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.