that happens, find a picture of the team one more time and look into the faces of true champions.

Marauders Beat Souhegan 1-0 to Return to Class I Finals

The Hanover boys gained the Class I Finals Thursday night with a thrilling 1-0 victory over a determined Souhegan squad. Eric Jayne's second-half goal and stifling team defense gave the Marauders their 11th straight win and fifth consecutive shutout en route to a 15-1-1 record and a Sunday date with Coe-Brown in the Class I Finals at 3:00 at Southern New Hampshire University in Manchester.

This will be Hanover's fifth consecutive trip to the Championship game, and they will be seeking an unprecedented fifth straight Class I title. Second-seeded Coe-Brown, now 17-2, defeated last year's finalist St.Thomas 1-0 in overtime to earn their first trip ever to the title game.

Hanover's victory over perennial rival Souhegan was classic playoff soccer, featuring tenacious defense at both ends and a paucity of scoring chances. Souhegan started brightly and had the upper hand for the first ten minutes of the match and threatened several times. Striker James Shelden found himself open of a close-range shot at the 12-minute mark, but swung and missed on a left-footed attempt that dribbled harmlessly out of bounds.

Minutes later, Eric Jayne headed a crossing pass by Matt Barth off the goalpost, and no Marauder was in position to convert the juicy rebound. Hanover gained a decided edge in play as the half continued, but neither team was able to mount a serious scoring attempt before the interval.

It didn't take the Marauders long to gain the upper hand in the second half. With seven minutes elapsed, Trey Rebman made a blazing run down the left flank and hit a pinpoint cross that found Eric Jayne unmarked at the top of the box. Jayne killed the ball with his right foot and quickly found the back of the net with a vicious left-footed strike that gave Hanover a 1-0 lead. Jayne nearly doubled the advantage 12 minutes later, taking a lead pass and nearly chipping Souhegan keeper Chris Champagne, who made a spectacular leap to parry the ball away. Ben Harris was equally dangerous, with the help of a great relief effort by Roland Hermann-Stanzel at center midfield the Marauders kept the pressure on as the clock wound down.

Souhegan made several dangerous counter attacks, one of which was snuffed by Sam Gest, who came expertly off his line to snatch the ball from the feet of Sabre striker Silas Griffith. Late in the game things got even more interesting, as Shelden hit a bad-angle shot off the woodwork from the left side, and then Gest got his hands on a free kick rebound by Jesse Anderson and deflected it over the bar before time finally ran out.

In the end, the deciding factor in the match was Hanover's back line. Dan Remillard, playing superbly despite sustaining a shoulder injury, was immense, tackling efficiently and quarterbacking the counter attack. Gunnar Shaw was dominant in the air, and did an amazing job stepping up to win balls at midfield. Nate Hanna and Matt Barth not only held their own defensively, but also supplied a number of dangerous crosses in their accentuated offensive roles. Barth also stepped up to make a critical tackle in the second half, ending one of Souhegan's most dangerous sequences.

"Making it to the finals is a tremendous accomplishment," commented Coach Grabill. "Some folks don't realize how competitive Class I soccer is, and how many very strong teams there are.
Souhegan is one of the landmark programs in the state, and this win is easily one of the best we've had this season. The team showed a lot of composure tonight, and we got great contributions from a number of players."

Next up is a veteran Coe-Brown team enjoying the best season in school history, certain that they are this year's team of destiny. They are loaded with seniors, many of them top players for the Seacoast club team. They have not allowed a goal since September, and have collected 13 straight shutouts.

The Finals will be played as part of a quadrupleheader at Southern New Hampshire University, wth the Class I kickoff at 3:00. The college is located off Exit 9N on Rt. 93 in Manchester.
More comprehensive directions will be posted in the near future.

Soccer Schedule Nov. 3-5

Tuesday, Nov. 3

Practice on HHS turf 8:00 - 9:15 p.m. Dress warmly!


Wednesday, Nov. 4

Practice on HHS turf 2:00 - 3:15 p.m. Come IMMEDIATELY after school.


Thursday, Nov. 5

Game against Souhegan at Exeter 6:00 p.m. Dismissal 1:30 p.m.

Directions to Exeter - Thursday Game

Directions to Exeter High School for Thursday's NHIAA Class I Soccer Semifinals

Hanover vs. Souhegan 6:00 p.m.


Take 89 South to 93 South

After the Hooksett Tolls, bear right onto 93 South

After 3 miles, bear left onto Rt. 101 East

Follow Route 101 East to Exit 8, Brentwood

At the top of the ramp turn left. Go over overpass to stop sign

Turn Right at the stop sign onto Route 27E/Epping Road

Exeter High School Entrance is 1.2 miles down on the left.

Bill Ball Stadium is located behind the school.

Boys' Practice Monday at 4:45

The boys' varsity practice will be from 4:45 - 6:15 Monday, Nov. 2 on the HHS turf

Marauders Advance to Class I Semis With 2-0 Win Over MV

The Hanover boys soccer team defeated Merrimack Valley 2-0 Sunday afternoon in the NHIAA Class I Quarterfinal, advancing to the Semifinals on Thursday and a match with longtime rival Souhegan. The game will be at 6:00 in Bill Ball Stadium at Exeter High School.

Junior strikers Ben Harris and Eric Jayne led the attack for the Marauders with a goa and and assist. Top-seeded Hanover dominated the match, outshooting Merrimack Valley 23-7 and collecting 8 corner kicks to just two for the visitors.

After several near misses in the first half by Harris and sophomore striker Isaiah Fariel, the Marauders grabbed a 1-0 lead in the final minute of the half. Junior midfielder Forrest Pratt hit a lead pass for Jayne, who eat the defense on the right side of the Merrimack Valley penalty area and hit a bullet pass across the mouth of the goal that Harris converted for his 11th goal of the season.

Harris returned the favor early in the second half, crossing the ball to Jayne in front of the goal for a header that beat Pride goalkeeper Codi LaBreque to the near post. It was Jayne's 17th goal of the season, tying him for fifth all-time among Hanover single season scoring leaders.

The Marauders kept up the pressure for the remainder of the half, and only several spectacular saves by LaBreque kept the score at 2-0. The MV keeper denied Marauder defender Nate Hanna twice, and came off his line for a daring save to foil a breakaway shot by Hanover senior Jonathan Fenton.

Sam Gest collected his fifth shutout of the season for Hanover. Although he only needed to make two saves, one of them was highlight-reel material, as he raced out of the goal to dive at the feet of MV striker D'Mahl McFadden and deny him on a breakaway.

Hanover's win marked the third year in a row that they have eliminated Merrimack Valley in the Class I tournament, and was the tenth in a row this season for the Marauders. It was also their fourth straight shutout, as they continue their quest for their fifth consecutive Class I title. The path will become much more challenging on Thursday night when Hanover faces 16-2 Souhegan, 3-2 winners over upstart John Stark in their quarterfinals.

Marauders Beat Con-Val 3-0 in Tournament Opener

Hanover opened its NHIAA tournament campaign with a tidy 3-0 opening round victory over Con-Val on Thursday night before a boisterous Senior Night crowd at Merriman-Branch Field. The Marauders will now host a Quarterfinal Round game against Merrimack Valley Sunday afternoon at 2:00 p.m.

Showing no ill effects from a week-long layoff, Hanover scored three times in the first half to take a commanding lead, and dominated the action in the second half despite clearing the bench. Eric Jayne opened the scoring with his team-leading 16th goal, followed by Hayden Pressey-Murray and Roland Hermann-Stanzel. Adam Kline Schoder had several attempts in the second half to complete the hyphenated hat trick, but to no avail.

Jayne and Ben Harris spent the first fifteen minutes of the match probing the Con-Val defense for weak spots, and Harris came close to scoring several times, just missing over the crossbar on one occasion with a quick turnaround shot. As the frenetic opening pace calmed a bit and the Marauders began to do a better job changing fields, the opportunity for the opening goal presented itself. Nate Hanna sent a crossing ball across the face of the goal to Sean Gemunden on the right side of the penalty area, and the senior midfielder laid it back to Jayne, who crushed the game-winner past Con-Val keeper Gavin Gorton.

With fresh legs in the match off the Hanover bench, the Marauders struck for a second score four minutes later. Isaiah Fariel controlled the ball on the right side and sent a cross in the direction of Jonathan Fenton. The ball went a bit long, and Pressey-Murray was in perfect position to roll the ball into the net past an out-of-position Gorton. The lead bumped to 3-0 with five minutes left in the half when Jayne, reinserted into the game for just such an occasion, hit a bad-angle burner that Gorton parried but could not control. The rebound came to Hermann-Stanzel at the top of the box, and he buried the ball for his second goal of the season.

