Saturday, November 14, 2009
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!
Monday, November 9, 2009
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
http://jtstally.blogspot.com/2009/11/all-my-children-grabills-boys-win-again.html
Sunday, November 8, 2009
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.
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.
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