Bedford and Memorial games available to watch on-line

Word is that the Bedford and Memorial games are both available to watch online.  Thanks to Paul Stinson for bringing this to our attention.


http://livestream.com/accounts/7828210?origin=event_published&mixpanel_id=145349d926e948-087fa884c-386d6951-13c680-145349d926fc3d&acc_id=11524282&medium=email

Bauer Christmas Tourney, Day 4 Hanover 3- Memorial 2

With 5:13 remaining in the third period of a 2-2 game and his team on their heels, Captain Goff jumped out of the phone booth with a big red S on his chest. Forcing a turnover at center ice and then racing in alone to score a short-handed goal, he led Hanover to a 3-2 victory over Memorial and a third place finish in the Bauer Christmas Tournament on Wednesday night at JFK Coliseum.

Newcomer TJ Beaver opened the scoring for Hanover, and opened his career goals account, with a shot from the point that may or may not have been redirected on its way past the goalie.  Logan and Lehman were credited with assists on the power-play goal.  Unfortunately, the momentum was short lived as Memorial was able to get the puck past Ratliff just 18 seconds later after a goal mouth scrum.

The rest of the period was not much to look at, as both teams seemed to suffer the effects of playing their 4th game in 5 nights.  Hanover outshot Memorial 7-5 for the period

As the first period ended, a Marauder was sent off for a hooking penalty, giving the crowd a taste of what was to come.  With Logan in the box and Baker out of action for the night, the coaching staff was forced into using Smith in a penalty killing role on the back line, and he proved to be up to the challenge.  At the end of the pk, Smith jumped up to a winger role and promptly assisted on Stadheim's goal as the Marauders regained the lead to 2-1.  Acker was also credited with an assist on the play.

The rest of the 2nd period featured a succession of penalties on both teams, and neither team was able to convert.  The Marauders had 1:40 of 5 on 3 and moved the puck smartly, but failed to capitalize.

The third period was more of the same, as Hanover had another 5 v 3, which included a near miss by Stadheim on the doorstep after some nice puck movement.  With just over 11 minutes remaining in the game, Memorial finally accepted one of the gifts they had been offered all night, and scored a power play goal to tie the game at 2.

Some more sloppy play and tired legs followed, leading eventually to another Crusader power play at the midpoint of the third period.  This time the Hanover special teams were up to the task, and Goff's heroics were enough to put the Marauders ahead to stay.

Ratliff was solid in goal all night, continuing the early season trend of excellent goaltending.  He stopped 14 of the 16 shots he faced, including several saves of the larcenous variety.

Next up for the Marauders is a rematch with Bedford on their home ice, Saturday Jan 2 with the puck scheduled to drop at 1:00 PM.  Bedford won the tourney championship over Concord 3-0, and has yet to surrender a goal this season.

Dec 29 games snowed out!

Just got word that the Manchester XMas tourney games today are snowed out and rescheduled for Weds, Dec 30 at 5:30.

Bauer Christmas Tourney - Day 3, Bedford 4 - Hanover 0

After a relatively smooth trip through the first two days of the Manchester tourney, Hanover ran into a Bedford buzzsaw on Monday night at JFK Coliseum.  Bedford returns a ton of talent from last season's semi-finalist group, and is picked by many to be the cream of the crop in Division 1 this year.  After the first six minutes of the game, the young Marauders had a good lesson in what it means to play big boy hockey.

Bedford dominated the opening frame with precision passing, an amped up pace of play, and a physical nature that was in a different category than anything the Hanover boys had witnessed to date.  Bedford controlled possession and offensive chances, and were able to get two past Loud in the first 6 minutes.  The period ended with Loud stoning a Bedford player on a short handed breakaway for his 14th save of the period, compared to just two for the Bedford netminder.  The period ended 2-0, and the Marauders headed to the room knowing it could have been worse.

The second period started with Hanover on a 90 second power play carried over from the end of period one.  The man-up unit didn't generate any great chances, but the advantage at least gave the Marauders a chance to catch their breath and get on the offensive.  While not able to match the skating and technical ability of the more experienced Bulldogs, the Hanover team was more than up for the physical challenge.  Strong physical play all around the rink, and several teeth rattling hits, many delivered by Baker, delivered the message that Hanover was not planning to go quietly into the night.

A typically strong physical battle in the corner by Will Smith goaded the Bedford defenseman into taking a couple extra whacks at the defenseless Hanover winger, and earning himself a 4 minute vacation in the penalty box for his efforts.  Hanover used the 4 minute man-up advantage to generate their first sustained possession and pressure of the game, and the power play units had several good looks to cut the lead in half.

Unfortunately for the Marauders, they didn't cash any of their lottery tickets and midway through the second the scored was still 2-0 and the teams were skating at even strength when Zinman was sent off for a hook.  Bedford played tic-tac-toe with a very efficient power play unit of their own and needed only 11 seconds to up their lead to 3-0.  Bedford earned another power play to end the period, but this time Hanover was up to the task, and killed the penalty off with the help of a couple of  "did you see that?!?!" saves from Loud to  keep the deficit at 3.

The third period was more of the same, but little by little the improvement in the Hanover game was bearing fruit.  The team kept up the physical play, and adapted to the quicker pace to create some good stretches of back and forth hockey from all three lines.  With 2 minutes to play, Coach Dodds elected to pull the goalie in favor of the extra skater, and the Marauders took the opportunity to buzz the net and keep the heat on in search of the back of the net.  After a good long stretch in the offensive zone, a turnover at center ice led to a Bedford empty net goal to close out the scoring at 4-0.