Halftime was notable for a ceremony honoring the ten graduating seniors and their parents. Coach Grabill praised the players, crediting them with creating positive team chemistry and a high standard of unselfish team play. Those honored were: Sam Farnham, Jonathan Fenton, Sean Gemunden, Sam Gest, Co-Captain Nate Hanna, Ross Johnston, Co-Captain Dan Remillard,
Aaron Segura, Gunnar Shaw and Chris Tecca.

The Marauders shrugged off any temptation to let down in the second half, and quickly regained ironclad control of the match. Con-Val, limited to three very long range shots in the first half, were limited even further in the final forty minutes. Ten minutes into the half, seven of the starters departed, and Hanover's territorial edge remained remarkable. Brendan Barth and Hermann-Stanzel took over quarterbacking duties at midfield, and Sam Farnham and Kline-Schoder continued the excellent team play on the flanks. Chris Tecca took over for Remillard at center back and was seamless on half a dozen plays that came his way, heading the ball with accuracy and anticipating plays with laudable efficiency.

The remainder of the back four left the match with ten minutes remaining, and Hanover's eighth shutout of the season was never in jeopardy. Connor Bentivoglio was particularly strong at right back, combining athleticism with excellent soccer sense.

The Marauder win was their ninth in a row this season, and was their 17th consecutive victory in post season play, dating back to 2006. It marked the first time this season that Hanover has shut out the opposition three matches in a row.

Next up is a Merrimack Valley team that is unusually familiar with Merriman-Branch Field. The pride visited Hanover three times last fall, losing 1-0 to the Marauders in the regular season, and then beating Lebanon in a first-round playoff game. That victory, then as now, earned them a quarterfinal game with Hanover, and again the Marauders eked out a 1-0 decision. Remarkably, the Pride returned again earlier this season and for the third time in three matches, they lost to Hanover 1-0, this time in sudden death overtime on Sean Gemunden's cross-turned-shot-turned-goal.

For the fifth time in a little over a year, the Pride will return on Sunday, boasting one of the most capable strikers in Class I in Aaron Smith, who will spend this Friday evening trying to defeat thr Marauder football team in his capacity as Merrimack Valley's placekicker. Smith tallied the lone goal against Bedford Thursday in the Pride's first round victory over ninth-seeded Bedford.

"We've been in this situation before and I am confident that we will be able to focus well and play consistently," commented Grabill. It's the goal of every team to be playing their best soccer at the end of the season, and we are close to that goal. These games seem to bring out the best in us, and we are eager to embrace the opportunity that we have on Sunday."

Marauders Open Tournament with Con-Val Thursday

Hanover will open the NHIAA Class I Tournament with a first-round game on Thursday, Oct. 29 at 6:00 p.m. against Con-Val at Merriman-Branch Field. The game will be marked with a halftime ceremony honoring the 10 graduating seniors and their parents.

Hanover was ranked 1st in the NHIAA standings with a 12-1-1 record. Con-Val comes in as the #16 seed after compiling a regular season record of 7-9. The two teams did not meet since the regular season this year. Their most recent match was a regular season affair won by Hanover 5-0 in 2007. Their most recent postseason match was a 2-1 Hanover victory in the NHIAA Semifinals in 1992. The Marauders then defeated Souhegan 2-0 in the Finals. One of the leading players on that 17-0-0 squad was Jamie Clark, who played at Stanford and in the MLS and is currently the Head Coach at Harvard.

If Hanover advances past Thursday's game, they will host a quarterfinal game on Sunday, November 1 at 2:00, and play the winner of the first round match between eighth-seeded Merrimack Valley and ninth-seeded Bedford.

The top seeds in the NHIAA rankings after Hanover were: #2 Coe-Brown, #3 St. Thomas, #4 Souhegan, #5 Kearsarge, #6 Lebanon and #7 Hollis-Brookline.

Soccer Schedule Oct. 27-31

Practice Tuesday will be on the turf from 4:15 - 6:15.

Practice Wednesday will be on the turf following the girls' tournament game, which kicks off at 3:30. Plan to be there to cheer for the girls, and train at approximately 5:30 p.m.

Hanover will host a first-round game against Pembroke on Thursdayat 6:00.

If Hanover win Thursday, practice Friday will be on the turf at 6:15 p.m., pending the outcome of the girls' tournament games in soccer and field hockey.

On Saturday, the team will meet at Huntley at 10:45 to help officiate the Norwich Recreation K-1 soccer tournament,and practice after that on the HHS turf field. The time will depend on the girls' quarterfinal game tentatively scheduled for Saturday.

JV and Varsity to Clash with Huntley Scrimmage Friday

When both scrimmage opportunities for the Varsity and JV scheduled for Friday and Saturday evaporated, the logical step was to join forces. As a result, the Marauder JV will scrimmage the Varsity at 4:00 this Friday at Huntley.

The Varsity had been scheduled to host The Derryfield School on Friday on the HHS turf, but the field hockey playoff game took priority, and the Varsity was without a venue, and subsequently without an opponent. The JV was hoping to play the Lebanon JV on Saturday, but the Raiders could not muster a full squad, and declined to come. Instead, all of the tension and animosity built up over a week's worth of crowded bus rides (fighting over bagels, debating which DVD to watch, quarreling about the choice seats at the back of the bus) will come to a head on the final afternoon of activity this fall on the hallowed Huntley pitch.

The fact that several Varsity behemoths will be missing due to college visits will make it a much more even game. Without Dan Remillard and Chris Tecca in the lineup, and with a lot of the
non-starters in line for the bulk of the Varsity playing time, it should be a competitive and entertaining match.

Varsity Locks Up First Place With Win at John Stark

The Marauders closed their regular season with an efficient 2-0 win against John Stark on Tuesday, locking up first place in the NHIAA Class I standings, and ensuring the top seed when the Tournament pairings come out next Monday. Ben Harris scored twice to pace Hanover to its seventh win in a row, and Sam Gest keyed a strong defensive effort with an excellent performance in goal.

It took a while for the Marauders to get untracked at both ends of the field. Offensively, Hanover was unable to take advantage of the spacious John Stark pitch, and showed impatience, settling for long crosses that were easily handled by General goalkeeper Josh Levandowski. The Marauder defense uncharacteristically gave away a number of corner kicks, although they handled these dangerous restarts well. John Stark's one scoring bid came on a quick shot by Kyle Morin from 12 yards out that was acrobatically parried over the bar by a diving Sam Gest.

Hanover slowly warmed up on offense, and broke through on the 36th minute on a brilliant shot by Ben Harris, who hit a perfectly-aimed ball from outside the penalty area that beat Levandowski to the far corner for a 1-0 lead.

Trusting their ability to build their first half efforts, the Marauders came out brightly in the second half and never lost their grip on the game. They spent most of the half in John Stark's end, and did a better job of linking short passes at midfield. In the meantime, the back four of Dan Remillard, Nate Hanna, Gunnar Shaw and Matt Barth calmly blunted almost every General counterattack. The one time striker Stephen Johnstone leaked through on the right side, Sam Gest came out well to cut the shooter's angle and gobbled up his close-range shot.

Hayden Pressey-Murray and Trey Rebman did a nice job on the left flank, creating several good scoring chances, and center midfielders Joe Carey, Aaron Segura and Roland Hermann-Stanzel were outstanding at both ends of the field. After several near misses, including a Remillard header off of a Forrest Pratt corner kick and a beautifully-made shot in traffic by Isaiah Fariel, Harris put the icing on the cake in the 78th minute with a carbon copy of his first goal. The skillful junior worked free at the left corner of the penalty area and lashed a rising shot that beat Levandowski over his shoulder and inside the far post. It was Harris' tenth goal of the season and fourth in the past two games,and it nicely wrapped up the 2-0 victory.

The Marauders will be off for a week, and even though there are a number of Class I contests remaining, they are secure in the knowledge that their 12-1-1 record and strong Heal Point total will guarantee them the top seed in the Class I Tournament for the third year in a row. Brackets will be announced next Monday, and Hanover will host a first-round game on Thursday, October 29th. Their planed scrimmage with The Derryfield School, originally scheduled for Friday, has been placed on hold for lack of a venue. The HHS field hockey team will be hosting a second-round NHIAA playoff game during that time slot on Friday. Stay tuned for updates.

Seniors Chris Tecca and Sam Farnham both made well-earned starts for the Marauders against John Stark. Every one of the ten Hanover senors have now started at least one game, and Coach Grabill cited the group collectively after the game. "We are constantly asking the seniors to be willing to provide leadership," he commented. "We have always been fortunate in this respect, and it's one of the reasons Hanover teams have been so well-respected for both on-the-field success as well as sportsmanship. This senior class has been exemplary. Every single one of them has been a superb role model, and we will be reaping the benefits of their leadership not just throughout the remainder of this season, but for years to come". The seniors and their parents will be honored at the Oct. 29th game at halftime.

