Bulldogs Top Marauders in Holiday Tournament Championship

Hanover's Luke Ratliff makes a save on Bedford's Jacob Rioux

After reeling off four straight wins – three in the tournament – Hanover headed back to JFK Coliseum for a snow-delayed Manchester holiday tournament championship game against defending tournament and state champions, the Bedford Bulldogs.

Bedford graduated a number of stars off their championship team, but still returned a solid and deep squad, including two all-state players and one of the top goaltenders in the state. Hanover, however, seemed to be getting stronger every game, and was ready for their toughest challenge of the season in their final game of 2016.

The early play was centered largely on the neutral zone, with neither team generating many quality scoring chances. The first near-goal came at 5:28, when Hanover tender Luke Ratliff made a quick snag on a drive that seemed harmless, yet took a late deflection upward on his doorstep.

Bedford's Eric Flynn got the Bulldogs on the board at 11:50 of the first period. Linemate Nathan Musgrave circled behind the Marauder goal, and Flynn was left unmarked as he drifted down into the left slot and then one-timed Musgrave's feed into the back of the net. The 1-0 Bedford lead would hold up for the remainder of the period.

Hanover had more opportunities in the second, and their rapidly improving power play got a chance to go to work when Bedford's Jay Roberto picked up a tripping penalty only 43 seconds into the second. The Marauders had a number of chances, but none could solve Bedford netminder Eric Voloshin.

Gagne doubled the Bulldog lead at 7:51 of the second period on an individual effort. The eventual tournament MVP collected a loose puck behind the Hanover net and circled back to attempt to stuff it home on the near post. Ratliff made the initial save and looked to have secured the puck, but Gagne banged in the rebound for the 2-0 lead.

A 2-0 deficit against Bedford and Voloshin – who had only given up two goals in the tournament – would seem insurmountable to most teams, but the Marauders were undeterred heading into the third period and played their best hockey of the game in the final frame. Jake Acker had one of the best scoring chances of the night with a wrist shot from the slot, But Voloshin once again denied the Marauders a tally.

A puzzling charging call at 4:47 put the brakes on the Hanover counterattack. Bedford scored the backbreaker on the power play at 5:57. Colin Voloshin, the twin brother of the Bedford goaltender, backhanded a rebound inside the right post for the 3-0 lead, which would hold up through to the final whistle.

Ratliff and defenseman Patrick Logan were named to the all-tournament team.

“We got a lot better as a team,” said Hanover head coach Dick Dodds. “That was the goal.” Assistant coach Dean Cashman was equally positive in his assessment, noting that Hanover has yet to reach its potential and will be a decidedly different team by the time playoffs roll around in March. Cashman singled out the play of forwards Casey Starr and Owen Stadheim in particular as players who improve every game and will have an increasing impact on Hanover's game play in coming weeks.

Ratliff, who made 37 saves in the loss, was named the top tournament goaltender in postgame awards. He was joined on the all-tournament team by Marauder defenseman Patrick Logan. Hanover joined Bedford as the only two teams with more than one player on the all-tournament squad, with Colin Voloshin being named as a forward and Gagne tabbed as the MVP. Matt Chorlian, Concord defenseman, and forwards Tyler Chipman of Trinity and Doug Champagne of Bow rounded out the team.

With the win, Bedford improves to 5-0-1. Hanover's four-game win streak was snapped as they drop to 4-3. The Marauders return to league action in the new year when they travel south to Conway Arena to take on Nashua North-Souhegan on Wednesday, January 4 with a 6:10pm start.

Marauders Stem Tide, Move on to Championship

Sophomore center Elias Zinman set up
the game's only goal at 9:42 of the first.

After two early afternoon games, Hanover had the nightcap of the annual Manchester Holiday Tournament as they traveled back to JFK to take on traditional rival Concord with an 8:00pm start. Fireworks are often on display when the Marauders meet the Crimson Tide, and tonight's game was no exception.

Despite the late start, neither team seemed lacking in energy, and the early action was fast and furious from the opening face off. Both Hanover's Gabe Loud and Concord's Griffin Gilbert kept their respective opposition off the scoreboard with several solid saves at both ends.

Hanover finally broke-through at 9:42 when Elias Zinman won a crucial face off in the Concord zone and fed immediately to defenseman Braxton McNulty, who took a step in from the blue line before launching a high wrist shot that beat Gilbert to the glove side. It was McNulty's second goal of the season, and the ninth by a Hanover defensemen, who have collectively accounted for 60 percent of the Marauders' goals.

It looked as if the 1-0 lead would be in jeopardy when Concord went on the power play at 11:17. The Tide man-up unit looked potent on their first opportunity, with swift-skating defenseman Matt Chorlian quarterbacking from the point, and all-state senior forward Alex Marceau always dangerous in front of the net. However, Loud made two big saves in the first minute, and the penalty-kill unit kept further chances to a minimum for the second minute to shut the door and the period ended with the 1-0 Hanover lead intact.

At 1:05 of the second, Concord junior forward Colin Kastle was sent to the bin for hooking, and Hanover got a chance to exercise its own man-up unit, but Gilbert pushed aside each attempt. Seconds after the teams returned to even-strength, defenseman Will Smith sent freshman forward Rowan Wilson in alone on Gilbert, but the Crimson netminder made a pad save on Wilson's deking backhand to keep the lead at one.

Hanover had another power play opportunity when Marceau was sent off for interference at 12:22. Hanover's man-up units displayed both Broad-Street-Bullies-esque grinding and Soviet-quality passing and peppered Gilbert with quality shots, but the junior goalie was the equal of everything the Marauders could throw at him. Throughout the second period, Hanover played some of its finest hockey to date this season, with forwards Jonny Goff and Jake Acker utilizing their speed to penetrate the Crimson zone, and Jensen Dodge and David Lehmann consistently winning loose pucks along the boards. Senior captain Patrick Logan delivered crunching hit after hit on the Crimson forwards, while fellow defensemen McNulty, Smith, and TJ Beaver all played stellar defense in keeping the quality shots on Loud to a minimum. Only the top-notch play of Gilbert kept the lead at merely a goal, and the period expired with the score stalled at 1-0 Hanover.

The two teams picked up right where they left off in the third, with Concord pressing ever harder for the equalizer, and Hanover pressing just as hard in return for the insurance goal. Neither had come by the ten-minute mark, and then Hanover was presented with its best opportunity of the evening when Crimson Tide senior defenseman Daniel LeBell was sent to the box with a five-minute major at 10:22 after a  leg-check on Jonny Goff, which left the Hanover captain writhing on the ice in pain. Hanover players and fans held their breath as Goff was helped off the ice, as this was the variety of knee-on-knee contact that ended the careers of such NHL stars as Cam Neely. Fortunately for the Marauders, Goff would return later in the period.

With 4:38 left to play – and major penalties not being released even after a goal – it looked as if Hanover could control play until the final whistle. However, Concord was unwilling to go quietly into that good night and mounted several man-down counterattacks into the Marauder zone. In the process of clearing a Crimson Tide attacker from the crease, Logan picked up a devastating cross-checking penalty at 14:15. With the face off in the Hanover end, Concord pulled Gilbert and what was a 5-on-4 Hanover advantage instantly flipped to a 5-on-4 Concord advantage. With both sides' fans on the edge of their seats, the Marauders fought off the furious Tide power play for the final 45 seconds. Loud made two big saves, and McNulty cemented his status as man of the match when he stepped in front of a wide-open Chorlain's slap shot and blocked it off his knee. Concord was unable to mount another shot as the final seconds ticked away, and Hanover hung on for the 1-0 win, their second shutout, and fourth win, in a row.

Loud notched 15 saves for his first shutout of the year, while Gilbert turned away 22 shots in the losing effort. With the win, the Marauders improved to 4-2 on the season, while the Crimson Tide drop to 2-3.

After a blizzard-generated rest day, Hanover will return to action against last year's tournament and state champions, the Bedford Bulldogs, in the championship game on Friday. Game time is 5:00pm.