Despite the loss, there were several bright spots for the coaching staff to build on as Hanover prepares to enter the grind of Div 1 regular season play after the holiday break.  The goaltending continues to be a very bright spot so far, with Loud taking his turn and finishing with 28 saves in a stellar effort. Despite being disadvantaged in height and weight at virtually every position, the Marauders showed a willingness to play a very physical game without the parade to the penalty box that dogged them earlier in the year.   And, after reeling in the opening 6 minutes, the Marauders were able to right the ship and showed guts and mental toughness in playing the top dog in Division 1 virtually even for the remainder of the game.  Good signs for what is to come in January and February.

But first up, the bronze metal game Tuesday night at 5:30 will be a rematch of the season opener against Memorial.  After going undefeated to start the season, the Crusaders lost their first of the year to Concord on Monday to earn their spot in Tuesday's matchup.

Union Leader write-up on Day 3 is here:

http://www.unionleader.com/Bauer-Hockey-Concord-Bedford-reach-final

Bauer Christmas Classic - Day 2, Hanover 6 - Central 2

A 6 goal offensive explosion combined with a "becoming routine" shut down defensive unit and excellent goaltending combined to lead Hanover past Manchester Central 6-2 on day 2 of the Bauer Xmas tourney.  With the win, the Marauders earned a spot in Tuesday's final four, heading in to Monday's matchup with Bedford.

An early goal by Central out of a goal mouth scrum put the Little Green up 1-0, was quickly negated by a Goff goal, with assists to Smith and Zinman.  A couple of solid rings off the pipes by Goff and Acker and a lot of sustained offensive zone pressure eventually led to the game winner with 4 minutes to go in the first when Stadheim collected a rebound of an Acker shot and slipped it past the Central goalie.  Will Smith put the Marauders up two just 50 seconds before the break with a knee hockey trick shot from the right circle that somehow squirted past the goalie and into the back of the net, with an assist credited to Acker on the tally.

The start of the 2nd period brought more of the same.  Stadheim got his second of the night just 22 seconds after the intermission, with assists from Lehman and Acker.  Less than 3 minutes later, Baker took a shot from the point with the Marauders on the man advantage that found its way into the back of the net.  The officials credited the goal to Stadheim, who was stationed in front of the net and may have redirected it, but several nearby observers felt it went straight in and the goal belongs to Baker. In either event, Lehman earned another assist, and the game was effectively out of reach.   Just over a minute later, Smith netted his second of the day, an unassisted beauty described as a "goal scorer's goal" by one astute fan at that end of the rink.

The third period brought running time in an effort by rink management to get the day's schedule back on track.  And, more importantly, the coaching staff took the opportunity to roll 4 lines, earning some valuable experience for some and much needed rest for others.  Somewhere along the way, Central added a meaningless 2nd goal to bring the final tally to 6-2.

A quick shower and out of the locker room came the young Marauders, headed for the Monarchs game and an overnight in the big city, with a three game winning streak and a growing confidence in themselves and their teammates.  Ahead is a date with Bedford on Monday at 4:00 with a trip to Tuesday's finals on the line.

Monday's game will be live streamed at no charge, thanks to Michael Currier of Castle Hill Sports.

https://livestream.com/accounts/7828210/events/4627674/edit

Please share with friends and family around the world.  Go Marauders!

The Day 2 tourney roundup from the Union Leader is here:

http://www.unionleader.com/Bauer-Hockey-Classic-Memorial-rallies-past-Trinity

Kudos to Central and Memorial administrations

Sunday's trip to Manchester brought news from Coach Dodds that the students involved in the very vulgar display from the balcony at last week's game vs Memorial have been identified and disciplined by their respective schools and teams.  Without going into details, the punishments, were, in my opinion, severe enough to act as a real "lesson teacher" and deterrent.  I'm impressed with the willingness by the administrators and coaches at both Central and Memorial to address the issue head on.

The lesson to be learned, in my opinion, is that even if one is in a large crowd,  there is no truly anonymous behavior in today's world.  Hopefully our boys are listening.

Bauer Christmas Classic -Day 1,Hanover 3 - Goffstown 0

Early on in this 2015-16 Marauder campaign a trend is emerging.  Solid blue-line play from a big, physical, experienced group of D-men is backstopped by excellent goaltending to keep the opposition at bay, and an opportunistic group up front finds a way to sneak a couple in to the net and earn a Hanover victory.

On Day 1 at the Bauer tournament, it was Gabe Loud's turn to shine in the net.  He turned away all 23 shots he faced and earned his first varsity shutout.  Calm, composed, and efficient in the crease, Loud was in control from start to finish.

On the offensive end, the Marauders controlled the puck and created some solid chances in the first period, with Acker putting one puck in the back of the net that counted for naught, and a Plottner shot over the goalies shoulder that somehow found iron instead of twine.  But, despite those efforts, the teams headed to the break tied at zeros.

The second period was a little bit more of a back and forth affair, and both teams tightened up defensively, leading to a scrum that seemed to take place mostly in the neutral zone.  No great chances for either team, and one worn out holiday reveler/hockey mom was even spotted taking a nap in the bleachers at one point in the period!

But, the third period started with renewed promise, and the Marauders were able to up the offensive pressure a notch.  Two consecutive Goffstown penalties led to 4 minutes of man-up advantage for Hanover, and they used all but 1 second of that time before Acker, with an assist from Logan finally broke the dam with a shot that pinballed in with 4:29 to play.

