Afternoon Offensive Explosion at JFK

Freshman Rowan Wilson collected his first career goal in the first. 

On a balmy February Saturday afternoon, Hanover returned to JFK arena for the fifth time this season to take on the Crusaders of Manchester Memorial. Any fears of rust settling on the Marauder offense after the ten-day, snow-aided layoff were quickly allayed as the visitors unleashed a torrent of goals and came away with a 12-1 victory, their largest goal total of the season.

Junior forward David Lehmann opened the scoring just 1:50 into the game on the second shift when he tipped in a Braxton McNulty shot from the point. Center Elias Zinman picked up the second assist. 

Just six seconds later, senior captain Patrick Logan doubled the lead when he took the feed off the faceoff from the opening goal, skated up the right wing, and sent a long wrist shot from outside the blue line that beat Memorial goaltender Lauren Calnan high. 

The onslaught continued as McNulty picked up his second point of the game when he scored on a slapshot from the same spot he set-up the opening goal. The junior blueliner took a feed from senior forward Jensen Dodge before unleashing a slapper that blew past Calnan for the 3-0 lead. Junior TJ Beaver collected the second assist.

The Crusaders looked like they might have an opportunity to claw themselves back into the game when Lehmann took an elbowing penalty at 3:58 and Memorial went on their first power play of the game. The Crusaders managed to apply some pressure in the initial moments of the man-up, clanging one shot off the post before the Marauders were able to clear the zone and shut down the pressure for the remainder of the penalty kill. 

When back to even strength, Hanover padded their lead further when freshman Rowan Wilson scored his first career varsity goal at 7:50. After fellow freshman forward Owen Stadheim brought the puck up ice and fed sophomore Charlie Plotter, the latter shot on Calnan who made the initial save and Wilson swooped in to bang in the rebound. 

Memorial freshman defender Ray Custodio picked up a cross-checking penalty at 8:24 allowing the Marauder power play to go to work for the first time on the afternoon. After extended pressure, the man-up unit broke through at 9:55 when senior captain Jonny Goff passed to Logan at the center point, who immediately fed Jake Acker at the right face off circle. The senior forward one-timed a shot past Calnan for the 5-0 lead. 

Two minutes later, the Marauders extended the lead to six when senior defenseman Will Smith walked in alone on Calnan and beat her short-side for the unassisted goal. The Marauders weren't finished as they capped their largest single-period offensive explosion of the year when Plottner picked up his second point of the night, scoring at 14:08. After Stadheim walked in alone on the left wing and took a low, hard shot that Calnan saved, Plottner was there to collect the rebound and bang it into the back of the net.  

Hanover outshot Memorial 20-4 in the opening period and scored more goals in the period than all but one total game so far this year, the 10-1 victory over Nashua North-Souhegan on January 4. 

Hanover picked up where they left off in the second with senior forward Grant Morhun picking off a Crusader breakout attempt and beating replacement goaltender Chuck Degust through the five-hole for the unassisted goal just 1:27 into the period. 

Two minutes later, Logan rushed the puck up right wing, blowing by two Memorial defenders before unleashing a slap shot on Degust. The Crusader net minder made the initial pad save, but left the rebound right in the path of a streaking Acker who banged in the rebound for his second goal of the night a double-digit lead for the Marauders. 

Another busted breakout play allowed Duncan Bailey to collect his second goal of the season just 30 second later. Failing to clear their own zone, a pinching Bailey kept the puck inside the blue line along the left-side boards. Taking a step in, the sophomore defenseman fired a wrist shot that beat Degust high and gave the Marauders their largest goal total of the season to-date with the 11-0 lead. 

The Crusaders spoiled the shutout attempt and got themselves on the board at 8:32 when junior defenseman Eric Langley brought the puck up alone through the middle of the Marauder zone and fired a slap shot that hit Marauder backstop Luke Ratliff in the mask and ricocheted into the Hanover net. 

Hans Williams scored a dazzling breakaway goal in the second.

Hanover would answer and return the lead to 11 when sophomore Hans Williams scored on a dazzling unassisted breakaway at 13:32. Picking off a point-to-point pass inside the Hanover zone, Williams took the puck coast-to-coast and broke in alone on Degust, pulling the Crusader goalie to his left with a deke before roofing the puck over him with a backhander. 

Hanover would outshoot Memorial 11-6 in the second and head into the locker room with the 12-1 advantage. 

With the game firmly in hand, and three crucial games coming up next week, the Marauders kept their starting players on the bench for the duration of the period, with the exception of Dodge who dropped back from forward to defense. Memorial mounted their largest offensive pressure in the third frame, outshooting Hanover 7-3 on the period, but Ratliff turned aside all seven to preserve the 12-1 victory. 

Hanover outshot Memorial 34-17 on the game, with Ratliff making 16 saves, Calnan 13, and Degust finishing with 9. With the victory, the Marauders improve to Record: 13-6, 10-5 in NHIAA Division I. The loss drops the Crusaders to 2-17 overall, 1-15 in Division I play. Next up for the Marauders will be a crucial Division I rematch with Concord at home on Wednesday, February 22. The Marauders hope to take the rubber match on Senior Night after splitting their two matchups with the Crimson Tide so far this season. Game time will be 6:30.