Marauder Train Keeps Rolling at Manchester Tournament

Senior forward Jake Acker tallied a goal
and an assist in the 3-0 victory. 

Hanover won its third straight game on Tuesday afternoon with a 3-0 victory over the Trinity Pioneers, propelling them to a 2-0 record and the lead in the McDonough division in the annual Manchester holiday tournament.

Hanover came out hard, looking to use their size and experience to establish early dominance over the young Trinity team. The Marauders rolled three lines regularly from the opening face off, and the third line proved a force from the beginning. Just 2:19 into the game, senior forward Grant Morhun collected his first goal of the campaign with a wrist shot from the top of the left circle that found the top of the net, giving Hanover an early 1-0 lead.

The all-sophomore line of Hans Williams, Joey Goff, and Charlie Plottner kept the puck moving and provided a thrilling flurry of activity two-thirds of the way through the period that seemed sure to result in a goal until a Hanover penalty at 10:48 put a temporary stop to the momentum. The Marauders entered the first intermission with a 1-0 lead and a 13-5 advantage in shots.

Hanover continued the pressure in the second period, but sophomore goalie Ethan Messner – who had led the Pioneers all the way to a shootout with perennial powerhouse Concord earlier in the tournament behind a 36-save effort – kept Hanover frustrated. However, freshman forward Ryan Glass was sent to the box at 4:34 to allow the increasingly potent Marauder power play to get back to work. It took just over thirty seconds of pressure before senior captain Patrick Logan started a tic-tac-toe series of touches to alternate captain Jake Acker, who sent a one-touch feed to defenseman Will Smith, who streaked in on Messner's far post and banged in the puck for the 2-0 lead. The tally was Smith's fifth in as many games as the converted forward is quickly establishing himself as a force to be reckoned with from the blue line.

Trinity called a timeout to regroup, and replaced Messner with freshman Ryan Brewitt between the pipes. The rookie proved equal to the task and robbed Hanover's attack multiple times before Acker earned his second point of the night when he lit the lamp himself at 10:02. With a face off at the right circle, freshman centerman Owen Stadheim won the draw to linemate Acker, who one-timed a snapshot into the back of the net for the 3-0 Hanover lead.

Hanover continued the pressure and outshot the Pioneers 16-4 in the middle period, but Bewitt kept the Marauders from further padding the lead, and the two teams entered the final intermission with the 3-0 Hanover lead intact.

The final period saw more Hanover dominance, in terms of physical play, puck possession, and shots, with the Marauders holding a 13-5 advantage in attempts on goal. Trinity's Brewitt, however, showed flashes of budding brilliance in blanking the Marauders throughout the final frame. While not tested as often as either of his Trinity counterparts, senior netminder Luke Ratliff proved unbeatable for Hanover and ended the evening with the Marauders' first shutout of the season, stopping all 14 of the Pioneers' shots. In total, Hanover tripled Trinity's shot output, finishing with a 42 to 14 advantage.

Hanover looks to continue the momentum and earn a spot in the tournament championship game when they take on long-time rival Concord at 8:00pm Wednesday. This will be the Marauders' first tilt against the Crimson Tide, and a preview of two crucial league matchups still to come in 2017.

Marauders Open Holiday Tournament With Win

 

Senior goaltender Gabe Loud made 16
saves to pick up the tourney opening win.

The Hanover Marauders traveled south to the cozy confines of JFK Coliseum to open the annual Manchester Holiday Tournament. After picking up their first win of the season against Nashua South, the Marauders looked to continue their budding win streak, and a 3-1 victory over last year's Division II runners-up started the tournament off with a crucial two points.

The first period saw plenty of Hanover pressure, as they outshot the Falcons by a 10-3 margin. However, Bow goalie Nathan Carrier was able to stave off the Hanover attack for the first 80 percent of the period until the Marauders finally broke through at 12:26. Senior defenseman Will Smith continued his offensive output by setting up the first goal with a blast from the left point. Carrier made the initial save with his left pad, but left a rebound in the slot that junior forward David Lehmann banged in for the goal and the 1-0 Hanover lead that would hold up into the first intermission.

In the first three games, Hanover found the middle period to be their most challenging, but the Marauders looked to break the pattern today and came out flying in the second. Despite being down a defenseman and seeing Smith and senior captain Patrick Logan alternating double shifts throughout the game, Hanover showed no signs up a let-up and kept relentless pressure on Carrier throughout the period. Jensen Dodge and Lehmann proved particularly tenacious on the forecheck, while Elias Zinman and Jake Acker created significant offensive pressure. The Marauders came within inches of doubling their lead at 10:13 when a puck-rushing Smith fed captain Jonny Goff with a perfect pass and the senior forward unleashed a blistering wrist shot that clanged off the crossbar.

However, despite being outshot 15-9 in the period, Bow benefitted from some fortunate officiating when Joey Goff was taken out with a hard hit from behind that puzzlingly saw no call from the referees. Bow collected the loose puck inside the Hanover zone and senior forward Christopher Mead fired the puck on Loud from the left circle. Loud made the initial save, but Hanover was unable to clear the crease and Colin Tracy eventually banged in the rebound after multiple attempts to even the score.

In the final frame, Hanover kept the pressure coming, but none of their efforts could get past Carrier and it looked as if the game may end in a frustratingly lopsided tie. However, when Bow's Austin Beaudette was sent to the box for a crosscheck at 11:53, the Hanover power play went to work. with 37 seconds remaining in the man-up, Lehmann returned the earlier favor to Smith, the former feeding a cross-ice pass to the latter who fired a high slap shot from the right point that banked off Carrier's mask and into the Falcon net for the 2-1 Marauder lead.

With just over a minute remaining and a face off in the Marauder zone, Bow called their time-out and pulled Carrier for the extra attacker. Hanover staved off the Falcon pressure, repeatedly clearing the puck out of their zone and forcing Bow to regroup. With the clock ticking down, Logan chipped the puck off a Bow attacker and fired a long shot from center ice into the empty Falcon goal to seal the victory with 8.2 seconds remaining.

Hanover outshot Bow 36-17 on the afternoon, with Loud making 16 saves and picking up the win. The Marauders look to build on the win as they take on Division I foes Trinity High School at 2:00pm tomorrow.

Marauders Drop a Five-Spot on the Panthers

Junior defenseman Braxton McNulty

had a goal and a crunching open-ice

hit on the evening.

On the longest night of the year and their final league contest of 2016, the Marauders brought some fireworks to light up the evening as they beat the visiting Purple Panthers of Nashua South to get into the win column with a 5-1 victory at Campion rink.

After two straight one-goal losses to start the season, Hanover came out fired up in the first period, eager to set the tone. Nashua South found themselves on the defensive early, and Vincent Annichiarico was sent to the bin with a tripping penalty at just over five minutes into the initial frame. At 5:42 of the period, just over 30 seconds into the penalty, captain Jonny Goff fed the puck to Jensen Dodge, who fired into goalie Nathan Radin. Radin made the initial stop, but sophomore center Elias Zinman was on the doorstep to bang in the rebound for the powerplay goal, his first of the campaign. 

Hanover would double the lead just under three minutes later on an extra-attacker goal. Panther defenseman Tyler Goy had tripped a Marauder, and senior goalie Luke Ratliff headed to the bench to send on an additional Hanover skater. Senior defenseman Will Smith continued his goal-a-game pace when he took a pass from Jake Acker in the Panthers' zone and fired it past Radin at 8:31. He and the Marauders weren't done, as 2:36 later Smith fed the puck to his defensive partner, junior Braxton McNulty, who wristed a shot into the upper corner. Hanover entered the first intermission with a 3-0 lead and 12-3 advantage in shots.

The Panthers regrouped in the locker room, and Hanover perhaps came out coasting a little too much in the second stanza. Nashua more than doubled its shots on goal in the second, and one of their eight shots found the back of the net on a goal-mouth scramble where it initially looked like Ratliff had made the save. However, wing John Pinksten managed to squeak the biscuit past the Hanover netminder, picking up the goal at 3:08 of the period. Captains Michael Fournier and Robert Haverty picked up the assists. 