Less than 2 minutes later, Acker added an insurance goal when he scored on what might be quite possibly the shortest shot he will ever take.  Stadheim's shot from the slot got through the Goffstown goalie, and the puck was left sitting just inches from the red line for Acker to poke in.  David Lehman finished out the scoring with just under a minute to go, shooting his first career goal into the vacated Goffstown net from center ice, with the assist credited to Baker.

Chocolate milk, lots of sleep, and another quick ride back down 89 is in store as the Marauders get the early game on Day 2 of the tourney, facing perennial powerhouse Central at noon.  Central was on the short end of a 4-0 score against Bedford in their opening game on Saturday.

A nice recap of the rest of the day 1 action can be found in the Union Leader here:

http://www.unionleader.com/article/20151227/SPORTS21/151229412

Maruaders 2 - Salem 0

Other than the endless parade to the penalty box, there's not much not to like about Monday night's Hanover effort against the Salem Blue Devils.  Good solid defending, in front of outstanding goal tending is the recipe for success for the young Marauders.  Combine that with a good aggressive forecheck and scoring contributions from some folks other than the usual suspects, and the home team will go home happy more often than not.

Freshman Zinman opened his career tally sheet in  the first period, with a hard working goal off a rebound and crease scrum.  Plottner and Morhun were credited on the assists, so, if my history books are correct, all three points awarded are the first score sheet entries in each boy's career.

The second goal was scored less than two minutes into the 2nd period, when Goff rocketed up the left wing and carried the puck deep into the Salem zone.  Smith matched his speed stride for stride and steamed up the center of the ice, arriving at the top of the crease just at the right time to receive Goff's centering pass and deposit it past the helpless Blue Devil goalie for his first career goal.

At that point it seemed like perhaps the flood gates would open, and the Marauders would run away and hide from the dispirited Blue Devils.  Unfortunately, from that point on, the only gate that opened on a regular basis was the penalty box door, as a string of penalties killed any chance the Marauders had of extending the lead.  On the good news front, the penalty killing units got plenty of work, and they were up to the task, including almost a full two minutes of 5 on 3 that included a unique three forward grouping on the ice at one point.

The third period was more of the same, as the ice started to open up, and Hanover penalties killed any chance at seizing momentum and putting the game out of reach.  Ratliff was up to the task at the other end, displaying the confidence, poise and efficiency in the net that made him impossible to beat and earned him a well deserved clean sheet, the 5th of his Hanover career.

Next up for the young Marauders is the Manchester Holiday Tourney, Dec 26th at 6:00 PM facecoff at JFK Coliseum.

Valley News has a nice writeup this AM, not sure if you can read it online without a subscription but here's the link:
http://www.vnews.com/home/20168173-95/hanover-hockey-grinds-it-out

Home Opener tonight

Home opener tonight at 5:30.  Thanks to our game sponsor, Jake's Market and Deli, for their generous support.  

Over on the right side I've posted the info for the Xmas tourney, and also a revised list of parent assignments and team dinners.

See you all at the rink

A tough way to end, Memorial 2 - Hanover 1

44 minutes and 49 seconds of good solid high school hockey ended in a way that no athlete wants to see, with the penalty shot awarded and the outcome of the game taken out of the hands of the competitors.  The Marauders have no one to blame but themselves for the final result, but there were lots of good signs and positives to build on going forward.

Memorial opened the scoring in the first period on a seeing-eye shot from the point that somehow found the back of the net while they had the man-advantage.  Hanover equalized three minutes later when Acker found Stadheim and sent him in alone, and the game was on.

The two teams settled in to a back and forth affair in the second period.  Some good shots from both teams, but real quality scoring chances were hard to come by, and the two goalies were equal to the task.

Midway through the third period, Acker was hit square in the numbers and knocked over, for which the Memorial offender was mysteriously called for "cross-checking" rather than the more serious "hitting from behind", and the Marauders had their first power play of the game.  The man-up unit possessed the puck well, and created several quality chances including good looks from Lehmann and Stadheim that were nicely turned away.  On the next shift after the power play, a nifty move by Smith to gain the zone was followed by a nice centering pass to Tengdin that just missed its mark.

As the end of regulation drew near, the ice began to open up, and the fateful series of events began.  With a minute to go, Memorial was able to split the Marauder D pair and send in an attacker on Loud all alone. Loud was equal to the task, and after much discussion, the referees decided "No Goal" was the call to stick with.
Less than a minute later, it was deja-vu all over again as Memorial's Pelletier was sent in in almost identical fashion.  Loud again stood tall, but this time the referee's arm was raised, and followed by the dreaded crossing of arms overhead and a point toward center ice.  Pelletier cashed the lottery ticket he had been handed, and there was nothing left to do but head home to dreams full of "coulda, shoulda, and woulda".

Hopefully the young Marauders will learn from their first exposure to "big-boy" Division 1 hockey, and come back a stronger team for the experience.  Next test, back at Campion rink on Monday night vs Salem, in the home opener  - generously sponsored by Jake's Market and Deli.

For anyone who wants to see how real reporters do this job, the link to the Union Leader story is here:
http://www.unionleader.com/article/20151217/SPORTS21/151219133/-1/sports21

Welcome to 2015-16 Hanover Hockey

Welcome to the new season.  For those new to the blog, links over on the right of the home screen will bring you to game and practice schedules, parent assignments, and more.  Soon to come, hopefully, will be a new team picture to replace last year's version up above.

There also is a Google calendar that is linked here.  You can easily synch this calendar with your personal Google calendar or iPhone calendar - if you want the info on how to do that just send me an message and I'll get it to you.

Going forward, I'll try to keep up-to-date information, post interesting pictures and anything else that seems interesting and relevant.  If anyone is willing to volunteer, I would love to find someone who would step into Marc Chaimberg's role from last year and write up game reports for me to post.  Any "wannabe sports writers" out there?

