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.