Despite outshooting the Marauders 8-4 in the second, Ratliff was equal to ever other Panther effort and the two teams entered the second break with a 3-1 Hanover lead. 

Hanover came out with renewed fire in the third, and would outshoot the Panthers 10-4. Radin held the hosts at bay for most of the period, until TJ Beaver scored the third defenseman's goal of the evening with just over five minutes remaining, with assists going to senior captain Patrick Logan and 

freshman center Owen Stadheim. Nashua attempted to claw closer by pulling Radin with a minute remaining in the game, but Acker picked-off a pass and fired the puck into the empty net to cement the win.

Next up for the Marauders is the annual Manchester holiday tournament at JFK Coliseum. Hanover will open against last year's Division II runners-up, Bow at 2:00pm on Monday. 

On a Cold Night, Hot Goalies.

Senior goaltender Luke Ratliff made 21 saves 

on the night in a stellar effort despite the loss

On a frigid night, Hanover traveled as far south as one can go and still call it New Hampshire to the dark, cavernous confines of the Salem Icenter. After dominating the league with a one-loss record two years ago, Salem graduated a dozen seniors and lost their top scorer to prep school. Last year was a rebuilding year for Salem that saw them miss the playoffs. Anchored by one of the top goaltenders in the state, and bolstered by young talent, Salem looked to make a statement with in their home opener. The game turned out to be a goaltending duel, with both teams' backstops turning aside every quality even-strength scoring chance. With each team scoring once off a favorable deflection, it was a single power play goal that was the difference.

Senior Luke Ratliff got the start in goal, and Hanover came out hard in the first. Once again, the oversized ice surface at the Icenter didn’t suit Hanover’s style of play, and they had a hard time generating quality offensive chances. The highlight of the first period was a strong open-ice check from sophomore defenseman TJ Beaver. Other than a shot off the crossbar after a defensive-zone Hanover turnover, Salem’s offense didn’t generate much buzz, either, and the teams headed into the first intermission deadlocked at zero apiece.

The second period showed more offensive clicking by the Marauders, with strong work along the boards by junior forward David Lehmann to keep the puck cycling. It looked as if Hanover was seizing the momentum until the first penalty of the game saw Hanover man-down five minutes into the period. Hanover killed the first minute of the penalty without much difficulty, but at 6:22 senior defenseman Alec Svenson circled down low to the endboards to pick up a loose puck before sending it cross-ice to to the left point where freshman forward Kevin McGuire fired home the one-timer for a 1-0 Salem lead.

The remainder of the period saw little action and the teams ended the frame with the Marauders still trailing by one.

In the third period, the visitors stepped up the pace in the hopes of finding the equalizer. Junior Braxton McNulty particularly stood out in the period with excellent work pinching low on his wing boards to keep the pressure in the offensive zone, and several key defensive plays at center ice to nip Blue Devil attacks in the bud. Hans Williams also displayed some nifty open-ice footwork in carrying the puck deep into the Salem zone. Ratliff kept Hanover in it with a huge save off McGuire at 5:15.

The Marauders finally solved senior goaltender Paddy Capsalis with a little luck. At 8:18 of the third, defender Will Smith fired a high, hard shot at the Salem net that glanced off Capsalis’s shoulder and up-and-over his back. Jensen Dodge swooped from behind the endline to bang in the rebound. It looked like the momentum would swing toward the guests in maroon, but the Hanover bubble soon burst when Salem regained the lead just over a minute later. Freshman sensation McGuire scored his second goal of the night, this time benefiting from a little luck of his own with an unassisted effort at 9:50 that barely squeaked in off a deflection.

Hanover mounted an aggressive counter-attack, but it was thwarted when a tripping penalty sent them on the penalty kill again with only 2:38 to play. However, after a successful kill, due in large part to the efforts of freshman Owen Stadheim, Hanover looked like it might get one more chance for the equalizer when Salem’s Dylan Salvo was sent to the box for a trip with seventeen seconds left. With the face-off in the Blue Devil’s zone, Hanover coach Dick Dodds pulled Ratliff to the bench and sent Smith to the ice as an extra attacker for the 6-on-4 advantage. Stadheim won the face-off, but the shot from the point was blocked, and Salem sent the puck down the ice to seal the victory. Hanover mustered 22 shots on goal for the evening, nearly doubling their efforts against Londonderry. Ratliff made 21 saves on the night.

Hanover returns to the friendly confines of Campion Rink for their last league game before the annual Manchester holiday tournament. The Marauders will host the Purple Panthers of Nashua South on Thursday, December 22 at 5:10pm. Come out and cheer on the Marauders as they look to get their first win of the season.

Marauders Drop Last-Second Heartbreaker on Opening Night

Senior Will Smith opened the season 

scoring with a shorthanded goal. 

The Marauders dropped a heartbreaker on opening night as their dramatic comeback was thwarted with a last-minute Londonderry goal and the visiting Lancers went home with a 3-2 victory.

The Marauders took the ice to begin their 2016-2017 season in front of an unusually full house for a school night. Energy and expectations were high, but Hanover soon found itself shorthanded with the first penalty call coming at just 1:09 into the game. The potent Lancer powerplay was held at bay and it looked as if Hanover would kill the penalty safely when senior defenseman Merrill Neiman found the back of the net off a feed from forward Troy Muldoon.

Most of the rest of the first frame featured a lot of back-and-forth between the two teams with few quality scoring chances. Hanover mustered only two shots on goal in the period, both handled by senior goaltender Cody Baldwin. It looked as if the teams would head into the intermission with a 1-0 Lancer lead, but the guests doubled the margin with just over a minute left to play when Patrick Cohen fed a breakout pass up the left wing to Bryan Murphy who jetted past the Hanover defense to walk in alone on goalie Gabe Loud and beat him high to the glove side with a wrist shot into the top corner.

The Marauders came out with renewed determination in the second, but their momentum seemed thwarted by a five-minute major penalty call to senior defenseman Patrick Logan. However, fellow senior defenseman Will Smith sent a jolt into the Hanover bench when he finished an aggressive shift of penalty killing by wristing home a feed from David Lehmann for a shorthanded tally to cut the Lancer lead in half. Smith, however, would soon find himself sitting next to Logan in the box and Hanover found itself two-men down for a full two minutes.

In many ways, Hanover played some of its most inspired hockey during these next two minutes, with TJ Beaver, Braxton McNulty, Jensen Dodge, Jake Acker, and Jonny Goff cycling through the three-man unit and aggressively thwarting the Lancer two-man-up attack. As the clock showed 7:51 to go and Smith hit the ice to bolster the Hanover penalty kill once again, the momentum seemed to swing further in Hanover’s direction.

Just over three minutes later, with both penalties successful behind them with the one-goal deficit intact, Hanover went on the powerplay themselves. The Marauders seemed to fully capture the momentum when senior captain Jonny Goff buried a laser wrist shot into the net off a feed from freshman Rowan Wilson, just called up from the JV, with one second remaining on the man-up. With the score knotted at two apiece, the teams headed to their respective dressing rooms and prepped for the final period.

The intermission seemed to come at an inauspicious time for the host team, as the momentum they seized in the second seemed to swing back to the visitors in the third. The Lancers outshot the Marauders 8-2 in the final frame, although Loud was equal to the task on all but the final shot. With mere seconds remaining, senior forward Sean Cotter was taken hard to the boards by Logan behind the Hanover net, but somehow managed to throw a centering pass into the slot. Junior Michael McCormick was left unmarked as he streaked in front of the goal and slammed home the game winner with a mere sixteen seconds left in the game.

Hanover will look to rebound as they travel south to Salem for the Blue Devils' season opener on Friday night at 8:30pm at the Icenter, the site of the Marauders’ dramatic come-from-behind victory in the state playoffs last year.

Opening Night

The Marauders open their season with a bang tonight at the friendly confines of Campion Rink, hosting the Lancers of Londonderry High School. Londonderry sits at #4 in the preseason Hockey Night in Boston poll, while Hanover is slotted at #7. The last time Hanover saw the Lancers was after their come-from-behind 3-1 upset victory in the state tournament, so the visitors will be looking for some payback. Game time is 5:10pm.