And lastly, please take a look at the list of game sponsors over on the left.  These businesses have generously donated to the program; please give them your support if you can.

Thanks Dave Reese

Hockey players, coaches and parents past and present gathered Sunday AM at Campion to say Thanks and Goodbye to Dave and Mary as they head off for their next chapter.  Their contributions to the Hanover hockey community can't be overstated.  They will be missed.

NH Legends of Hockey Senior All Star Classic

Jin teamed on a line with Hanover Wild alum Ryan Damren to lead the Red team to 6-3 victory.  Each contributed a goal, Ryan added two assists and Jin added one.

Congratulations to the boys for representing the Upper Valley on the state-wide stage!

Kim and Acker selected for Senior All Star Game

Anybody in the Seacoast area today, or just looking for something to do on a cold, gray Saturday in March can head on over to The Rinks at Exeter to watch Jin Kim and Ben Acker lace up the skates one more time in the Legends of Hockey Senior All Star Game.  Game time is 1:00 PM, and features the best senior hockey players from all three divisions.  The game also serves as a tryout for the NH team that will face VT this summer in the Make-a-Wish all-star game at UVM.

Bracketology

Marauders on the road to start the second season at Bishop Guertin, Weds at 6:50.

Coach Dodds asked a great question on Saturday night to the assembled masses:

 "Why not us?"

Hanover over Exeter - a view from the other side

From Seacoastonline.com:

EXETER — The Hanover players spilled onto the ice in triumph. Most of the Exeter players looked away in disbelief.

After over 50 minutes of tooth-and-nail hockey, there was a real sense of finality on the carved up ice at The Rinks at Exeter.

Turns out, these two teams have plenty more to play for. Hanover clinched its own playoff berth. With a little outside help Wednesday, the Blue Hawks clinched theirs for the first time since 2011.

That news broke hours after Exeter’s 2-1 loss in overtime to the Marauders (9-8), a team that opened the season at 1-8 and has now won eight straight, tearing its way into the Division I playoff picture.

“We’ve been in the playoffs since Jan. 10, is what we decided,” Hanover coach Dick Dodds said. “I think the kids are starting to believe.”

The Blue Hawks (8-8-1) have been clutching and grabbing for that type of momentum. They seemed to find it with a three-game win streak earlier this month. Now, they’ve dropped three of four entering Saturday’s regular season finale back up at Hanover.

They can't drop farther than the 10th and final playoff seed, thanks to Londonderry's loss to Bedford Wednesday — but it’s possible they’ll find themselves at No. 10 with another loss. They’ll have to find a way to slow a powerful Hanover team that owned a 45-14 shots advantage in Wednesday's game.

“We didn’t have shots, but we had plenty of chances,” Exeter coach Jim Tufts said, “and we didn’t make the most of it and they did. At the end of the day, I think that’s the final result, not the shots, not anything else. I think at the end of the day it was — who made the most of their scoring chances?”

The Blue Hawks had a hard time getting the puck to Hanover goalie Lukas Ratliff. It took, in part, a 22-save effort from Bryson Desjardins in the second period alone to hold a 1-0 deficit entering the third.

But Exeter stayed with the fight until seconds remained. It scored the equalizer when Tim Faulkner fired a puck from the blue line that was blocked and kicked around at the top of the crease.

Eventually, it deflected out wide to Exeter sophomore Corbin Cashman, who fought his way to the net and all but willed the puck through Ratliff’s pads and across the goal line. There was so much traffic that Cashman had to discard a Hanover defenseman before he could skate to the back boards and throw himself against the glass in celebration.

The goal, with 55 seconds remaining in regulation, tied the game 1-1. For all the time that Hanover possessed the puck — the goal that was disallowed because the net was off its moorings early in the third period — it didn't matter. The Blue Hawks were headed to overtime with a chance to steal one on Senior Day.

“I said to the boys in the locker room before the game, some of these kids have played 40, 60 games for me,” Tufts said of the seniors, “and they tee it up and they play hard every day. I wanted them to get rewarded for it.”

Instead, with time winding down in overtime, it was star forward Ben Acker who spoiled the party with an unassisted rush to the net. The clock showed 2:16 remaining when the puck slid through Desjardins.

“A lot of teams, if they give up a goal like that, they have a hard time refocusing and regrouping, and realizing it’s still a game,” Dodds said. “I’m proud of our kids. They stayed with it.”

Desjardins was credited with 34 saves over the first two periods and 43 in the game. He nearly saved it for seniors Andrew Stephens, Casey Marfongelli, Christian Stone, Hanrik Barbin, Garrett Pietz and Reed Allen on their final day at The Rinks.

But they'll have another game, both Saturday and beyond.

“Give Exeter credit, because, boy, they’re a hard team to play against,” Dodds said. “They have powerful forwards. (Stephens) is a terrific defenseman, and the goaltender was tough to beat.”

Cellie Time!

Thanks to Paul Stinson for sharing this one:

Lots more great photos to see and download on Paul's website:
http://hanoverhockeyphotos.phanfare.com/

Great effort last night, really fun to watch the boys play with such confidence.  Full game write up will come later once the MilkMan checks in.