JV Beats John Stark 9-0 to Finish 13-1

The Junior Varsity had an easy time at John Stark, beating the aGenerals 9-0 and finishing their season with a 13-1 record. Chris Harwick led the scoring with two goals and an assist, and Connor Gordon also had a pair in the first half, as Hanover jumped out to a 6-0 lead by the interval. Keegan Gantrish assisted on Harwick's first tally, prompting Liam Gantrish to record the helper on Gordon's. Ryan Brigham and Zach Taylor had the remaining two goals in the opening half, and Taylor added a second to open the second half. Jacob LaPoint scored to make it 8-0, assisted by Daniel Hernandez, and Wiley Little closed the account. Alex Woods and Andrew Brown shared the shutout in goal.

The JV will keep training Wednesday and Friday in anticipation with a Saturday "friendly" with the Lebanon JV (yet to be finalized), hopefully on the HHS Turf at 4:00. Stay tuned for confirmation.

Friday Scrimmage on Hold

Friday's Varsity scrimmage with Derryfield is on hold. The HHS Field Hockey playoff game will be played Friday afternoon on the HHS turf, and it is not clear if or when the scrimmage will be played. Please stay tuned for further details.

Please Return Reserve Uniforms ASAP

Reserve players are asked to return their game and practice uniforms (shirts, shorts and socks) as soon as possible. Players not returning equipment by October 27 will be billed for the equipment.
Please return the uniforms to the Athletic Department Office washed, bagged and labeled. For tomorrow (Tuesday) only, players may also return uniforms as is (unwashed, crumpled and straight out the backpack) to Coach Grabill in the gym during activity period. Take advantage of this special offer! There will be small prizes given to the first five players returning uniforms tomorrow.

Soccer Games Added to Schedule

Two soccer games have been added to the schedule at the end of this week. The Varsity will scrimmage The Derryfield School on Friday at 3:30 p.m. on the HHS turf field. On Saturday, the JV will play the Lebanon JV at 4:00 p.m. on the HHS turf. Please note these additions.

Soccer Schedule October 19-24

Monday, October 19


JV and Varsity Practice at Huntley 4:00 - 5:30 p.m.


Tuesday, October 20


JV and Varsity Games at John Stark 3:45 p.m.
Dismissal 1:15 p.m.


Wednesday, October 21


JV Practice at Huntley 3:30 - 5:00 p.m.

Varsity Practice at HHS Turf 5:30 - 7:00 p.m.


Thursday, October 22


No JV Practice

Varsity Practice at HHS turf 6:30 - 8:00 p.m.


Friday, Oct. 23


JV vs. Varsity Scrimmage at Huntley 4:00 p.m.


Saturday, October 24

No Team Activity


Sunday, October 25

No Team Activity

Reserves End Season With a Loss to Keene JVs

Saturday morning brought us a chilly start and fantastically well played match by the Marauder Reserve team. Missing several players to start, Hanover took to the field with a starting eleven that included. Alex Brown, Michael Yukica, James Choi, Jonathan Kenkel, Robert Wild, Eben Holbrook, Neils Keulhert making his debut at left back filling in for PSAT taking Bei Dai, Matthew Couture, Zach Estes, and Daniel Wilson.

Winning the coin toss before hand, Hanover took the kick and made immediate inroads towards the Keene net, determined and aggressive. The first ten minutes were even and strong with shots testing both keepers. Keene's very fast strikers found it impossible to make any progress passed Daniel Wilson on the right and slipped into the center blowing by the defense and sliding one into the side netting behind Ryan O'Rourke for a 1-0 lead.

Undaunted and familiar with not scoring the first goal in matches, the return of Daniel "Bermuda" Slayton brought with it a quick reply off his head coming from a perfect corner kick provided by Robert Wild. The half was far from over with a new fire within them the Marauders the team had to scramble to stop a kick off to goal line run led by the speedsters of Keene up top. Pressure returned towards the Keene end when Mike Yukica was brought down outside the box on the left side of the pitch. Left footed free kick wizard in training Mitch Curry lined up a cross into the box the was redirected strongly and accurately by Michael Yukica. Blowing past the keeper, the ball found the net. Yukica's first goal of the season was reminiscent of his last game time goal early in the season against the JV girls' team. Hanover now led, 2-1.

With time still left Daniel Slayton was determined to put another one into the back of the net making runs towards the Keene goal repeatedly to no avail until a few fancy moves and bumps led him on a full speed run straight towards the right side corner where he struck another into the net. At halftime, Hanover led Keene 3-1.

Hanover met opposition from an inspired Keene side in the second half. They scored to to get withing a goal early in the second half, but still players like David White, Steve Gofer, and Alex Brown made charging runs towards net. Bei Dai returned into his usual spot rounding out the superbly skilled back line. The speed of Keene really took its toll on Hanover's midfield with many runs from Keene into dangerous areas only to be stopped by Ryan O'Rourke. With seven minutes left Keene equalized, making the score 3-3, and with time winding down Hanover found themselves facing overtime. Pressure from Keene was so strong that in the final two minutes of the half another Keene striker netted a shot from ten yards out into the top corner. No time was left for any successful run towards net. A true heart-breaker, but filled with many great plays and not lacking in the goals department.

Congratulations to the Reserve team on a great match and a fantastic season. All the players have come along way in skill, vision, sportsmanship, and mentality since the sweltering days in August. It has been a pleasure getting to know all the players, both myself, and Coaches Callanan, Grabill, and Bourdon look forward to their progress as players and students in the future.

- Jason Landers

Players are requested to return game and practive jerseys, socks, and shorts to either the Athletic Office, or Coach Grabill by the end of next week. Please have them washed and baged with the player's name in the bag. The Reserve team will join the Varsity and JV teams on Tuesday, Nov. 17th for a joing Awards Celebration and Talent Show at the high school. Details will be forthcoming, but be sure to save the date. We would love to have some parental help in organizing an end-of-season dinner for players, parents and coaches.

Junior Varsity Beats Plymouth 5-0; Now 12-1

The Junior Varsity played a strong game against Plymouth on the road, Thursday, winning 5-0. Ian Strohbehn, armed with newfound knowledge for his proximity to Serie A soccer, led the scoring with a goal and an assist on Chris Harwick's game-winner. Connor Gordon scored, abetted by Alex Dodds. Jacob LaPoint's goal was assisted by Base Dashti, who kept glancing expectantly over his shoulder at the low, grey clouds, hoping for snow. Liam Gantrish added the final score, assisted by Daniel Hernandez. Andrew Brown did and excellent job in goal for the Marauders, who close their regular season with a Tuesday trip to John Stark.

Marauders Beat Plymouth 7-0 For 7th Win in a Row

Hanover's two-day road trip to the Lakes Region ended successfully on a cold Thursday afternoon with a well-played 7-0 decision against Plymouth that increased the Marauders' win streak to seven and solidified their grip on first place in the NHIAA standings. Ben Harris paced the attack with two goals in a match that was characterized by superb second-half play from literally every backup player.

Four players were honored with their first varsity start, and justified the responsibility that they had earned. Ross Johnston and Forrest Pratt helped Hanover dominate the midfield right away, and Jonathan Fenton and Isaiah Fariel created havoc up front. Fenton got the game's first goal at 18:28, jumping on a loose ball near the baseline and hammering home a bad-angle shot inside the near post for his second goal of the season. Hayden Pressey-Murray collected his second goal in as many games ten minutes later, converting a centering pass from Joe Carey to make the lead a comfortable 2-0.

Ben Harris quickly doubled the lead at the start of the second half, scoring twice in a 40-second span two minutes after the interval. Nate Hanna sent him in on goal with a brilliant through pass for his 10th assist of the year, and lass than a minute later Forrest Pratt gave Harris a great centering pass for his 8th goal of the season.

Never has "garbage time" been more of a misnomer for the remainder of the second half. The game may have been decided, but the quality of play that ensued was nothing less than tournament level. Much to their credit, the Plymouth starters kept battling, but they were outmatched by the intelligent, accurate and mature play of the Hanover bench. Chris Tecca and Robin Smith controlled the middle of the defense, and Tecca got forward twice for bids on goal.
Smith demonstrated both athleticism and sound technique both in the air and on the floor. Charlie Umland, channeling for Nate Hanna at left back, got forward with veteran poise. Connor Bentivoglio, left out of the Valley News story by an editor and not by his coach, supported a withering attack on the right flank by Sam Farnham and Isaiah Fariel. Fariel collected the fifth goal of the game and his third of the season on a sublime through ball by Farnham, racing past the defense and pinging his shot off the far post.

Adam Kline-Schoder was equally adept at on the left flank, and combined with Roland Herrman-Stanzel and Brendan Barth to orchestrate a deft short passing attack that put constant pressure on the Plymouth goal. Barth started the sequence that led to the fifth goal, setting up Fariel for a dangerous shot that .was saved by Matt Abear in the Plymouth goal but not controlled. Sophomore striker Pedro Celaya jumped on the rebound and knocked home his first varsity goal. Minutes later, Celaya showed off his significantly improved sophistication with a nice assist on a give and go play with Herrman-Stanzel, who took the return pass from Pedro and came in clean, knocking his shot off the upright for his first goal of the season.