Hockey Night in Boston New Hampshire DI Preview

Hockey Night in Boston News have published their annual New Hampshire Division I preview. Read the early scoop on the Marauders and their competition, as well as the preseason poll.

Save the Date - 2016 Marauder Golf Classic coming soon!

Coach Dodds has announced the date for the 13th annual Marauder Golf Classic  - October 9th at Hanover Country Club.  This is always a great event, and a major fundraiser for the program.  More details and the registration form can be found at:

https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B9jcaNqWKh9Ob3hERzI0dkEwQXM/view?usp=sharing

Hope to see you all there...

"The minutes turn to hours . . . " Hanover 3 - Londonderry 1

Everett Logan reports in after a late night in Southern NH:

Being the last seed in the playoffs often means you have to play the hand you’re dealt, no matter how lousy. The Marauders opened the 2016 NHIAA Division I playoffs as the tenth seed against the host number seven seed Londonderry Lancers. Londonderry, with no permanent home rink of their own, decided to play some mind games with the Marauders by setting the game at 8:20 on a school night and at the Salem Icenter, the second furthest rink from Hanover in all of Division I, and one with an immense Olympic ice sheet that does not favor the Marauder’s grinding style of play. 

The shenanigans seemed as if they would pay off for the Lancers for much of the game, as they opened the scoring just 3:30 into the first period when senior captain Nick Donnelly beat Hanover goalie Gabe Loud with a wrist shot from the right face-off circle that found the top corner. Even NHL players have a hard time playing a physical game on Olympic rinks, and the Marauders were unable to establish much on the forecheck or slow the speedy Lancers’ first line down due to the massive ice surface. 

As if the game time and location were not enough, the referees seemed to add insult to injury as Hanover had the first of two apparent goals waved off. The first occurred midway through the first period when captain Johnny Goff seemingly put in the equalizer in a goal-mouth scramble. However, the referee clearly missed the puck entering the net and the teams ended the period with the 1-0 Londonderry lead intact.

The second period saw plenty of back-and-forth action on the large sheet, but Hanover was the only team able to put the puck past their opponent's goaltender. Seth Stadheim took a pass from his own zone and streaked behind the last Lancer defender to break in alone on goalie Cody Baldwin. Stadheim decked to his backhand and banked the puck into the net off of Baldwin’s pad. However, having to cover the large expanse of the Olympic rink clearly took its toll on the officiating crew, and an apparently winded referee did not hustle back with the breakaway and found himself a good sixty feet away from the net when the puck went in. He blew his whistle when he lost sight of the puck and shortly thereafter signaled no goal, waiting for Baldwin to produce the puck. When the puck was eventually retrieved buried in the inside of the goal, the referee looked sheepish but refused to reverse his call and signal a goal, to the anger and astonishment of the Hanover fans. On the other end of the ice, Loud proved equal to everything Londonderry could throw at him, and the second period ended the same as the first, with another uncalled Hanover goal and a 1-0 lead for the hosts. 

Hanover pulled out all the stops in the third and finally found a way to mount consistent pressure on the Lancers. Hanover showed that they were the better conditioned team as the large ice surface seemed to catch up to the home team as the game wore on. Loud made the save of the evening to keep Londonderry from securing an insurance goal when he shut down a Patrick Maloney breakaway to keep the game at 1-0. Nevertheless, Baldwin was equaling Loud in keeping quality shots at bay, and as the game clock ticked down, it looked like it would be a frustrating and heartbreakingly unjust end to the Marauders’ season. 


But, with just 5:33 left to play, captain Eric McCoy dished to linemate David Lehmann just inside the Londonderry blue line, and Lehmann fired a low wrist shot that beat Baldwin on the near post. The third time of putting a puck in the net was the charm for Hanover and this goal was finally officially tallied for the tying score. 

The equalizer energize the Marauders and deflated the Lancers, and just one minute later, defenseman Patrick Logan threaded 90-foot a pass across two zones to Goff who quickly beat his defender and wristed the go-ahead goal past Baldwin. The Marauders erupted in celebration, but there were still four and half minutes of hockey left to be played. As Gordon Lightfoot said of the waves that wrecked the Edmund Fitzgerald, the minutes turn to hours when nursing a one-goal lead in the third. With a minute and a half remaining, Baldwin retreated to the Lancer bench in favor of an extra attacker. After a moment of furious attack, Logan was able to clear the puck out of the zone up the right wing boards, where it was gathered by Stadheim, who quickly fed to Goff. The captain circled hard to the left to elude the last Lancer defender before getting his hands free to fire the puck from the Londonderry blue line into the center of the empty net and the insurance goal Hanover needed.

After Londonderry gained possession, they again pulled Baldwin, but their fate had been sealed and they were unable to mount significant pressure. The clock finally expired on the Longest Night, and Hanover mobbed Loud and his 26-save effort that brought home the 3-1 victory. With the win, the Marauders move on to the quarterfinals, facing second-seeded Bedford at 2:00 on Saturday at Sullivan Arena on the campus of Saint Anselm College. Hanover looks to avenge a 6-0 loss earlier in the season at the hands of the Bulldogs, while Bedford looks to move on toward its first ever Division I championship. 

Regular Season Finale, Hanover 5 - Nashua South 0

Thanks to Everett Logan for another great game report:

On the final day of the regular season, the Hanover Marauders traveled to Nashua’s Conway Arena to take on the Nashua South Panthers. Hanover looked to get off the schneid of their three-game losing streak and head into next week’s playoffs with some winning mojo. The visitors did not disappoint and headed home with a 5-0 victory. 

Even before the game began, the Hanover bench was short-handed. Missing the services of forwards Jonathan Goff and Elias Zinmann, and defenseman Alan Baker, Hanover reshuffled their lines and the early minutes showed the effects of the disruptions in line chemistry. However, Hanover began to gel as the period went on, and junior forward Jake Acker broke the scoring drought at 5:38 of the first. After strong cycling work along the boards low in the Nashua zone by Jensen Dodge and Seth Stadheim, Jake Acker picked up the puck behind the net and took a low-angle shot while walking in from the corner. Panther goalie Alyssa Bennett made the initial save, but Acker pushed in the rebound on the left post. 

Hanover dominated possession for the majority of the period, but Nashua mounted a furious counter attack during the final two minutes of the period. Looking for the equalizer, Mike Noke and Michael Fornier broke into the Hanover zone on a 2-on-1, but goalie Gabe Loud made a spectacular shoulder save on Noke’s high wrist shot off the last-second feed from Fornier.

Hanover began the second period with a quick penalty to captain Eric McCoy, but the Marauders’ aggressive penalty kill kept the Panther powerplay unit on their heels. Forward David Lehmann’s aggressive forecheck beat a Nashua defender to a loose puck behind the net, and then sent a Gretzky-esque centering pass directly to the tape of Casey Starr’s stick as the latter was floating down in the slot. Starr ripped a one-timer into the top shelf at 1:43 of second for the 2-0 Hanover lead.
Casey Starr tallied a "goal of the year" candidate
to give the Marauders a big boost to start the second 
Lehmann nabbed another assist in setting up Hanover’s third goal, as he outworked his Panther marker on the right-wing boards and sent the puck to lineman Drew Tengdin at the right face-off circle. Tengdin fired a low shot off Bennett’s pads, and McCoy quickly banged it home for Hanover’s third goal.  

One minute later, junior defenseman Patrick Logan circled back to grab a loose puck in his own zone and rushed the puck up center ice, splitting three Nashua defenders before wristing a rocket from just inside the blue line that went bar-down for the unassisted goal and the 4-0 lead. 

At 6:51, the Marauders converted their final insurance goal after a beautiful feed from Acker to Stadheim was stuffed by the goalie  .Acker quickly chased down the rebound and centered the puck back to Jensen Dodge who banged it in on the crease for the five-goal lead. 