And, the big city newspaper checks in with a nice writeup:
http://www.unionleader.com/article/20150226/SPORTS21/150229407/1003/sports

Lucky Seven

Hanover won their seventh straight game, defeating Nashua North 5-3, and tying the Titans for eighth spot in Division I.  The Marauders were without four seniors, resulting in increased ice time for many players. Jonathan Goff led the scoring with two goals, while Jin Kim, Jake Acker and Ben Acker added one each.  Luke Ratliff played another strong game, thwarting the Titans on numerous chances.  Eric McCoy and Patrick Logan (+5) were solid in their role as the top defensive pair. 
It was not a good start for Hanover, who gave up a breakaway in the first minute, forcing Ratliff to make a stop. Midway into the first, Ben Acker picked up the rebound of a Logan point shot and slid it into the net to get Hanover onto the scoreboard.   The Titans knotted the game at one, bottling up the Marauders in their zone before connecting on a shot from the circle. 
Early into the middle period Jake Acker gave Hanover their second lead of the day after his brother Ben hit him with a pass at center ice.  Young Acker brought the puck into the Nashua zone and let go a bullet that beat the goalie over his glove. Nashua had a golden opportunity to tie, but Ratliff stopped another breakaway, this time while Hanover had the man advantage.  On the other end, Goff made a nice play at the Titan blueline and fired a shot that found an opening at the near post to double Hanover's lead.  
A power play goal by Goff, on a beautiful two on one break with Gus Lyons, gave Hanover a three goal lead at the start of the final period.  The Marauder offense kicked into high gear, but the Nashua goalie kept Hanover at bay. With nine minutes to go, the Titans cut the lead to a pair as they finally converted on a breakaway, their fourth of the game.  The goal fired up Nashua, and they were able to get to within one goal as they scored a power play goal with six and half minutes left. Just six seconds later, Jin Kim slapped in the rebound off Ben Acker's wrister to give Hanover back a two goal lead.  Hanover was able to hang on for the
victory, as Ratliff stonewalled Nashua in the final minutes.  Hanover take on Exeter in their final two games. 

Marc Chaimberg will be broadcasting today's game (as he does all games) at  Mixlr.com/chaimberg
Give a listen if you can't make the trip today, it is a very entertaining way to follow the game.

Now make it 6 in a row . . .

Hanover scored four unanswered goals in the final period to defeat Trinity by a score of 6-3.  The Marauders came back from one goal deficits three times before finally taking the lead early in the third.  Seth Stadheim and Ben Acker both had a pair of goals, with Jonathan Goff and Jin Kim completing the scoring.

Trinity took advantage of a turnover in the Hanover zone to get the puck to a wide open player in the high slot for a quick wrist shot.  Hanover knotted the game at one as they moved the puck around nicely on the power play.  Acker skated in from the half wall towards the goal before sending the puck through the middle to Stadheim, who had snuck in from the right point to take a shot from the circle.  Trinity retook the lead two minutes later when what looked like a harmless shot from outside the blueline took a strange hop in front of the crease and bounced over Luke Ratliff's left pad.

Ratliff, who was under the weather, was replaced by Mike Stinson to start the second period.  Stinson made several key saves to keep the game within reach.  Midway through the period Stadheim collected his second powerplay goal, in a similar fashion to his first to tie the score at 2-2.  Kim at the point passed to Acker on the half wall and he moved in towards the goal.  This time Acker took a shot, the goalie kicked out the rebound, and Stadheim, who had moved in from the point, knocked home the rebound.  Trinity retook the lead near the end of the period on a very pretty play.  The Pioneer defender moved in from the point and took a shot that was wide of the goal but directly onto the stick of his linemate waiting at the far side of the net for a perfect deflection.

The Marauders entered the third period down by one, but quickly turned the game around.  Goff scored a highlight reel goal as he took the puck from his own blueline, skated through the neutral zone before splitting the defense and deftly deking the Pioneer goalie.  On the very next play Hanover took the lead for good.  Kim won a battle behind the Trinity net, fed Jake Acker in the left circle, and he found his brother at the side of the net for a tip in.  Ben Acker scored his second goal, and Hanover's fifth when he moved the puck in from the point and slid a one-handed backhand through the goalie's legs.  Kim completed the scoring by stealing a breakout pass and snapping a shot through the five hole.

Hanover's victory kept the team tied for the final playoff spot with Londonderry, but Londonderry has the edge as a result of their victory earlier in the season in head to head play.

Here we go, five in a row!

The Hanover Marauders are enjoying February, going 5-0 during the month.  On Wednesday night Hanover collected their fifth consecutive win as they beat St. Thomas 2-1 in a nail biter.  After a scoreless first period, the Marauders connected just thirteen seconds into the middle period.  Jin Kim worked the puck into the St. Thomas zone and fed Kordell Lindsay at the point.  Lindsay's shot was kicked out front, and Kim pounced on the rebound but could not score into the open side.  Jake Acker took a whack at it as well before Ben Acker was finally able to put it in.  Jonathan Goff gave Hanover a 2-0 lead on a four on three man advantage.  Benjamin Chaimberg fed Lindsay on the opposite point, and Lindsay's low shot bounced into the slot where Goff was able to pounce on it and send it home.  St. Thomas cut the lead in half on a power play goal with just over two minutes left in the period, as the puck was poked in after an initial save by Luke Ratliff.

That led to a very exciting third period.  Hanover started the period with a five on three advantage, but had to defend a two minute minor penalty, as well as a five minute major penalty with under six minutes remaining.  Ratliff made a key glove save on a screened shot from the point, the Marauders prevailed, and the victory allowed Hanover to move up to a tie for the final playoff spot with Londonderry.  Hanover host Trinity on Saturday.

Sled Hockey with the Ice Vets

Following up on the Nashua South victory, the boys got a great lesson in humility by taking on the Ice Vets in sled hockey Monday evening.  Per NHIAA rules, we can't call it a "game", and lets just say from the boys point of view its a good thing they weren't keeping score.  Most importantly, looked like everybody learned something and everybody had some fun.