Having flaunted their depth, the Marauders will regroup over the weekend and gear up for their final regular season game of the weekend, a road trip to a dangerous John Stark team on Tuesday. Hanover may host a scrimmage next Friday for a tournament tuneup, and then will await word as to the identity of their first-round NHIAA opponent. The opening game of the tournament will be on Thursday, October 29th, hopefully at 6:00 p.m. The senior players and their parents will be honored at halftime of that game.

All Marauder players are encouraged to join the HHS volleyball team and their supporters tomorrow at 2:00 in the HHS gym for the games against Fall Mountain and the "Dig Pink" benefit to support the Side Out Foundation and breast cancer research. All supporters are asked to wear pink, and Coach Grabill will have a supply of pink t-shirts available at today's 3:45 - 5:00 p.m. practice at Huntley.

Directions to Plymouth High School

Directions to Plymouth High School

Both JV and Varsity games kick off at 4:30 at the high school.



Take Rt. 89 South to Rt. 4 (Enfield Exit)

Take Rt. 4 East to Canaan and intersection with Rt. 118

Take left on Rt. 118 toward Rumney and Plymouth.

At intersection with Rt. 25. turn right towards Plymouth, about six miles.

At the rotary bear left, staying on Rt. 25 towards Plymouth.

Go 2 miles and bear right on Highland Street (before Burger King) twoard downtown Plymouth.

At the top of the hill, turn left at the blinking light onto Old ward Bridge Road into Plymouth HS. There should be Plymouth HS signs. The fields are behind the high school.

JV Survives Another Shootout; Beats Laconia 6-4

The Marauder Junior Varsity defeated Laconia 6-4 on Wednesday, controlling the match from start to finish, but swapping goals after jumping out a 3-0 lead to keep in interesting until the end.
Goals by Zach Taylor, Ryan Brigham and Keegan Gantrish in the first ten minutes of the play gave Hanover a 3-0 lead on the tiny Opechee Park pitch. Chris Harwick assisted on the latter two goals.
Ian Strohbehn celebrated his return from Italy with the fourth goal of the period, assisted by Brigham, and the half ended with the Marauders on top by a 4-2 score.

Brigham completed his hat trick in the second half, matching the Laconia total that made the final score 6-4. Perhaps not a work of soccer art, but it gave the Marauders an 11-1 mark on the season with two games left to play, including Wednesday's road game at Plymouth, scheduled for a 4:30 kickoff.

Varsity Win Over Laconia Solidifies Hold on First Place

The Marauders celebrated their arrival in first place in the NHIAA standings with a decisive 5-2 win against Laconia Wednesday. While both Lebanon and St. Thomas were losing, Hanover scored four times in the first 23 minutes of the match to put a stranglehold on their lofty perch. Eric Jayne led the attack, scoring the first two goals of the game in less than 13 minutes, his 14th and 15th of the season. The sharpshooting junior has now scored ten times in the Marauders' six-game winning streak. Amazingly, in five of those games he has scored within the first nine minutes.

Hanover's win was hardly a one-man show, however. The Marauders dominated the match with an impressive display of team play on both offense and defense. Their spacing and awareness allowed them to hold the ball for long stretches and probe carefully on offense, and when they lost the ball they pressured efficiently, won the ball back with aggressive tackling, and quickly made the transition back to offense, changing the point of attack and varying their target men. Jayne and Ben Harris were the quarterbacks, creating space with their runs and utilizing the support of all eight midfielders and defenders.

Nor surprisingly, it was left back Nate Hanna that triggered the first goal, serving a long ball over the top of the Laconia defense that found Jayne on the end of an angled run into the box. Jayne controlled the ball, held off a defender, and pulled Laconia keeper Garrett Beck out of the net. His right-to-left run gave him only a narrow window of opportunity past the left post, but his well-struck left-footed shot found side netting and gave the Marauders a 1-0 lead. The assist was Hanna's ninth of the season, an all-time record for Hanover defenders, and putting him in close proximity with some of the best all-time Marauder setup men.

Jayne was back at it three minutes later, bumping the lead to 2-0 after Trey Rebman crossed the ball from the left side to right midfielder Sean Gemunden, who laid the ball back to Jayne for an easy conversion. Ben Harris then narrowly missed the most spectacular goal of the season, launching a left-footed rocket from the port side that was clearly aimed at the upper ninety. Beck managed to get a hand on the ball before it tucked under the crossbar, but a few minutes later he was victimized by Harris and Dan Remillard. The former got his head on the ball in traffic and popped it goalward, and before Beck could gather it in Remillard slithered in from the side and poked it over his head and into the net. Filthy, absolutely filthy. As a wave of substitutes frantically warmed up in the unseasonable October chill, Hayden Pressey-Murray continued the assault, tapping home the rebound of Jayne's hat trick bid for his second goal of the season. With less than 23 minutes elapsed, the score was 4-0 and the match was over.

With eight substitutes on the field Hanover continued to dominate the play. Laconia's only chances came from long distance, and in one case incredibly long distance. Sachem striker Will Salta, the author of Laconia's only three shots on goal, tok aim in one instance from 60 yards out and hit a free kick that actually forced Marauder goalkeeper Same Gest to make a creditable save. Salta would be heard from during second half garbage time.

The Marauders made a bit less noise in the second half, but managed to up the lead to 5-0 ten minutes into the second half when Aaron Segura tallied his first Hanover goal, driving home a nice feed from the relentless Jonathan Fenton. Shortly thereafter, the Marauders went 25 deep on their roster, and nevertheless maintained an amazingly high level of play. Chris Tecca and Robin Smith were stalwarts in the back, and Tecca got forward for a dangerous header on goal. Connor Bentovoglio and Charlie Umland looked confident at outside back, and were technically sound. Adam Kline-Schoder and Sam Farnham played great position on the flanks, and continued Hanover's efficient passing game. Brendan Barth not only added his great sense of field vision as a playmaker, but also collected his milestone first foul. Pedro Celaya demonstrated excellent judgment in varying his strong one-on-one moves and his combination play.

With 18 minutes left in the match the Marauders were penalized when Sam Gest was called for being six inches out of the box on the follow through of a punt. Technically, it's possible to make that call. Naturally, the talented Salta took the ensuing free kick and ripped a bending shot into the far upper corner. Kudos to Salta for a great shot and for Sam Gest and all of teammates and coaches for laughing it off. Six minutes later the voracious Salta was at it again, taking a lead pass and roaring through the defense to tuck home a partial breakaway for the final 5-2 score. No worries. The game had been decided well beforehand. Hanover continued to play with skill and maturity, and put a bow on the win that gave them a record of 10-1-1.

The Marauders had started the game with the knowledge that the latest Heal Point standings had them in first place in Class I, nearly five points ahead of St. Thomas and an amazing 27 in front of third-place Lebanon. After the game came word of Coe-Brown's 1-0 win over St. Thomas and Lebanon's 2-0 defteat at the hands of Kearsarge. There are still a number of games to be played, but barring a total collapse the Marauders will have the opportunity to remain in first place through the playoffs, with all of the seeding benefits thereunto appertaining.

"For now, we have to concentrate on taking the opportunities we have to keep improving," commented Coach Grabill. "Our consistency and willingness to learn has put us in a good position. However, we are well aware of our weaknesses, and will be striving to get better in the weeks to come. We love playing in this type of weather," he concluded, steam rising from his thinning grey mane into the night air. This is our time of year."

Laconia Games Rescheduled

The varsity game against Laconia will be played on Wednesday, October 14 at Robbie Mills Field. Kickoff is at 4:30.

The Junior Varsity game against Laconia will be played on Wednesday, October 14 at the Laconia Middle School. Kickoff is at 4:30.

Dismissal time for both teams is at 1:45 p.m.

Laconia Games Postponed

The Boys' JV and Varsity games at Laconia scheduled for Tuesday, Oct. 13 have been postponed due to unplayable field conditions, and will be played on Wednesday,Oct. 14. Game times will be announced later today.

Directions to Laconia Games

Directions to Robbie Mills Field in Laconia

JV and Varsity Soccer vs. Laconia

Tuesday, Oct. 13


Take Rt. 89 South to Rt. 4 East (Enfield)

Follow Rt. 4 East to Danbury

Turn Left onto Rt. 104 East to Meredith

4-5 miles past New Hampton (past Rt. 93) turn left on Meredith Center Road

Turn right (south) on Meredith Center Road

Follow the signs for the NH Humane Society

Robbie Mills Field is 5 miles South, on the right

Reserves Tie Hartford, 1-1

The Hanover Reserve boys' team traveled to Quechee Monday afternoon to face Hartford High School's Junior Varsity squad. The previous match up had been a great success for the Marauders, who won quite comfortably at home by a 2-1 margin. The Hartford team was comprised of massively tall and strong players. Not fazed by the size differences, Hanover took to the field with an aggressive mindset and game plan, emphasizing quick attack and wing play.