Nashua made a bid to break the shutout with a point blank shot at 12:30, but Loud made the quick flash with his pad to make the save and preserve the shutout. 

The third period saw no scoring, but plenty of fireworks as the teams combined for twelve penalties. The frustrated Panthers spent the majority of the time in the box, with six minor penalties and two misconducts. Unfortunately, Hanover could not convert on any of their man-up opportunities, but the combination of the relentless Hanover forecheck and Nashua’s revolving door to the penalty box kept the pressure off Loud and allowed Hanover to coast to the finish line with the 5-0 shutout intact. 

With the win, Hanover finishes the regular season 8-9-1 and will head into the playoffs as the #10 seed. The Marauders will face #7 Londonderry on Wednesday evening to open the state tournament, time and location to be announced. 

In case anyone wants a reminder of what happened the last time Hanover and Londonderry met on Jan 17th, here's a good shot from Paul Stinson of Capt Goff celebrating from his backside

More of Paul's pics from that eventful Jan night, and tons more from throughout the season can be found here:

http://hanoverhockeyphotos.phanfare.com/7124926#imageID=253304856

And, the write-up of that Jan 16 game, which the Marauders won 3-2 can be found here:

Jan 16 - Hanover 3, Londonderry 2

Mar 2 - Concord 5, Hanover 0

On a bitter-cold Wednesday evening, the Marauders traveled south for a late evening clash with second-place Concord at the always hostile confines of Everett Arena. Hanover looked to get back in the winning habit as they head into next week’s playoffs, but everything was coming up Crimson as the Tide rolled over the visitors with a 5-0 shutout. 

As anyone who’s been around NH hockey for any length of time knows, the officiating is never friendly to visitors in Concord, but the Marauders found themselves the benefactors of two penalties on the home team and enjoyed over a minute of a 5-on-3 powerplay just early in the first period. Despite good offensive zone possession and a number of quality shots by Will Smith and Jake Acker, the Marauders couldn’t push the biscuit past senior goalie Ben Nelson. 

The officiating soon returned to “normal” as Hanover found themselves the victim of a baffling interference call when Concord forward Jared Grondin skated into the path of advancing defenseman Patrick Logan and proceeded to fall down. What in any other arena would have been deemed incidental contact sent Logan to the box and set Concord’s potent powerplay on the first of their numerous man-up opportunities of the evening. At just over a minute into the man-up, senior Matt Norris set up fellow captain Bradley Murphy for the ice breaker at 13:25.

Lady luck smiled on Concord again, but this time with Hanover on the powerplay. Crimson defenseman Matt Chorlian sent a long clear from center ice behind the Hanover net. As goalie Luke Ratliff circled back to retrieve it, the puck took a freak bounce and rebounded into the Hanover crease to be tapped in by forward Andy Cole who was streaking to the net on the forecheck. 

The second period saw more Crimson luck as Hanover was sent to the box three more times on puzzlingly phantom calls. On Concord’s first powerplay of the frame, the 230-pound Norris parked himself in the low slot and tipped home a shot from the point by Chorlian for a 3-0 lead at 7:17. Less than three minutes later, Concord’s man-up unit struck again with Murphy’s second goal of the game, a wrist shot from the right face-off circle off a feed from Liam O’Brien. 

The third period saw the most pressure from the Marauders as they put twelve shots on the Concord net, but Nelson and substitute goalie Griffin Gilbert were equal to all of them. Concord put the final nail in the coffin at 7:05 of the final stanza when Murphy stripped puck off a Hanover forward in the high slot and wristed it top shelf for the hat trick. 

Hanover mustered 25 shots, but couldn’t solve Concord’s stalwart goaltending. Ratliff made 32 saves in goal on the Marauder end. 

With the win, Concord drew even with Bishop Guertin for a share of first place in NHIAA Division I. The two teams will square off against each other on Saturday in their season closer to decide the regular-season title and top playoff seed. Hanover heads to Nashua on Saturday for their final game of the regular season and looks to get some winning momentum against Nashua South before heading into next week’s opening round of the state playoffs. The puck drops at 2:40 at Conway arena. 

Senior Night Send off - Exeter 3 - Hanover 1

Another tough night for the Marauders. Some late breaking good news however - If the NHIAA standings are correct on their website, Salem's loss last night has assured Hanover a spot in the post season tourney.

Thanks again to Everett Logan for the game report:

It was Senior night for the Hanover Marauders, their last home game of the regular season and a chance to say thanks and goodbye to three skaters on the team: captain Eric McCoy, Matthew Miles, and Drew Tengdin. After a brief ceremony for the three and a stirring a cappella rendition of the Star Spangled Banner by the Soar Throats, the puck dropped and the Marauders looked to get back in the win column. 

Things started well for the Marauders with aggressive forechecking keeping Exeter hemmed in their zone for much of the early going. Jake Acker nearly broke the ice just a few minutes into the game with a blistering slapshot one-timer off a feed from Jonny Goff that clanged off the crossbar. However, Hanover did draw first blood minutes later when Seth Stadheim scored the first goal of the game at 7:05 of the first period. Playing dump-and-chase, Jensen Dodge beat the Exeter defender to the puck in the left corner shrugged off the ensuing check to send the puck behind the net where Stadheim gathered it. The sophomore center ducked an Exeter bodycheck and moved the puck into the right side of the slot on the doorstep of the crease. Holding the puck for a second to get Bryson Desjardins to commit, he then wristed a shot over the Exeter goalie’s shoulder for a 1-0 lead. 

The lead would prove short-lived, however, as Exeter found the equalizer at 3:54 of the first. The Eagles’ leading scorer Brandon Mello brought the puck along the left wing before cutting in toward the Hanover net at the face-off circle. Eluding a poke-check attempt, he shielded the puck with his body before tucking it in the net as he slid across the crease. 

The second period belonged to Exeter as they pulled away with two insurance goals from sophomore forward Ben Baldasaro: a pretty snapshot from the left face-off circle  that found the top of the net at 4:20, followed by a wrist shot from the right slot at 9:02. 

In terms of offensive pressure and puck possession, the third period belonged to Hanover, but they were unable to solve Desjardins, perhaps the league’s top goalie. Sometimes hockey games can be decided by a hot goaltender, as Desjardins showed earlier in the season when he made an astounding 58 saves to lead Exeter to an upset of then-undefeated Bedford. The senior captain showed more of his magic in the third as he made 11 of his 26 saves in the frame, many of them on high-quality shots that would have easily beaten most high-school goalies. In the end, a frustrated Hanover could only tip their collective caps to Desjardins who as equal to anything they could throw at him. 

Despite the 3-1 loss, Hanover played some of its most aggressive hockey of the year. Standheim, Dodge, Goff, and David Lehmann were fearless in their aggression on the forecheck and in chasing down loose pucks along the boards, while Acker and McCoy dominated the neutral zone and the Hanover breakout. The Hanover defense limited Exeter’s offense to less than 20 shots. 

After a rare Saturday off, Hanover looks to secure a playoff spot on the road against 14-1 Concord next Wednesday at the always tough confines of Everett Arena with a late school-night tilt beginning at 7:30. 

Feb 20 - Trinity 3, Hanover 1

The rollercoaster ride continues for the Marauders as they dropped a road game to the host Trinity Pioneers on Saturday night, 3-1. The visitors outshot Trinity 33-20, but the hosts were able to make the most of a few key Hanover defensive breakdowns to secure the win.

Seven minutes into the game, Hanover got on the board first on a powerplay goal from Freshman Elias Zinmann. With a Pioneer in the box, Hanover set up its increasingly deadly powerplay in the Trinity zone. Seth Stadheim fed the puck from the high left wing to fellow point man Patrick Logan, who ripped a snapshot off the shoulder of Trinity goaltender Curtis Wirbal. The shot rebounded favorably off the back boards and directly to Zinmann on the doorstep. Wirbal had turned the wrong way to find the puck and left the near side of the goal wide open allowing Zinmann to bang it in for the score and the early lead.  