Jin and Ben C - suiting up pregame:

Ben A getting some pregame tips from the pros . . .

And, the postgame photo, smiles all around . . .

Thanks to the vets for giving the boys the lessons, to everyone who donated food and drinks, and to all who attended and donated to the worthy cause.

Vs Nashua North 2/16 - The train keeps on rolling . . .

The Marauders offense was firing on all cylinders as they overwhelmed Nashua South by a lopsided 9-1 margin for their fourth victory in a row.  Ben Acker led the attack with three goals, with single tallies recorded by six players.  Hanover connected on four powerplay goals, as well as one shorthanded goal.

Jake Acker set the tone for the game by taking the puck from the corner and sending a backhander high into the net with a little over a minute in.  Hanover blew the game open with a trio of goals in a three minute span in the middle of the first period.  Parker Thurston knocked in the rebound of a Ben Acker shot.  Acker followed with a sweet one timer on the powerplay, as Stadheim and Kim rotated the puck from the right wall to the point to the left circle.  Gus Lyons added a shorthanded score on a nice individual effort when he backhanded in the rebound of his own shot.

Nashua South ruined Luke Ratliff's shutout in the opening minute of the second period, as Hanover was caught on a awkward line change.  The Marauders rebounded with Ben Acker firing a wrist shot from the slot after Jin Kim did the bulk of the work behind the opposing net.  Acker collected his third of the night, and his second powerplay goal, when he skated over the Nashua blueline, veered to the left, and snapped a shot over the tender's glove.  Nashua continued to get into penalty trouble, and Hanover took advantage, with Stadheim knocking the puck into the net from the top of the crease, with assists to Lyons and Jonathan Goff.

Mike Stinson took over in the Marauder's goal for the final period.  Patrick Logan scored his first varsity goal as he unloaded a wrist shot from the point, as Austen Thum and Jensen Dodge kept the puck moving low on the powerplay.  Kordell Lindsay completed the Hanover scoring, taking a cross ice pass from Benjamin Chaimberg, skating down the right side before he cut along the goal line and lifted a backhander over the Nashua netminder.

Sled Hockey upcoming on Mon, 2/16

Hope to see a big crowd for the Sled Hockey demonstration on Monday night at 6:30 at Campion. Admission is free but donations will be accepted.  All money raised will go toward purchasing sled hockey gear for local veterans.
Looks like good fun, and for a great cause.

More details at:

https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B51QBDuU0y0PMjlIM3JibjRWTUU/view?usp=sharing

@ Alvirne/Pelham 2/11/15

Hanover can suit up eight bona fide defenders, which has enabled a good many of them to rotate through the forward lines.  The tactic paid off on Wednesday against Pelham-Alvrire, as former blueliners Jin Kim and Parker Thurston tallied to help the Marauders to a 3-1 victory.  Jonathan Goff, with the game winner, also scored as Hanover improved their Division I record to 3-8.

Hanover took an early lead as Kim picked up a loose puck in the offensive zone and snapped home a shot after just fourteen ticks of the clock.  

The Marauders dominated play in the second period and Goff doubled the lead when his shot from between the circles squeezed between the Alvirne goalie's pads.  Hanover appeared to score several other goals, but these were waved off due to goalie interference, quick whistles or equipment malfunctions, 

Hanover took a three goal lead during their only powerplay opportunity of the game.  The Marauders were fortunate to profit from the man advantage, as Alvirne rang a shot off the post on a shorthanded two man breakaway.  On the ensuing play, Benjamin Chaimberg made up for losing the puck in the neutral zone by chasing down the opposing player, and unloading a pass from behind his net to a streaking Thurston at the opposing blueline.  Thurston broke to the goal and snapped a hard shot low stick side to give Hanover a 3-0 lead.

Alvirne converted during a man advantage halfway through the final stanza, but were unable to net another goal.

If you missed the action, you can head a rebroadcast of the game at MixIr.com/chaimberg.

Hopefully the boys can keep the snow gods at bay and keep the modest winning streak alive - next up is BG at home on Saturday at 6:20

One for the good guys, @ Central 2/7/15

Hanover Marauders rode a pair of three goal performances to a decisive 6-2 decision over Manchester Central at JKF Arena.  Seth Stadheim and Ben Acker collected hat tricks as Hanover's offense was able to finally get their offense out of low gear.  Luke Ratliff was solid in goal, keeping Central off the score sheet for the entire second, and most of the third period.  

The Marauders opened the scoring on a Stadheim backhander from the slot, after Gavin Ratliff fed him the puck from the corner.  Parker Thurston earned an assist on the goal.  Central knotted the game at one when a shot from in close bounced off Ratliff's shoulder and slowly rolled over the goal line.

Hanover took the lead for good in the middle period.  Jonathan Goff and Gus Lyons battled in the corners, with Lyons eventually able to bring the puck to the crease.  Lyons lost the puck as he received a high stick to the head, but Stadheim was there to lift another backhander into the goal.  Ben Acker doubled the lead on a one timer from the front, after Jin Kim won the puck along the boards.