Both teams recorded their first shots at net within the first four minutes of the game. Duncan Piper proved that he was more than capable and very aware of his surroundings, making eight saves in the first half. Eben Holbrook and Steve Gofer held the midfield well, quickly countering any forward movement towards the Marauder net. Ryan O' Rourke and Nick D'Orsi had several chances and made sure Hartford knew they would both be threats on the right flank while Mitch Curry practiced his slipping and sliding technique on the left due to indoor soccer shoes on an outside pitch. The reserve team's legion of doom in the back, led by Matt Couture, Daniel Wilson, Bei Dai and Zach Estes, proved time and time again that they had no interest in letting Hartford retain possesion in their territory. The half ended in a scoreless tie.

Hartford came into the second half kick off determined and aggressive charging into a prepared Hanover defense. Play immediately returned to back and forth action up the field, with charging runs from David White and an intense James Choi. Oren Wilcox and Sawyer Brooks stiffened their upper lips and challenged Hartford's midfield incessantly. In the 60th minute a Hartford corner kick was lofted into the danger area only to be caught well by Duncan Piper. Unfortunately, the ball had too much force and bounced out of his grip and over his head into the Marauder net, making the score Hartford 1, Hanover 0.

Determination rekindled, the Maroon players brought the ball back to midfield for the start. Hartford's coach made it quite clear to his team that "the next five minutes are important." What an understatement that turned out to be. Alex Brown and Mitchell Curry combined together to moved the ball down the left. Ever wide floating Brown broke off repeated tackles making the Hartford star centerback regret ever challenging him. Brown made a cross in front of the net passing the Hartford goalie, defensemen, and David White only to be blasted into the back of the Hartford net by the oncoming part-time right midfielder Ryan O'Rourke, tying the score at 1-1.

The equalizer deflated Hartford morale and caused them to go above and beyond what was required defensively, making repeated infringements on O'Rourke and Michael Yukica who was floored by a Hartford center back in the air, earning him a warning. The final minutes of the game were tense and fast on both sides with Steve Gofer reappearing as a striker making a blinding run towards net and a one on one situation stopped by the net minder. Hartford's last gasp effort was a shot taken at the right of the top of the eighteen that quickly glided wide of the net on the grass and out of play. O'Rourke continued to harass and be harassed equally on the right and fought hard taken nearly eight throw ins and four or five corner kicks. At the final whistle it was Hanover 1, Hartford 1. A very well played match from the Reserve boys! Congratulations on another top performance. Thank you to all the parents and fans who attended. Tuesday's 4:00 p.m. practice is optional.

JVs beat Bow 2-1; Season Record Now 10-1

The Hanover JV boys beat Bow 2-1 on Homecoming Saturday, thanks to two goals by Ryan Brigham and a strong team defensive performance. Coach Mike Callanan's troops are now 10-1 on the season with three games left to play. Brigham's brace came seven minutes apart in the first half. Bow countered with a goal seven minutes later, and the remaining 50 minutes were a tight struggle. Defenders Daniel Osheyack, Connor Schoen, Jay Mobilia and Ben Manning were outstanding in front of goalie Andrew Brown, who made the save of the season late in the game to preserve the win. Callanan cited Captains Chris Harwick and Alex Dodds for outstanding leadership in the game and throughout the seson.

Soccer Schedule October 12-17

Monday, October 12


Reserve Game at Hartford at 4:30 p.m.
Bus departs Hanover H.S. at 3:30 p.m.

No JV Practice

Varsity Practice at Huntley 4:00 - 5:30 p.m.


Tuesday, October 13


Reserve Practice at Norwich 4:00 - 5:30 p.m.

JV Game at Laconia at 4:30 p.m. Bus Departs at 1:45p.m.

Varsity Game at Laconia at 6:30 p.m. Bus Departs at 1:45 p.m.


Wednesday, October 14


Reserve Practice at Norwich 4:00 - 5:30 p.m.

JV Practice at Huntley 3:30 - 5:00 p.m.

Varsity Practice at Huntley 3:30 - 5:00 p.m.


Thursday, October 15


Reserve Scrimmage vs. JV Girls HHS grass 3:30p.m.

JV Game at Plymouth at 4:30 p.m.

Varsity Game at Plymouth at 4:30 p.m.


Friday, October 16


Reserve Practice at Norwich 4:00 - 5:30 p.m.

JV Practice at Huntley 4:00 - 5:30 p.m.

Varsity Practice at Huntley 4:00 - 5:30 p.m.


Saturday, October 17


Reserve Game vs. Keene on HHS Grass 10:30 a.m.

No JV/Varsity Practice


Sunday, October 18


No Soccer Team Activities

Marauder Win Streak at Five With 3-1 Win Over Bow

The Hanover boys closed out the regular season home schedule with a convincing 3-1 victory against a capable Bow team on Saturday, extending their wining streak to five games and solidifying their hold on second place in the NHIAA Class I standings with a mark of 9-1-1.
Eric Jayne continued his hot streak with two goals, and Senior Jonathan Fenton iced the game with a textbook goal, the first of his career.

Twice in the past four years, Bow and Hanover have met in the Class I Finals, and did so as recently as 2007. The Falcons dripped out of title contention last year, but come into town Saturday with an 8-4 record and a chip on their collective shoulders. Eric Jayne got the match off to a proper start inside the six-minute mark, taking a pass from Aaron Segura and waltzing through the Bow defense before tucking the ball past Carter Bennett for a 1-0 lead. Bow had barely ventured into the Hanover end of the field, but ten minutes into the match heir earned their only corner kick of the half. Ed Berke drove a low ball that eluded the Marauder defense and found Greg Roemer unmarked at the back post, where he shoveled the ball past Sam Gest to tie the score at 1-1.

Hanover reasserted control for the balance of the half, but were unable to regain the lead despite decent scoring bids from Joe Carey, Segura and Ben Harris. The best offensive thrust of the half came from Isaiah Fariel, who took a feed from Forrest Pratt and streaked past a defender on the right touchline, hitting a perfect cross (low, hard and early) that nearly connected with Jonathan Fenton, only to be swallowed up by Bennett in the Bow goal.

Bow rarely re-appeared in their attacking half of the park, although they created one scramble in front of the goal that requited Gunnar Shaw to peel the ball off of his goal line to maintain the scoreline.

Hanover did an outstanding job after the interval managing their frustration at both not scoring and the puerile commentary coming from the Bow bench. Happily, their scoring frustration ended at the exact moment that he Bow bench fell suddenly silent, seven minutes into the second half. Capitalizing on a recent tendency to keep the ball on the rug in the attacking third, Nate Hanna slotted the ball to Jayne and watched in admiration as he re-created his first half goal, weaving through the Bow defenders like a homeward commuter spotting an open subway seat during rush hour and giving Hanover the lead for good with his 13th goal of the season. The assist was Hanna's seventh, and sixth in the past five games.

The host team was required to play very little defense in their end, preferring to blunt any Bow attacks at midfield. On the Falcons' sole second half corner kick, Hanover made them look silly. Trying the sort of short corner kick that Harris and Jayne occasionally employ with some good effect, the two strikers were challenged quickly by an alert Matt Barth, while at the same time both Marauder defenders guarding the goal posts stepped quickly. When the recipient of the initial pass tried to dump the ball to his buddy on the baseline, the play was instantly called offsides. The utterance of displeasure from Bow Coach George Pinkham directed at his players verified that Hanover had tactically embarrassed their visitors. Neatly done.

The Marauders appeared very willing to push hard for a third goal, effectively smothering any Bow comeback attempts in the process. Aaron Segura pressed the attack like a man with a lot of visiting relatives in the audience. Gunnar Shaw just missed heading home his fourth goal of the season on a Jayne corner kick. With six minutes to play, Fenton iced the game with his first career goal, and it was a memorable one. Matt Barth played the ball to Forrest Pratt on the right flank at midfield, and Pratt slotted a perfect ball to Fenton, racing into the Bow penalty box. The hard-working senior completely undressed the Bow sweeper and almost simultaneously ripped a left-footer that rocketed into the side netting just inside the far post.

The Marauders now head to the road for the remaining three games of the regular season, beginning almost immediately with a Tuesday road trip to Robbie Mills Field for a rematch with Laconia. Kickoff will be at 6:30, immediately following the JV game, slated to start at 4:30. Bus departure Tuesday will be at 1:45.

Haven Food Drive Saturday for Varsity and JV Matches Against Bow

The Marauder boys' and girls' teams (Varsity and JV) will be collecting non-perishable food items for The Haven food pantry during the Homecoming matches Saturday. The boys will host Bow at 3:00 on Saturday (Varsity on the Turf, and JV on the grass), followed by the girls at 5:00. Please help us do our part to fight hunger in the Upper Valley!