However, just over two minutes later, Trinity tied the game on a backchecking breakdown when Jacob Wolford threaded a pass from the right wing to an unmarked Tyler Chipman gliding into the left face-off circle. Chapman wristed home the equalizer at 9:20 of the period. 

The second period belonged to the Pioneers. With a Marauder serving a contact-to-the-head penalty, Trinity took the lead on an end-to-end rush goal by defenseman Drew Merrick. Derrick received the puck in his own zone from Nate Arcand and proceeded to blow past two Hanover skaters before tucking the puck home at 2:03 of the second for the Trinity lead that they would not relinquish. 

Trinity added an insurance goal at 5:31 of the period as Hanover was caught puck watching and failed to put a body on the circling Pioneers as Wolford scored on a bang-bang play from Arcand and freshman Jimmy Kosiarski. 

The visiting Marauders applied the pressure in the third, and finished the game with a decided advantage in shots, but were unable to solve Wirbal who finished with 32 saves on the night. 

Hanover returns home on Wednesday for the last time in the regular season and looks to secure a playoff spot on Senior Night as they host Exeter at 4:00 pm at Campion Rink. 

An Overtime Thriller!

The Marauders jump up into 6th place in the logjammed NHIAA standings with last night's win.  Thanks to Everett Logan again for the game writeup:

The Hanover Marauders took their longest road trip of the year on Wednesday to the cozy confines of the Dover Ice Arena to take on the Saints of St. Thomas Aquinas. After their Saturday night loss to first-place Bishop Guertin, the Marauders looked to get back in the win column and solidify a place in the playoffs. The visitors in maroon provided a roller-coaster ride in a game that looked early like it would be a rout in their favor, only to see the lead evaporate and a heartbreaking loss looming until last-second heroics saved the game. Hanover went on to win the thriller in overtime, 4-3 on Seth Stadheim’s hat trick. 

Hanover looked to put the disappointment of Saturday’s loss behind them quickly and came roaring out of the gate with a ferocious attack. The first line dominated play from the puck drop and keep the action firmly within the Saints’ zone immediately. Only seconds into the game, Elias Zinmann showed his tenacity by outracing a St. Thomas defender to a loose puck in the corner. Zinmann fed the puck to defenseman Patrick Logan at the point. Logan held the puck just long enough to draw the Aquinas wing to him before dishing back to Zinmann, who quickly fed the puck to center Seth Stadheim in the slot. Stadheim wristed home the ice breaker to the blocker side of the goalie at 0:47 of the first period for a 1-0 Hanover lead. 

Hanover continued to dominate play in the period, and St. Thomas found themselves on their heels for most of the early going. With St. Thomas in the penalty box, the Hanover power play unit applied relentless pressure, but couldn’t get the puck past the Saints’ goalie. With time winding down on the man-up, St. Thomas cleared the puck out of their zone to center ice. Power-play point man Stadheim circled back to gather the puck and rushed back toward the Saints goal, splitting two defenders before deking to the backhand and lifting the puck into the net for a 2-0 lead. 

Hanover was denied credit for a third goal in the period when a pinching Logan centered the puck from the side boards to Zinman alone in the slot. “EZ” lifted a backhander as nifty as Stadheim’s into the top of the Saints’ net, but the referee was inexplicably not watching the play and missed the puck clearly hitting the inside of the netting before rebounding out and no goal was called. 

Although Hanover dominated the period, the Saints applied pressure of their own. The defensive play of the period went to Grant Morhun, whose hustle on the back check to lift a St. Thomas forward’s stick at the last second as he received a path on the doorstep of the Hanover goal likely kept the score at 2-0 when the period ended. 

St. Thomas regrouped during the second intermission and came out in the second with tighter defense and significantly limited the Marauder chances. Their opportunity came when unusually disciplined Hanover drew its first penalty of the game with less than two minutes to play in the period. As time wound down, St. Thomas shot the puck on net. Gabe Loud made the initial save, but Hanover was unable to clear the puck or the Saints attackers out of the crease in the ensuing goal-mouth scramble, and Ransom Roberts banged home the puck with only five seconds remaining in the period to get St. Thomas on the board and heading into the second intermission trailing 2-1. 

Hanover drew a roughing penalty after the whistle to end the second, so St. Thomas began the third period with a fresh power play. Despite good pressure, Loud and the penalty kill unit held strong and denied the Saints their equalizer. However, one minute after the penalty expired, Tucker Whitcomb fed the puck up the left wing to a streaking Ryan Gaulin. A Marauder wing attempted a body check, but Gaulin kept his feet moving and blew threw it before cutting toward the net and firing a slap shot past Loud for the equalizer. 

A stunned Hanover bench looked on in disbelief as their early two-goal lead evaporated, but there was still a lot of hockey left to play. Each team had their chances throughout the third, but neither team could break through to gain the lead, as each team’s goaltender proved puzzling to their opponents. However, a defensive breakdown by the Marauders with time winding down looked like it might be the decisive moment of the game. Gaulin fed the puck to Brock Crowley at the right point, and no Hanover forward moved to intercept him or block his shot. With a clean angle on net, he fired a perfect slap shot into the top corner from the right face-off circle to net what appeared to be the game winner for the Saints and the agonizing heartbreaker for the Marauders with only 1:05 left to play in the contest. 

Coach Dodds called a time-out and calmed his shellshocked troops. Hanover won the ensuing face-off and Loud quickly headed to the bench for the extra attacker. Hanover was unable to set-up in the attacking zone, but fortunately kept the puck out of their empty net. With time ticking away, Logan gathered the puck at center ice and rushed it up the right wing boards through two Saints defenders. As he was attempting to cut in toward goal, the second defender pulled him down by his sweater, but not before he was able to push the puck low to Stadheim behind the net. Stadheim circled quickly to the left side of the net and fed the puck to Jake Acker in the low slot who banged it home to tie the score with a mere fifteen second left and send the game to overtime. 

Initially, neither team was able to generate dangerous chances in overtime and the game looked as if it might headed to a reprise of the tie that Hanover and St. Thomas battled to at Campion earlier in the season. However, at just under four minutes remaining in extra time, the Hanover forecheck paid off once again as Stadheim hustled and pestered the St. Thomas breakout causing a Saint defender to surrender the puck along their left wing board. Stadheim stepped behind him, gathered the loose puck, cut toward the net, and wristed home the sudden-death winner with 3:42 left in overtime before being mobbed by his relieved and exuberant teammates. 

Hanover hits the road again on Saturday to take on Trinity at St. Anselm’s college at 7:30. 

BG 6, Hanover 0

Guest scribe Everett Logan checks in again with a report on Saturday night's action:

On a bitter cold Saturday night, the Hanover Marauders went south of the border to Tyngsboro, Massachusetts to take on defending state champions Bishop Guertin. The weather wasn’t the only thing cold this evening; the first place Cardinals gave the visitors a chilly reception and sent them home with a 6-0 loss. 

Hanover began the first period with a jump in their step and held the potent BG offense at bay. Puck possession was even through the first five minutes, and Hanover held a slight advantage in shots on goal, with a slightly bigger advantage in quality opportunities. However, no hockey team can play a perfect game, and the best teams are the ones that capitalize the most on their opponents’ mistakes. After a missed clear, BG’s Chase Blazak was left alone behind the net who centered it to Joe Leahy for the game’s first goal at 6:48 of the first period. 

Hanover regrouped and continued to apply pressure throughout the first period. Game Loud made several strong saves in goal, and the Hanover breakout was effective in moving the puck out of their defensive zone. Senior captain Eric McCoy was particularly effective in skating the puck out of his own zone to get the offense moving when the Hanover forwards were hemmed in by Guertin’s pressure, and Jake Acker came within a clanging goal post of tying the game. However, toward the end of the period, Hanover’s heretofore effective breakout failed and a missed pass came directly to Michael Barrett in the high slot who fed it to Austin King for the game’s second goal at 14:53.