The third period belonged to the Marauders, who dominated the play and converted three times.  Ben Acker connected on perhaps the prettiest goal of the game.  Kim won the contest against three Central players, and fed Jake Acker behind the net.  The younger Acker baited the Central defender, which left his brother wide open in the high slot.  A few minutes later Stadheim earned a hat trick by knocking in the rebound of his own shot.  Acker followed with a power play goal for his third of the game, rifling a shot from just outside the circle over the Central goalie's glove, with Kim earning a third assist.  Central got one back in the final minutes, but it was too little too late as Hanover skated away with the victory.

vs Pinkerton 1/31/15

Even from the disabled list, the Mailman still delivers a one handed, hunt and peck game report from Saturday:

Hanover Marauders continued to have difficulty finding the back of the net, falling to the Pinkerton Astros 4-1 at Campion Arena.  Pinkerton collected one even strength goal, along with one each on the power play, short handed, and into an empty net.  Hanover shuffled players around, with Austen Thum and Parker Thurston taking several shifts up front and Kordell Lindsay back on the blue line.   We also saw the creation of the DNA line, with Ben and Jake Acker playing together.  The teams played a very physical game, with big hard checks delivered by Lindsay, Gavin Ratliff, Eric McCoy and Benjamin Chaimberg.

Pinkerton took the lead late in the first period after a goalmouth scramble.  The Astros doubled their lead with a power play goal in the middle stanza on a pretty three way passing play resulting in a one-timer from the high slot that beat Mike Stinson over his blocker.  Hanover halved the lead off the face-off to the right of the Pinkerton goalie.  Ben Acker won the face-off to his brother Jake, and the younger Acker's one-timer soared high glove side into the net.  With Hanover on the power play and pressing hard for the tying goal, Pinkerton intercepted a pass back to the point, broke in one on one, and score on a wrist shot from between the circles.  The Astros scored into a vacated Marauder net to seal the victory.

Hat purchases will have to wait for another day . . .

Continuing on the Bill Murray in Groundhog Day theme - first it was trips to Salem IceCenter, and now it's games postponed due to weather . . . No school in Exeter today due to Blizzard Juno, so make that two games in a row postponed due to weather.  As an offering to the weather gods, please allow me to present Juno in her classic Roman form:

Or, if you prefer, in her more modern Hollywood form:

Wouldn't a hat like this be great on a day like today?

Well, you're in luck!  Stephanie Briggs will have some for sale at the game tomorrow night, and at future home games while supplies last.  Find her at the game, or you can email her and arrange delivery some other way if you won't make the game.  Cost is $20 ($15 for players) - get one now before they're all gone!

Jan 17@ Londonderry

Back down to the Salem IceCenter we went for the third time in 6 weeks, like Bill Murray in Groundhog Day.

From the keyboard of @ Chaimberg:

The Hanover Marauders gave up the winning goal with under a minute to play, losing to Londonderry by a slim two to one margin on Saturday night at the Salem Icenter.  Hanover had the upper hand in terms of puck possession and time in the offensive zone, but Londonderry had the majority of quality shots on goal.  

With fifty seconds left in the middle period the Marauders coughed up the puck to a Lancer forechecker waiting in the slot, and his one timer gave Londonderry the lead.  Jonathan Goff sniped a shot over the goalie's glove early in the third to knot the score, after taking a breakout pass from Eric McCoy and skating in two on two.  Hanover controlled the play for the rest of the period, firing plenty of shots towards the Londonderry net.  Luke Ratliff did have to come up big on a few occasions as a few turnovers and errant passes gave the Lancers some golden opportunities.  With regulation time winding down and Hanover attacking, Londonderry stole the puck in the neutral zone and came down on a two on one, with Benjamin Chaimberg the lone defenseman.  Ratliff made the initial save, but a third Lancer picked up the loose puck behind the net and flipped a backhand that ricocheted off the back of Ratliff's shoulder and over the goal line.   It was a long ride home for the fans, but an even longer evening for the boys who came back to Hanover for a late night practice.

Anybody looking for photos, check out Paul Stinson's blog:

http://hanoverhockeyphotos.phanfare.com/

Marauders are back in action on Weds, looking to avenge a tough loss vs Concord from a few weeks ago, and get the season back on the right track.  11 games still left in the regular season - plenty of time to make a move.  

Jan 10 @ Bishop Brady

Thanks again to @Chaimberg for the game report:

Hanover shuffled up their lineup prior to the match against Bishop Brady, and the new trios combined with strong defense and goaltending for a 6-0 victory at Everett Ice Arena in Concord.  Gus Lyons led the attack with a pair of goals, with other scores coming from Jonathan Goff, Gavin Ratliff, Peter O'Leary and Kordell Lindsay.  Ben Acker earned three assists, and Jin Kim contributed a pair of helpers.

The Marauders got on the board during their first power play opportunity, with Kim and Acker driving to the net before passing back to Goff in the slot for a one timer.  Hanover connected again with Acker and Kim leading the charge towards the Brady goal, and Acker sending a blind backhand from behind the net to a wide open Lyons.  Ratliff added to the total in the first minute of the second period, knocking in the rebound of an Acker shot from the circle. Hanover upped the lead to 4-0 when O'Leary's wrister from the face off dot went over the tender's shoulder, with some strong work by linemates Lindsay and Jake Acker to keep Brady pinned in their zone.  The Marauders finally chased the Bishop Brady netminder on a fine play by Eric McCoy to keep the puck from squirting out, followed by a dipsy doodle and a sweet backhand pass to Lyons for a snipe.  

Hanover continued to dominate in the third, with Lindsay making a nice move to the net, and sending the game to running time.  The defense of Kim, Ben Chaimberg, McCoy, Patrick Logan, Parker Thurston and Austen Thum were solid throughout the match, and young Ratliff came up big when it was needed.

Hanover have the week off before facing Londonderry (3-2) on Saturday.