Reserves Show Their Strength Against Thetford JVs

Thank you to all the parents and Marauders fans who attended Friday afternoon's brilliant match between the Reserves and the Thetford Academy Junior Varsity, and apologies to all players and fans who missed it. The Boys' Reserve team showed just how skilled and beautifully the game could be played under the recently perma-overcast sky at the Norwich fields. As predicted, the TA team was older, taller, and stronger than Hanover's but that was not apparent nor a factor throughout the entire match.

Long passes towards the Marauder net were all Thetford could muster in the first half, quickly becoming aware of the defensive prowess of Daniel Wilson, Zach Estes, Matthew Couture, Bei Dai, and of course Ryan O'Rourke between the pipes. Midfield play was inspired and aided greatly by a top performance that would put Xabi Alonso to shame from Mr. Eben Holbrook. Robert Wild, Mitch Curry, and Rain Yesman, and Nick D'Orsi used the wings to full effect while giving 150 percent effort. Corners and free kicks led to no avail to either squad in the first half.

The second half began with Thetford on the offensive, throwing everything forward quickly only to find the Marauder back line solid. Hanover had many long passes sent to Alex Brown and Robert Wild who tried their hardest to center the ball. Good shots towards net were taken by newly returned central midfielder Jonathan Kenkel and first-time striker Steve Gofer. Both shots were of quality but missed the net.

With fifteen minutes to go a Thetford striker knocked knees with center back Matt Couture, bringing him down with an unfortunate game injury that sent him out of the game. Ethan Wilcox, making his fourth appearance this season, proved he was more than capable to replace Couture. Play continued to go positively in both directions with strong tackles and determined play. With five minutes remaining Thetford was awarded a corner kick that was struck short, landing on a Thetford foot that shot the ball into the protective hands of an Hanover player inside the box. A penalty kick was awarded and Ryan O'Rourke gave his best effort, nearly stopping the kick but seeing his well earned shutout disappear.

With Thetford holding a 1-0 lead, the remaining minutes were filled with as much drama and intensity as the rest of the game with Alex Brown and Nick D'Orsi forcing the issue trying so hard for the equalizer. With two minutes remaining Thetford got another chance with a cross over O'Rourke to the far post that was redirected off the head by a Thetford player two feet from net, only to be headed out off the line by the ever prescient Ethan Wilcox. Time ran out and the Hanover squad should have no regrets. The effort passion and true beauty that was on display made this match the best of the season so far.

Altogether congratulations are needed for the full sqaud. The Men of the Match were: Ryan O'Rourke, Matthew Couture, Zach Estes, Bei Dai, Daniel Wilson, Tor Hathaway, Sawyer Brooks, Rain Yesman, Robert Wild, Neils Kuehlert, Eben Holbrook, Mitchell Curry, Nick D'Orsi, Parker Gardner, Ethan Wilcox, Steve Gofer, Jonathan Kenkel, Alex Brown, Duncan Piper, and Michael Yukica.

Congratulations on a fantastic perfomance. The bus for Monday's away match at Hartford will be departing from Hanover High School at 3:30 p.m. Players. please arrive no later than 3:00 p.m. wearing maroon away jerseys.

Reserves Beat Lebanon 2-1

The Reserves continued their win streak on Merriman-Branch Field Wednesday, beating Lebanon 2-1 to sweep the season series. Daniel Slayton opened the scoring, wining a one-on-one battle with the Raider goalie. After the visitors had tied the score, Neils Kuehlert got the game winner, converting a corner kick from Ryan O'Rourke. Duncan Piper got the win in goal for Hanover, making a big save on a free kick in the waning moments of the game to preserve the victory. Jonathan Kenkel made his long-awaited debut for the Marauders after patiently and faithfully waiting for his broken arm to heal.

The Reserves return to action Friday with a 4:00 game against Thetford at the Rt. 5 fields in Norwich. Because there is no school that day, players will need to provide their own transportation to and from the game, and should arrive at the field no later than 3:15.

Junior Varsity Beats Kearsarge in a Wild One, 6-5

The Hanover Junior Varsity improved to 9-1 on the season Tuesday, surviving a late Kearsarge rally to win a 6-5 shootout. The Marauders held a three-goal lead for most of the match, and were able to withstand the Cougar flurry in the final minutes.

Connor Gordon and Ryan Brigham each scored twice for Hanover, with single goals in the second half from Alex Dodds and Keegan Gantrish, whose family accounted for at least half of the audience. Daniel Hernandez picked up an assist on Gordon's second goal, and played one of his best games of the season at midfield.

Hanover Hosts Bow on the historic HHS grass pitch at 3:00 on Saturday.

Marauders Beat Kearsarge 3-0; Now 8-1-1

Seeking to put distance between themselves and a pack of Class I pursuers, Hanover registered a definitive 3-0 victory over a very capable Kearsarge team Tuesday night at Merriman-Branch Field. Eric Jayne and Ben Harris scored each scored in the early going, giving the Marauders more than enough of a lead to work with. From there, the relentless Hanover team defense stifled the Cougars until Gunnar Shaw's header midway through the second half sealed the win. In winning their fourth straight match, the Marauders pushed their record to 8-1-1 and solidified their hold on second place in the NHIAA standings. When the Heal Point standings are published later today, they will show a widening gap between penthouse dwellers St. Thomas and Hanover, and the remainder of the elite teams in Class I, including Souhegan, Coe-Brown, Lebanon and the ever-dangerous Oyster River. Kearsarge will drop back into that pack, and Hanover will focus on maintaining their pressure on St. Thomas, who dropped a point Tuesday with their 4-4 draw against Hollis, their second deadlock of the season.

Kearsarge entered Tuesday's contest with a seven-game unbeaten string and high ambitions. It took less than four minutes for the Marauders to knock the wind out of their sails. Matt Barth, exploring the parameters of his attack role on the right flank, lifted a high cross into the Kearsarge box that was mishandled by Cougar keeper Brett Bascom. Eric Jayne was there to pick up the pieces, controlling the ball and flipping it into the upper right corner for his 11th goal of the campaign.

Eight minutes later, Hanover doubled the lead when Nate Hanna played a sweet ball over the Kearsarge defense and into the space provided by their sweeper. Ben Harris continued a great run from right to left and controlled the ball at the top of the box long enough to launch a now-patented left footer on target. Bascom got a hand on the ball but was unable to push it over the bar, and it settled into the far corner for Harris' six goal of the season (and sixth in the last six game). The lad is hot. The assist was Hanna's seventh of the season and 12th of his career, threatening to vault him into the upper echelon of Marauder playmakers. Like Lou Gemunden last year, he's feeling it at just the right time of year.

The Hanover defense was preventing Kearsarge from getting much started, thanks in particular to the relentless work of center midfielders Aaron Segura and Joe Carey, whose ball-winning and physicality dominated the middle. Carey briefly shed his brooding, Galdalf-like warrior countenance long enough to make a nice run into the Kearsarge penalty area and author a telling shot to the right corner that was denied by Bascom. The back four of Barth, Dan Remillard, Gunnar Shaw and Nate Hanna were impenetrable, limiting Kearsarge to one tentative shot in the half, combining superior air power with great positional sense.

Hanover's territorial advantage remained in force throughout the second half, and their continued pressure paid off in the 58th minute when a flurry after a Marauder corner kick resulted in a cross from Trey Rebman to the unerring head of Gunnar Shaw, who nodded home his third goal of the year for an insurmountable 3-0 lead. Not surprisingly, the quality of play continued even after every starting player on offense took the rest of the night off. Jonathan Fenton and Isaiah Fariel continued their great work up front, not only with their increasingly sophisticated offense, but also with effective pressure from behind on the Kearsarge defense, exemplifying the precept that all eleven men on a great team are strong defenders.

Roland Hermann-Stanzel played strongly at center midfield, winning a number of balls and working free from a left-footer from the top of the box that was kept out of the lower left corner only by one of Bascom's best saves of the night. Hayden Pressey-Murray made one of the best setups of the evening, laying a beautifully timed ball into the path of a streaking Hanna, whose centering pass barely missed connecting in front of the goal.

Stefan Dyroff was fairly busy in goal in the second half, a testament to the fighting spirit of a Kearsarge team that kept working hard. Dyroff handled several challenging shots, and made one particularly good save on a well-taken free kick from the edge of the box. His third shutout of the season was well-deserved.

The Marauders will play their last home game of the regular season on Saturday, hosting a capable Bow team at 3:00 p.m. (be sure to note the time change!). They will combine with the Hanover girls' team with a final food drive on behalf of the Haven, and hope that the Homecoming crowd will be generous with their donations of non-perishable food items. Tuesday's game gave the team the chance to collect a nice cache of supplies for the Upper Valley Humane Society.

