OPENING NIGHT!

The 2017-18 edition of the Hanover Marauders boy’s ice hockey team opened their season with a convincing 4-1 victory over the Londonderry Lancers at Tri-Town Arena in Hooksett.

Playing on the North (big) rink in front of a boisterous Lancer student crowd, the Convenient MD advertising banners hanging from the rafters at both ends of the rink, the young Marauders played an especially strong second and third period in securing the win for coach Dick Dodds.

The opening frame saw the Lancers dominate early, with senior Hanover netminder Harris LaRock being peppered yet turning away every shot, with an especially strong glove save from the point at 11:21.  However, the tide began to slowly turn midway through the period as the young Hanover team developed more confidence on the puck. When Hanover secured the first power play opportunity after Sam Seelig drew a tripping penalty behind the net with 10 minutes left in the first, they capitalized.  Junior winger Elias Zinman deflected in a Matty Gardner tip off a Sylas Oberting blast from the point to open the season scoring – 1-0 Marauders. Hanover continued to press, especially with another power play opportunity at 8:10 off a Lancer trip.  However, Londonderry junior goaltender Cameron Donovan turned away several Hanover shots in protecting the 1 goal advantrage.  A huge save by Harris off a Hanover turnover resulting in a Lancer breakway kept the score at 1-0 and the Hanover forecheck kept the Lancers pinned deep in their end until the period’s conclusion.

The second period saw the Marauders come out flying with line after line keeping the Lancers deep in their zone.  At 14:14, senior captain Braxton McNulty’s bomb from the point was beautifully re-directed by his fellow captain David Lehmann for a 2-0 Hanover lead.  Despite Hanover’s barrage, Donovan kept the Lancers in the game throughout the period, turning away multiple good efforts, many of them coming from junior Hans Williams and sophomore Owen Stadheim.  Despite dominating the period, the Lancers almost made it a one goal game when, with one second left after a turnover deep in the Hanover zone, Harris turned away a point blank shot.  All the momentum stayed with Hanover as they began the third period.

The final frame saw more of the same Hanover dominance with especially strong forechecking from juniors Charlie Plottner and Joey Goff.  The high energy line of Cameron Woods, Rowan Wilson and Toño Correa, with help from Peter Warhold, helped turn away every Lancer push.  At 9:51, Stadheim recorded his first tally of the season in a scrum on a power play to make it 3-0 with assists credited to Lehmann and Gardner.  Despite the score, however, the Lancers continued to fight and with 2:49 Londonderry senior defenseman Ben Henson made it 3-1 unassisted on a wrist shot from the left circle on the power play. With the game’s momentum in the balance, Londonderry pulled their goalie, but Oberting stomped any chance of a comeback with a long empty netter off a feed from Goff making it 4-1 with 37 seconds to play. 

With the final buzzer, the Lancer student section had been reduced to only a few deflated diehards and the young Marauders had taken their first giant step of the season

LaRock was magnificent in goal, posting 24 saves on 25 shots for the Lancers.  Hanover had 32 shots on the night. 

The undefeated Marauders (1-0-0) go for season win #2 this Saturday when Salem visits Campion Rink for a 2:00 pm start.