The late goal seemed to deflate Hanover, who had battled the Cardinals evenly for the entire period, only to find themselves two goals down. The difference was simply Guertin’s ability to capitalize quickly on the smallest Hanover miscues, the hallmark of a confident and experienced team. Guertin came out of the intermission with growing confidence, whereas Hanover found themselves on their heels. The Cardinals would strike four times in the second period, including three heartbreaking goals in less than thirty seconds. 

BG got the ball rolling with a powerplay strike by league-leading scorer Justin Pearson at 3:30. A mere twelve seconds later, a missed Hanover check at the BG blue line led to a two-on-one rush with Pearson threading the pass to sophomore Ben Peterson for the goal. Eleven seconds later, Pearson again set up a teammate when he fed the puck to Barrett for his second goal of the game. 

A timeout by coach Dodds allowed Hanover to breathe and regroup, and they held steady with the Cardinals for a bit, but the lead would prove insurmountable. The final nail in the coffin came at 10:12 with Hanover on the powerplay when Barrett scored his second of the game for a shorthanded tally.

Hanover played their best hockey in the third period, holding Guertin scoreless, but the hole they found themselves in was far too large to scramble out of, and the Cardinals’ defense and goaltending held firm. Worst of all, Hanover may have lost more than its pride in the game when captain Jonathan Goff left the game in the second period with an apparent shoulder injury after a strong but legal bodycheck into the boards by Guertin’s hulking 6’5” senior defenseman Cam Hult. 

Gabe Loud and Luke Ratliff split time in net. Hanover continues their road trips with a tilt against St. Thomas Aquinas at Dover Ice Arean on Wednesday at 5:00 pm. Hanover looks to get back in the win column against a team they tied 1-1 earlier in the season. 

Lucky 7

Thanks to guest writer Everett Logan, and the magic of modern communication for a writeup on last night's victory over Pelham-Alvirne

After two subpar performances against bottom-of-the-table teams, the Marauders got off the schneid with a 7-0 win at home against Pelham-Alvirne. Hanover came roaring out of the gate and dominated puck possession in the Avalanche defensive zone from the opening face-off. Just minutes into the game, the pressure paid off as captain Jonny Goff broke the ice with a strong wrist shot off a feed from Jensen Dodge that found the back of the net. The celebration felt like a sigh of relief for the Marauders who had been held scoreless for the previous five periods. However, Hanover was far from done as they would tally three more goals in the period, all by the newly-formed first line of Goff, Dodge, and Seth Stadheim.

On the line's very next shift, they found the net again as strong play along the boards and rapid cycling brought the puck to Stadheim at the face-off circle. Number 9 fed the puck neatly to Goff, who shot the puck on net to be deflected in off the stick of a sprawling Jensen Dodge who had just been sent to the ice by a Pelham-Alvirne defender attempting to un-screen his goalie. 

Minutes later, Hanover scored the backbreaker when Dodge hustled to prevent a P-A clear at their blue line. Dodge fed the puck to a steaking Stadheim who deked his defender twice, froze the goalie with a hesitation move, and then fired the puck cleanly into the top of the net while moving to his left. 

The line was not done with their offensive fireworks as they all but sealed the game in the first period when Stadheim threaded a perfect pass from the right face-off circle to Goff in the high slot, who moved the puck onto his backhand and lifted a clinical shot into the top of the net. 

Pelham-Alvirne was clearly shellshocked by the relentless Marauder forecheck and hustle to every loose puck along the board. In particular, the physical presence of wing Jake Acker had Avalanche players shying away from the corners and allowing Hanover to dominate puck possession throughout the period. 

However, Pelham-Alvirne regrouped during the first intermission and came out determined to stop the bleeding. While the second period continued to show Hanover dominating puck possession by a significant margin, Pelham was able to tighten their defense in the slot and decrease Hanover's prime scoring opportunities. 

Bolstered by their defensive momentum, Pelham-Alvirne was able to apply brief pressure in the Hanover zone, but the Marauder defense and the stout play of goalie Luke Ratliff were more than equal to the task. The heartbreaker for the Avalanche's efforts to turn the tide of the game came at the five minute mark when Elias Zinmann threaded a stretch pass to Jake Acker who quickly separated himself from both defenders to streak in on a breakaway, finished with a deke to the right and a quick backhand goal. 

Pelham-Alvirne held Hanover scoreless for the remainder of the period, but with the smothering Hanover defense bringing their A-game, the game was already out of reach for the visitors. 

The 5-0 lead allowed Hanover to give regular shifts to its third-line players on both offense and defense, and the end of the bench proved just as potent as the regulars in the final period. Recent JV promotion Casey Starr scored his first varsity goal when he pushed a rebound between the sprawling Pelham-Alvirne goalie's right skate and the goalpost. Stadheim capped the scoring toward the end of the now running-time third period with a blast of a wrist shot from the high slot off a perfect feed from linemate Dodge for the latter's fourth point of the night. 

All six of the defensive corps of Patrick Logan, Will Smith, Eric McCoy, TJ Beaver, Braxton McNulty, and Matt Miles rotated through significant ice time and played nearly flawless and frustrating defense to limit the visitors to a season-low 10 shots. As any goalie will tell you, sometimes the hardest games in which to stay sharp are the ones with the fewest shots, but Ratliff made several solid saves on the few scoring threats the Hanover defense allowed to secure the shutout. 

Hanover hits the road and attempts to spawn another winning streak when they face first-place and defending state champions Bishop Guertin at 6:10 this coming Saturday at the Skate3 complex in Tyngsboro, Massachusetts. 

Groundhog Day

The Hanover Marauders suffered their own version of the classic Bill Murray time loop, continuing their February funk in a 4-0 loss at the hands of the Manchester Central Little Green.  A combination of injuries, missed opportunities, unlucky bounces, and penalties sent the Marauders to their second defeat in a row and evened their league record at 5-5-1.  That's currently good for a 9th place tie in the NHIAA standings, and leaves the Marauders little margin for error in their fight for a playoff berth.

With eleven forward seeing ice time for Hanover, there were a total of 165 distinct combinations for line mates that could be made. (Go ahead and check my math if you'd like)  Coach Dodds seemingly tried them all, looking to find the one little spark needed to wake the Marauder offense, but to no avail.   Central got one goal in the first period, a second just before the 2nd intermission, and two in the third period to put the game out of reach.

Penalties were especially painful for the Marauders as they returned to their early season ways and were booked for 7 minors.  Central cashed a few power play chances, but more importantly the constant short handed situations blunted any momentum Hanover tried to build and left them too little time to mount a comeback.  In order to regain their mojo going forward, the boys will need to learn to play with more discipline, and not allow the referees to get inside their skulls and rattle around like they did last night.

Next up for Hanover is a chance to right the ship against Pelham-Alvirne on Weds night at Campion,  P-A currently sits just below the playoff line, has a win over Pinkerton, and a 1 goal loss to Bishop Guertin on their resume, and will be looking to load up on the suddenly vulnerable Marauders.  It promises to be a critical test for the young Hanover team.

Mama said there'd be days like this . . .

"Mama said there'll be days like this, There'll be days like this Mama said"

The Shirelle's had a top 10 hit with "Mama Said" back in 1961.  An undermanned and hobbled Hanover Marauder team found out just what they meant  on Saturday afternoon at the Ice Den in Hooksett.  Very little went right for the Marauders, and they fell to Pinkerton Academy 3-1.  Injuries, illnesses, equipment malfunctions, and even a crazy bounce off the glass all combined to doom Hanover to the defeat.

Despite turning in perhaps their worst collective performance of the season, Hanover was in the game to the very end.  The game was scoreless after the first period, and tied at one goal each heading into the third, thanks to some stout goaltending by Ratliff and an opportunistic unassisted goal from Stadheim.

In the third period, Hanover drew their only penalty of the game,  Following the penalty, an Astro forward was able to split the Marauder D pair and break in alone on Ratliff for the game-winning goal.  The back-breaking third goal was one of the flukiest in memory, with a shot that went high over the net, only to carom off the glass, back over the goal, and off Ratliff's back into the net.

A week off from game action to rest, recuperate and regroup may be just what the doctor ordered as the Marauders prepare for the home stretch and state tournament.  The schedule makers obliged, and the Marauders next take the ice next Saturday, 7 PM at Campion against traditional rival Manchester Central.