Soccer Schedule October 5-12

Monday, October 5


Reserve Practice at Norwich 4:00 - 5:30 p.m.

JV Practice at Huntley 4:00 - 5:30 p.m.

Varsity Practice HHS Turf 4:45 - 6:15 p.m.


Tuesday, October 6


Reserve Practice at Norwich 4:00 - 5:30 p.m.

JV Home Game vs. Kearsarge HHS Grass 4:30 p.m.

Varsity Home Game vs. Kearsarge HHS Turf 7:30 p.m.


Wednesday, October 7


Reserve Home Game vs. Lebanon HHS Turf 3:30 p.m.

JV Practice at Huntley 3:00 - 4:30 p.m.

Varsity Practice at Huntley 3:00 - 4:30 p.m.


Thursday, October 8


Reserve Practice at Norwich 4:00 - 5:30 p.m.

JV Practice at Huntley 4:00 - 5:30 p.m.

Varsity Practice at Huntley 4:00 - 5:30 p.m.


Friday, October 9


Reserve Home Game vs. Thetford Academy at Norwich 4:00 p.m.

No JV Practice

Varsity Practice HHS Turf 1:30 - 3:00


Saturday, October 10


JV Home Game vs. Bow HHS Grass 3:00 p.m.

Varsity Home Game vs. Bow HHS Turf 3:00 p.m.


Sunday, October 11


No Team Activity


Monday. October 12


Reserve Game at Hartford 4:30 p.m.

Varsity Soccer Practice at Huntley 4:00 - 5:30 p.m.

Soccer Teams Give Back to the Community

Hanover soccer players are in the midst of a busy week of public service work. At last Wednesday's JV and Varsity games, the Marauders sponsored their fourth annual Food Drive for the Haven, and in conjunction with the Lebanon players and parents collected four car loads of foodstuffs for the the Haven's food pantry, which serves dozens of Upper Valley families in need of regular assistance to kep their families fed. Senior Sam Gest and Junior Hayden-Pressey Murray completed the deliveries the next day, minimizing the workload for the Haven staff.

On Sunday afternoon, more than 40 Hanover soccer players (both boys and girls) and field hockey players will be participating in the Lebanon CROP Walk. The Communities Responding to Poverty program raises money for hunger relief programs both locally and throughout the world, and is recognized as a charity that dedicates a very high percentage of the money raised to the actual recipients of the aid. Hanover athletes have been collecting tax-deductible contributions and pledges for the past several weeks, and will continue that process through tomorrow's walk and in some cases afterwards. For the past three years, the Hanover contingent by itself has averaged almost $4,00 in contributions. On Sunday, all of the participants will gather at Colburn Park in Lebanon (Registration begins at 12:30) and join in a 5 kilometer walk to symbolize their solidarity with people around the world, many of whom need to walk at least that far just to feed their families. The Lebanon CROP walk has a goal this year of $20,000.

Participants who have not yet signed up may so so on-site on Sunday, and bring a contribution with them. Those interested in contributing to support this effort may contact any Hanover varsity soccer player for information.

The Marauder soccer players will be collecting donations of the Upper Valley Humane Society at their Tuesday night home game against Kearsarge, and will be joining with the girls' team for another food drive next Saturday during Homecoming. Stay tuned for details!

Reserves Split Games with Stevens and Coe Brown

The Marauder Reserves played back to back games against strong opposition Friday and Saturday, exhibiting some of their best soccer of the season. Hanover lost a well-played 2-0 game on the road against the Stevens Junior Varsity on Friday, and returned home Saturday to beat Coe-Brown 1-0 on Merriman-Branch Field.

Playing for the first time on turf against Coe-Brown, the Reserves were hoping for some fireworks, but instead the spacious skies greeted them with ample waves of rain. Persevering in the precipitation, Hanover played an airtight game defensively and demonstrated a cohesive passing attack. Rocket Robert Wild collected the Marauder goal midway through the first half with a blast that beat the Coe-Brown goalie on the near post. Forwards Alex Brown, Daniel Slayton, David Whiteand Michael Yukica kept up the pressure for the rest of the game, backed by solid center midfield play from Tor Hathaway, Nick D'Orsi, Sawyer Brooks and Beckenbauer-in-waiting Oren Wilcox.

In addition to Wild, the play of the wing midfielders was superb. Mitch Curry hit a monster free kick that barely cleared the crossbar, and James Choi provided a lot of energy. In the end, it was the defenders who earned top billing. Zach Estes was a monster in the middle, abetted by Bei Dai. Ethan Wilcox played one of his best games of the season, winning a number of one on one battles, and Daniel Wilson was a rock on the right side. Ryan O'Rourke collected a ho-hum shutout, ably fielding whatever came his way.

The Reserves continue their home stand next week with a Wednesday match against Lebanon, and a Friday contest against Thetford. Both games kick of at 4:00 p.m.

Game Time Change For Bow Games Oct. 10

The kickoff times for next Saturday's Varsity and JV games against Bow have been changed (again). Both games will kick off at 3:00 p.m. on Saturday, to be followed by the girls' games. The JV game will be on the grass field, and the Varsity game will be on the turf.

Freshman Game Highlights Thursday Soccer Schedule

Thursday's soccer schedule will feature the second Class of '13 Classic, starring every member of the freshman class in a match kicking off at 3:30 on the HHS grass field. The North-South rosters will remain fundamentally unchanged. Freshly-laundered scrimmage vests will be provided, and warm clothing is recommended. All upperclassmen on the Varsity, JV and reserve teams will have the day off. Varsity and JV will resume practice on Friday, and the reserves will head to Stevens.
Coach Grabill will be available during the freshman match for individual meetings.

Marauder JV Dumps Undefeated Lebanon 1-0

The Hanover Junior Varsity set the tone for a victorious day of soccer on Merriman-Branch Field Wednesday, securing a hard-earned 1-0 victory over Lebanon to avenge their 3-0 defeat last week and issue the visiting raiders their first loss of the season. Zach Taylor's long-range shot at the 65 minute mark gave the Marauders the only goal they needed, and they made it stand up with cohesive passing, timely defense, and a little bit of luck.

The skillful Raiders had the upper hand in the early going, twice smacking the woodwork behind or over Alex Woods in the Hanover goal. Much to his credit, Woods also made several excellent saves, and the defensive back four of Daniel Osheyack, Ben Manning, Connor Schoen and Jay Mobilia operated with skill and confidence. Hanover slowly began to assert itself with excellent midfield passing, with Chris Harwick and Zach Taylor doing an outstanding job of distributing the ball, and Keegan Gantrish and Peter Bensen working hard on the wings. Ryan Brigham and Ian Strohbehn were equally energetic on top, as was Alex Dodds.

The game was scoreless at halftime, and remained that way well into the second half, with Andrew Brown spelling Woods in goal and showing excellent judgement off his line on several occasions. The spectre of a scoreless draw began to loom, but with fifteen minutes to play the Marauders worked the ball into the right corner, where Dodds played the ball back to a trailing Taylor. The imposing Lyme-ite lofted a dangerous ball toward the far post,and whether he intended it as a cross or a shot is immaterial. It was well-struck and purposeful, and it sailed over Lebanon's star freshman keeper Austin Mansell and settled into the far side netting for a 1-0 lead. Both teams threatened several times in the closing minutes, but Hanover's poise prevailed, and they emerged victorious with their best win of the season. Now 8-1, the Marauders will return to actionnext Tuesday with a home game against Kearsarge, coached by HHS graduate Chris Geraghty.

Marauders Snap Lebanon Streak With a 4-2 Win

Hanover played its best soccer of the season on Wednesday, taking complete control of their match with unbeaten Lebanon with three goals in the first 27 minutes, and dumping the 8-0 Raiders from the ranks of the undefeated with a resounding 4-2 victory in front of a large crowd at Merriman-Branch Field. In avenging their only loss of the season, the Marauders continued to click offensively, receiving a hat trick from junior Eric Jayne and a devastating header by Captain Dan Remillard. With 19 goals in their last five games, Hanover has shed its early-season scoring woes.

Lebanon entered the game with impressive credentials, having allowed only one goal in eight games. They were the only unbeaten and untied team in Class I, and their overtime win over the Marauders last week placed them firmly on top of the division pecking order. Hanover was respectful of the quality of the opposition, but showed early in the contest that they were prepared to shake up the standings. After a typically unsettled opening five minutes, Jayne put his mark on the game with a big-time goal, settling a long cross from Nate Hanna and turning on a dime just outside the 18, finding just enough space to launch a left-footed laser past a sprawling Jimmy Kane in the Lebanon net for a crucial 1-0 lead.

