In a game that was eerily similar to last year's afternoon visit to the industrially sterile warehouse known as the Ice Den, Hanover dropped a frustrating game to a less talented but highly spirited Astros squad.
Scoring began early with a puzzling goal by Chris Gile just 1:12 into the first period. With senior goalie Luke Ratliff seemingly having the puck covered with his glove, the referee sounded his whistle. Nevertheless, Gile slapped at the puck and sent it into the Hanover net, and the referee pointed at the net signaling "goal." Despite protests and calls for explanation from the Hanover bench, the improbably goal was counted and Pinkerton was credited with the 1-0 lead. The goal was assisted by Lucas Masciarelli.
The inscrutable goal seemed to rattle the Marauders who never established much flow or momentum after that point. The visitors' best chance came when captain Jonny Goff was hauled down on a breakaway and awarded a penalty shot with just 0.8 seconds remaining in the second period. Goff had scored earlier in the season on a penalty shot versus Bedford, but this time Astros goalie Dakota Robinson read Goff's deke to the backhand and stoned him on the post to preserve the Pinkerton lead.
A physical third period lead to two unsportsmanlike conduct penalties – one for each team – but no goals until the final minutes when Pinkerton's Cody Sullivan slipped a backhander past Ratliff with 1:33 left in the game on a breakaway after a nice feed from Chris Gile.
Robinson finished with 33 saves, while Ratliff ended the game with 31. With the loss, Hanover drops to Record: 10-5 overall, 7-4 in NHIAA Division I play. Pinkerton improves to 9-2 with the win. Hanover returns home Saturday evening to face the Manchester Central Little Green at 6:20 at Campion.
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