What can you do in less than 1 second?

Q:  How do you defeat a team that has won 5 games in overtime this season?

A: Make sure you win the game in regulation!

The Exeter Blue Hawks asked that question of the Marauders last night, and Seth Stadheim answered in most dramatic fashion by scoring the game winner with 0.2 seconds left to play in regulation.  The 3-2 win improved Hanover's record to 5-3-1 in the NHIAA and pushed the team above Exeter into 5th place in the NHIAA standings.

But before all that drama could take place, the stage had to be set in the second period when the Marauders came back twice from one goal deficits.  Logan scored the first goal (assists to Zinman and Smith) on a laser beam of a slap shot, helped by Smith establishing perfect position in front of the goalie to set the screen.

After Exeter went back in front 2-1, the real highlight came when Tengdin scored his first career goal and staked his claim to "Goal of the Year" honors in the process.  The sequence started ominously for the Marauders, with Acker hobbling to bench, hunched over and holding his mid-section, while Exeter raced up the ice 5 on 4.  After what seemed an eternity, Jake finally reached the bench, allowing Drew to jump over the boards and join the play.  At just that right moment, the puck squirted out of the Hanover defensive end and Tengdin picked it up at center ice.  From there, he skated in on net, held off the pursuing Exeter defender with his left hand, and with only his right hand on the stick, slid the puck through the 5 hole before the stunned Blue Hawk goalie had time to gather himself.

At the other end of the ice, the Marauders received their typical outstanding effort from goaltender Loud, who was credited with 23 saves on the day, and the Hanover defensive corps.  Another bright note for Hanover - they were charged with only two penalties on the day, well down from their season average.

Next up, a trip to the Ice Den in Hooksett on Saturday to face the always dangerous Pinkerton Astros.  Puck drops at 1:00 PM.

Jan 23, Hanover 3 - Nashua North/Souhegan 1

Orthrus - the legendary two headed dog of Greek mythology was responsible for guarding his master's cattle in the land of Erytheia.

Loud/Ratliff - the Marauders two headed goal-tending tandem, responsible for guarding the Hanover net and keeping the Marauders in games until their mates can find a way to score enough goals to win.  Last night was Loud's turn, as he turned away 19 of the 20 shots he faced and backstopped Hanover to a 3-1 win over the Nashua North-Souhegan SaberTitans.  In the 10 games Hanover has played this year against teams not named Bedford, the goaltending duo has allowed a paltry 17 goals.  With the win, Hanover improves to 4-3-1 in the NHIAA and currently sits in 7th place in the league standings.

The first period was for the most part a muddle of neutral zone play, with neither team gaining any traction.  Hanover struck first with a short handed goal when Stadheim picked off a N-S pass at the blue line and skated in alone, neatly deked the goalie and slid the puck into the back of the net.  Unfortunately, the boost was short lived, as the N-S powerplay continued and a loose puck in the slot was converted into a well placed snipe that beat Loud glove side less than a minute later.

The second period turned into a special teams battle, as both teams took penalties and had extended periods with the man advantage.  The heroes of the period for Hanover were Stadheim, Acker, and Smith, who combined to kill two complete minutes of a N-S 5 on 3 advantage, helped along the way by several big stops from Loud.

The Marauders had several good bids of their own in the 2nd, and finally broke through with just 12 seconds to play.  Stadheim netted the eventual game winner, his second of the game, when he picked up a rebound of a Beaver shot and slid it past the goalie.  Acker was credited with the second assist on the play.

The third period was more of the same - a tight, physical battle, with N-S probing for the equalizer, and Hanover searching for the 3rd goal to give them some breathing room.  Neither team broke through, until Smith finally put the game out of reach with an empty-net goal with less than a minute to play. Acker earned his second point of the night with an assist on the Smith goal.

Next up for Hanover is an early dismissal road trip to Exeter for an afternoon tilt on Weds.  Exeter currently sits just a half game ahead of the Marauders, and have a win over Bedford on their resume, so it promises to be quite a matchup.

Jan 20: Concord 4 - Hanover 1

At the most basic level, hockey is all about taking advantage of the other team's mistakes, and limiting their ability to take advantage of yours.  The Concord Crimson Tide proved the truth of that on Wednesday night at Campion.  The end result was a 4-1 victory for the undefeated Crimson, in a game that was much closer than the final score indicated.

Concord is an experienced team, looking to make a return trip to the state finals, and currently sitting in 1st place in the NHIAA Div 1 standings.  In a scoreless first period, the Marauders carried the play, and had the majority of the possession and at least three legitimate scoring chances that went for naught.  The period ended with a 8-7 shot advantage for Hanover, and the Marauders went to their room feeling confident in their ability to run with the big dogs.

In the second period, Concord took advantage of Hanover miscues to put three pucks past Ratliff in the Hanover goal.  An untimely turnover in the defensive zone; an unfortunate bounce off a defenseman's stick; a deflected shot from the point, and a 3-0 lead for the Tide at the 2nd intermission.

The third period brought a role reversal of the common Hanover pattern from previous games, as a string of Concord penalties put the Marauders on the power play for the majority of the period.  Long stretches of sustained pressure and offensive zone possession finally led to a Goff goal (assists to Zinman and Baker) with just over 5 minutes to play.  A furious five minutes followed, but no second goal was forthcoming, and eventually Concord closed out the scoring with an empty net goal in the final seconds.

Thanks to Lake Sunapee Bank for sponsoring tonight's game.  Next up for the Marauders is another home game, Saturday at 7:10 against the Nashua North/Souhegan co-op team.

January 16: Hanover 3, Londonderry 2

Deja-vu all over again for the Hanover Marauders on Saturday night at Campion Rink as they survived 8 penalties for the second game in a row and held on to defeat Londonderry.  With the win, Hanover improves to 3-2-1 in the NHIAA standings, and continues their modest 3 game unbeaten streak.  Thanks to Mascoma Savings Bank for generously sponsoring the game and supporting the program.

A quiet first period, in which neither team drew a penalty, was highlighted by Stadheim's goal (assists to Goff and Acker).  When the Zamboni "burped" at the end of its 1st intermission tour around the ice, anyone who believes in the spirits and omens could probably predict that the 2nd period was going to be a little rougher.

Sure enough, in the second period, the Marauders seemed to get back to doing what they do best (or at least doing what they are used to) - playing shorthanded hockey.  Five minor penalties were killed in the period, including a minute of 5 on 3 that included the career debut of Acker on the back line. Along the way, we also saw a couple of Hanover power plays and some extended 4 on 4 action.   Mixed in for good measure were goals from Acker (assists to Stadheim and Tengdin) and Goff (assists to Stadheim and Dodge).

When the 2nd period was all over, the Marauders led 3-0 and seemed to have the game comfortably in hand.  Despite all the penalties, Hanover had only allowed 7 shots in the first two periods, and Loud had comfortably turned them all away.

At 11:24 of the 3rd period, Hanover was awarded a penalty shot at just about the same time that Gronk was recovering the onsides kick in Foxboro, and both games seemed over.  Stadheim's penalty shot attempt was denied, and Londonderry had a little life.  Finally, the parade to the penalty box caught up with the Marauders, and on their 7th power play of the night, Londonderry finally snuck a screened shot from the point past Loud to get on the board.  With 49 seconds to go, and an extra attacker on the ice, the Lancers somehow poked another puck out of Loud's grasp and into the net after an extended scrum in the crease.  But, there was no third goal to come, and the final seconds ticked off with Hanover holding on for the 3-2 victory.

Next up for the Marauders is a mid-week home tilt with league leading Concord on Weds.  Puck drops at 5:10, and the game is sponsored by Lake Sunapee Bank.  Thanks to them and all of our sponsors for their support.

Thanks to Paul Stinson for this photo of Capt Goff celebrating his second period score with Dodge and Stadheim.  Tons more great pics from Paul at:
http://albums.phanfare.com/isolated/YQ9ZwZSk/1/7124926