The Marauders continue to attack confidently, and had the Lebanon attack completely bottled up, thanks to the strong fullback play of Hanna, Remillard, Gunnar Shaw and Matt Barth, who had his best game of the season. Midway through the half, Hanover doubled the lead,taking advantage of a Raider miscue. Sean Gemunden hit a long cross from the right side that sailed through the hands of Kane, and Jayne was in the right place at the right time to bundle it into the goal for a 2-0 lead. Seven minutes later the Marauders made Lebanon pay for a silly foul well outside the penalty area. Hanna launched one of his patented driven free kicks, and Remillard made hours of patient practice pay off with a far post header that emphatically upped the advantage to 3-0.

To their credit, Lebanon continued to battle, and pulled a goal back less than three minutes later when Cooper Hardy's free kick sailed into a crowd in the Marauder penalty area and found its way past a diving Sam Gest. Unfazed, Hanover reasserted the dominance that resulted in a first-half shot total of 10-1, with Ben Harris and Joe Carey launching hard shots that Kane managed to stop.

The Marauders knew that the first few minutes after halftime would be critical, but after less than five minutes it was Jayne who would again stake his claim as Man of the Match, taking a lead pass from Gemunden and threading past two flailing Lebanon defenders before burying his third goal of the game for a 4-1 lead. It was the first three-goal game for a Hanover player since Yosef Osheyack turned the trick against a pathetic Con-Val side in 2007. To do the deed against such a highly-rated opponent only adds to the luster of the accomplishment. With ten goals on the season, Jayne is on target to challenge the likes of current Bentley University scoring ace Jimmy Alexander, who notched 20 goals in 2005 en route to pacing the Marauders to the first of their four straight Class I titles.

Once again Lebanon reminded the home team that they are every bit as good as their record, striking back five minutes later when Avery Hymel found room in the penalty area and hit a shot to Sam Gest's left that the senior netminder slowed with an acrobatic dive but couldn't keep from trickling over the line. Once again, the Marauders showed their collective resilience by dictating the pace for the remaining thirty minutes of the game. A steady stream of Hanover attackers made their way into the Lebanon end of the pitch, and only bad luck and Key's stellar goalkeeping kept the score the same. Kane robbed Nate Hanna with a sensational dive to his left on a scorcher from the left flank. He also thwarted Aaron Segura on a well-taken free kick, and lucked out when Isaiah Fariel hit a sitter high and right from close range. Hayden Pressey-Murray came close to duplicating the header that he had hit against Bishop Brady 24 hours earlier.

Lebanon managed a few long-range shots that were gobbled up by Gest, but the confident clearing by Shaw, Remillard, Hanna and Barth made any thoughts of a comeback by Lebanon academic. Hanover got good relief performances by midefielders Forrest Pratt and Trey Rebman, and closed the books on a win that boosted their unbeaten streak to three and their record to 7-1-1. Already sitting second in the Class I Heal Point standings prior to the match, the
Marauders reaped a point bonanza with the win, and should remain firmly camped in sewcond place behind St. Thomas, the sole remaining unbeaten team in the division.

Hanover will be off until next Tuesday when they host an improved Kearsarge team that has seven wins already and losses only to the Marauders and to Lebanon. Following that, they will entertain Bow at 5:00 on Homecoming Saturday, another team well established in the top five with a 7-2 record. Success in these contests will go a long way toward ensuring the coveted quarterfinal home game that means everything to the Marauders.

"May hat is off to every member of this team," commented Coach Grabill after the match. "They never let last week's loss weigh on them, and have continued to improve with every game. This result belongs to all of them. They have worked very hard in practice and demonstrated incredible dedication toward our long-range goals. Now it's October, and it's time to take our game to another level. We are going to be a very hard to team to beat from now on."

Hanover JV Beats Bishop Brady 10-1

The Marauder Junior Varsity enjoyed a one-sided victory over Bishop Brady on Tuesday, outscoring the visitors 10-1 to improve their record to 7-1 on the season. Ryan Brigham tallied two goals, and ten other players got their names in the scorebook. Alex Dodds scored on an assist from Peter Bensen, Daniel Osheyack proved that defenders can find the upper ninety, and Zach Taylor picked the corner on a shot from outside the penalty area. Ian Strohbehn assisted on Brigham's second goal, and Jay Mobilia closed out the scoring in the first half for a 6-0 advantage.

Chris Stephens opened the second half scoring,followed by Drake Greenwood (assisted by Alex Pratt), Jacob LaPoint, and Eli Connolly, demonstrating his superiority over the less-hirsute Sampson.

The Marauders seek to avenge their only loss of the season on Wednesday, hosting Lebanon at 4:30 on Merriman-Branch Field.

Marauders Top Bishop Brady 4-1

Hanover prepared for their Wednesday showdown with Lebanon with a purposeful and attractive 4-1 victory over a determined Bishop Brady team Tuesday at Merriman-Branch field. After conceding the opening goal to the visitors, the Marauders stayed composed and played 70 minutes of outstanding soccer, scoring four goals in a ten-minute stretch from the end of the first half to the beginning of the second. Ben Harris has his second consecutive two-goal game, Eric Jayne tallied his team-leading seventh goal, and Hayden Pressey-Murray opened his account for the season with a goal and an assist. After dozing on Brady's goal, the defense was outstanding for the rest of the way, and every one of the 24 field players got significant playing time.

The first seven minutes of the match were largely at midfield, as a focused Brady squad seemed determined to stay stride for stride with their hosts. Hanover conceded a corner at the eight minute mark and made a meal of the clearance, allowing Matt Bosiak the opportunity to pounce on the ball at close range and dent the net for the first goal of the game. The Marauders then showed considerable poise, letting the match come to them and exhibiting no frustration as the energized Green Giants (that's their nickname, honest!) kept them at bay. A number of scoring attempts by the likes of Nate Hanna, Gunnar Shaw and Jonathan Fenton nearly found the mark before Hayden Pressey-Murray carried the ball deep on the left flank and hit an early cross that found Harris perfectly positioned to nod home the tying goal with a little over three minutes to play in the half. Not wanting to appear ungrateful, Harris returned the favor less than three minutes later, finding room on the right baseline to swing the ball in front for Pressey-Murray's first goal of the season. Coming with less than a minute to play in the half, it was a dagger in Brady's heart.

Hanover wasted little time in the second half administering the coup de grace. Seven minutes into the second session, Nate Hanna picked up the ball in his own half and blew past two defenders, streaking down the left side. The senior co-Captain hit a worm burner across the face of the goal for Harris, who took advantage of the Brady keeper's indecision and directed the ball past him for a 3-1 lead. Less than a minute later Jayne got control of the ball on the end of one of Stefan Dyroff's punts and made room for himself at the top of the box, hitting a low hard shot just inside the left post for his seventh goal, and fifth in the last six games.

The Marauders actually increased their territorial domination as wave after wave of substitute came cascading off of the bench. Isaiah Fariel and Jonathan Fenton, the Alphonse and Gaston of the pitch (look it up), took turns trying to set each other up, eschewing their own agendas to the point of near-absurdity. They promised to do better on the morrow. Brendan Barth and Ross Johnston continued to look at home in the center of the park, covering every inch of the required territory between the eighteens. Chris Tecca continued his bid to be recognized as the most improved player on the squad, and all three of his fellow backs were effective in keeping the second half sheet clean.

Having done exactly what they needed to do as squad, the Marauders can now turn their attention to welcoming undefeated (8-0-0) Lebanon on Wednesday evening at 6:30. Memories of last week's 1-0 loss with a minute to go in the second sudden death overtime are fresh enough, and the stakes are manifest. This match will be an excellent post-season dress rehearsal, and an opportunity to apply six week's worth of lessons. It ought to be a good show.

Players from both sides, parents, and all spectators are reminded to bring non-perishable food items for donation to The Haven. Yet another good reason to hope for the best crowd of the season!

Soccer Schedule Sept. 29 - Oct. 3

Tuesday, Sept. 29


Reserve Practice at Norwich 4:00 - 5:30 p.m.

JV Game vs. Bishop Brady 4:30 p.m.HHS Grass

Varsity Game vs. Bishop Brady 6:00 p.m. HHS Turf


Wednesday, Sept. 30


Reserve Practice at Norwich 3:00 - 4:30 p.m.

JV Game vs. Lebanon 4:30 p.m. HHS Turf

Varsity Game vs. Lebanon 6:30 p.m. HHS Turf

Please bring food items for the Haven to the Lebanon games!


Thursday, Oct. 1


All-Freshman Game 3:30 p.m. HHS Grass

Varsity Practice at Huntley 4:00 - 5:30 p.m.


Friday, Oct. 2


Reserve Game at Stevens 3:30 p.m.

JV Practice at Huntley 4:00 - 5:30 p.m.

Varsity Practice at Huntley 4:00 - 5:30 p.m.


Saturday, Oct. 3


Reserve Game vs. Coe-Brown 12:30 p.m. HHS Turf


Sunday, Oct. 4


CROP Walk at Lebanon - Colburn Park

Register 12:30 p.m.

Walk 1:00 p.m.

Pickup 3:00 p.m.