Jan 7 @ St Thomas

From the mighty pen of The MilkMan:

St. Thomas capitalized on the few opportunities that were presented to them as they squeaked by Hanover 4-3 in a match played at the Dover Ice Den.  Peter O'Leary led the Marauders with a goal and an assist.  Jonathan Goff and Jake Acker had the other goals, and Gus Lyons, Gavin Ratliff and Benjamin Chaimberg earned assists.

The Saints had the only tally in a first period dominated by Hanover, beating our defender on a one on one and ending with a clear shot from between the circles.  St. Thomas doubled their lead early into the second, as their forward split the Hanover defenders and used a deke move to beat Luke Ratliff.  O'Leary got the Marauders into the match when he picked up a terrific cross ice pass from Lyons, streaked down the right side, and sniped a shot into the top corner.  St. Thomas quickly regained their two goal advantage as a Hanover defender fell at the offensive blue line, leading to a breakaway.  Eric McCoy made a valiant effort to chase down the Saint player, but was unable to prevent him from putting on a nice move.  Hanover ended the second and started the third with a five on three man advantage, but could not convert.  Goff cut the lead to 3-2 when he banged home a shot from the slot, after a strong effort by Ratliff to control the puck in the St. Thomas zone.  The Saints converted once again after a scramble on the boards, but Hanover quickly made it a one goal game.  O'Leary got behind the St. Thomas defender with his patented toe drag, and fed Acker in the slot for the score with half a period left to play.  Hanover could not get the equalizer fell to St. Thomas despite a 43-15 shot advantage.

A podcast of the St. Thomas game can be found at mixlr.com/chaimberg.  Click on SHOWREEL for a listing.

Next up - another trip down 89 and another chance to get on the right side of the ledger - Sat @ 5:30 vs Bishop Brady.  Brady came home from Alvirne with a 2-0 win last night - their first of the season.  

Jan 5 vs Concord

Hanover gave up two third period goals in a loss to Concord on Monday night.  Kordell Lindsay had the lone marker for the Marauders, who are off to a disappointing 0-4 record in Division I play.  The boys are averaging just one goal per game this season, and despite many opportunities the top offensive line has been held without a point.

The Capitals dominated puck possession in the early going, using a strong forecheck to force turnovers and bad passes.  The Marauders got their legs late in the period, but failed to convert on their best chances when Seth Stadheim fanned on a Jin Kim's pass from behind the goal line, and Jonathan Goff was unable to get off a good shot after driving hard to the net.

The second period was filled with action, and Hanover connected first, with Will Smith feeding Lindsay in the slot for a quick one-timer. Unfortunately, Concord returned the favour thirteen seconds later on a nearly identical play.  Concord then got into penalty trouble, giving Hanover four consecutive minutes with a man up.  The second power play unit had the best chances, with Goff controlling the puck down low, and Benjamin Chaimberg feeding Alan Baker for several bullets from the point.  Concord had a man advantage of their own, but a terrific save by Mike Stinson on a breakaway kept the score tied one apiece.

The Capitals took the lead early into the final period when, coming off a man advantage, a long rebound was backhanded from the high slot over Stinson's shoulder.  Hanover looked as though they had tied the score during a subsequent power play, but the goal was waived off when the official signaled he had already blown the play dead.  With under five and half minutes to go, Peter O'Leary was upended as he tried to get into the clear, and Hanover another chance to even the match.  However, Concord was able to clear their zone and convert on a shorthanded odd man rush.  

Busy week continues, with a trip to Dover tomorrow to take on St Thomas -  6:30 at the Dover Ice Arena.

Jan 3 vs Bedford

From the Milk Man (Follow him @ Chaimberg):

The Hanover Marauder boys rebounded from an early two goal deficit to tie the Bedford Bulldogs, but a pair of unfortunate plays and an empty net goal led to a 5-2 loss.  Kordell Lindsay (power play) and Jonathan Goff scored for Hanover, who gave up a power play and a shorthanded goal.

Bedford opened the scoring with a power play goal in the waining seconds of the first period on the rebound of a point shot.  The Bulldogs doubled their lead in the first minute of the second period, converting on a well executed two on one break.  Kordell Lindsay got one back on Hanover's first power play opportunity of the match. tipping in an Alan Baker point shot, with an assist to Benjamin Chaimberg.  Hanover struggled on their next power play chance, yielding a breakaway opportunity for Bedford that required Luke Ratliff to make a good save.  With Bedford still up by a goal, Hanover got into serious penalty trouble as two Marauders were sent to the box on the same play, but the boys did an excellent job of keeping the Bulldogs to the perimeter and limiting their shots.  Ben Acker looked like he had the tying goal, but after breaking in alone and eluding the Bedford goalie, he slid the puck off the far post.

  

Hanover entered the final period down a goal, but certainly buoyed by their defense on the two-man disadvantage.  Less than a minute in, Goff got the tying goal on a sharp angle shot from the left corner.  "I saw the goalie cheating towards the middle", said Goff, "and I thought a saw a space between his arm and the post". Hanover upped their attack and drew a penalty after a nice shift from Lindsay, Peter O'Leary and Will Smith.  On the ensuing power play, after the Bulldogs sent the puck the length of the ice, a Bedford player was able to steal it and wrap the puck around the side of the net for a score.  Bedford would capitalize on another miscue when the puck lay at the lip of the crease for what seemed like an eternity as goalie and defender expected the other to handle it.  Eventually the puck was batted free and the Bulldogs shot it into the open side. An empty net goal completed the scoring.

The boys get right back on the horse Monday night at home vs Concord - late start at 7:40.  Concord is 2-1 in the league, coming off a 5-1 loss to Nashua North their last time out.