PAYBACK

     In a game that had been circled on the calendar since last March, when Bishop Guertin came into Campion rink and ousted the favorite Hanover Marauders in the NHIAA Division 1 quarterfinals, the two teams tangled again down at Skate 3 for a Saturday afternoon tilt.  Two hours later, with the Marauders whooping it up after their 3-1 dismantling of the Cardinals, notice has been served to the rest of the New Hampshire hockey community that BG was beatable in-state and Hanover was a true contending force.

      Hanover came into the contest with a 7-1 league record (10-2 overall with both losses to Bedford).  Conversely, BG had beaten Bedford 4-1, Trinity 10-1, and Exeter 7-4 and played a host of strong Massachusetts schools already. 

       A large crowd was on hand, including a boisterous BG student section, in anticipation of a beat down to Hanover.  In fact, as the BG players were stepping onto the ice, they could be heard talking of beating up on the “Hanover Hicks” who had made the two-hour trip just south of the border to Tynsboro.  Well these hicks put it to them with a superior game plan designed to neutralize BG’s scoring juggernaut of 6’6” Doug Parker and 5’5” Ben Peterson.  There is a reason that coach Dick Dodds is in the New Hampshire Hockey Hall of Fame  - exhibit A: when it was all over both Peterson and Parker had come up empty in the scoring sheet.  Sophomore Rowan Wilson had a lot to do with that, as he shadowed Peterson shift-for shift and completely shut him down.  If there is nightmare tonight about the game in Peterson’s dreams, I am sure it will feature Hanover’s #6 prominently.

      For those who have watched youth hockey over the years, the Nashua games are always physical and fast, and now that the boys are in high school this game was no different.  In fact, the only delicate offering of the night from BG was a lovely rendition of the national anthem sung by one of their students.  Once that was over, it was an AC/DC, Gun’s n Roses, Metallica kind of night both over the loudspeaker and on the ice.

      The first period had both teams coming out on all cylinders, and it was senior goalie Harris LaRock – making his first start against BG, who shut the Cardinals down early with save after save, including one off the mask early.  However, at 2:23 in, the Marauders struck first. Sy Oberting found Hans Williams in the neutral zone who sent a crisp pass to streaking Elias Zinman up the left wing whose beautiful backdoor pass to Cameron Woods on the doorstep beat Colin Freitas to make it 1-0.  Whoa now, this wasn’t supposed to happen and as the Marauders skated over to their bench for the high five, one could sense a palpable deflation in the crowd’s enthusiasm on the other side of the rink.

      Despite LaRock standing on his head for most of the period, BG was able to tie it up on beautiful give-and-go play behind the net between Liam Nye and Ben Young.  However, even with the swing in momentum, LaRock continued to stand tall and kept every BG thrust contained as the minutes ticked on.  With 20 seconds left in the period, Hanover went on the powrerplay and as time expired, one knew that with 1:40 left on the man-up, the Marauders would come out flying despite being down 11-8 in the shot differential. 

      As anticipated, come out flying they did to open the second.  Just a minute into the power play, an Owen Stadheim backdoor pass led to a David Lehmann one-timer on the doorstep that for the entire world looked like it put the Marauders up 2-1.  However, the goal was disallowed because the net had miraculously become dislodged from its moorings as Lehmann’s shot crossed the goal line.  This would be a theme that would repeat itself throughout the night, with several good chances from the Marauders disallowed by the net seemingly spontaneously coming of its moorings.  Not one time was a delay of game called against BG goalie Freitas.  However, rather than have this clear miscarriage of hockey justice frustrate the Upper Valley boys, it seemed to engender a contained fury, especially in Captain Lehmann, who from that point on played like a mad beast of the ice.

      With Lehmann and his charges pressing forward to control the neutral zone, it was Lehmann’s all out hustle that led to the game winner at 11:22 into the second.  Down a man on the power play, Braxton McNulty cleared from deep and Lehmann and Woods were waiting unchecked in the offensive zone.  As BG brought the puck from behind their net, the aggressively fore-checking Lehmann picked his pocket and found Woods sitting on the doorstep for his second goal at 11:22.  Good night Cardinals and thanks for coming out.   But Hanover wasn’t done because on the man-up at 14:30 Zinman found Lehmann on the near circle who passed to Matty Gardner sitting on the point for a deep wrist shot past Freitas to make it 3-1.

      Despite knowing that the third period would be bringing heavy checking and heavy pressure from the Cardinals, Hanover got off on the wrong foot almost immediately with a penalty two minutes in that put them on the penalty kill.  However, 50 seconds later a Cardinal penalty had the teams on the 4-4, with no one able to break through.  With the checks from the Cardinals getting bigger and more vicious as their frustration mounted, including a dangerous two-man takedown of Zinman that went uncalled, Hanover persisted in playing hard and clean.  Finally , LaRock, who had been hit repeatedly after the whistle in front of his net without any calls on the Cardinals throughout the period, had enough and introduced Parker’s face mask to his glove hand resulting in the first goalie penalty of the year deep into the third.  No matter, Hanover rode out the kill to end the game - final 3-1 Marauders.

      For LaRock, Lehmann, and McNulty, Hanover’s Holy Trinity, this was a gut check, huge win featuring a shutdown game plan against a team that no one expected to lose in the state of New Hampshire this year. LaRock was magnificent, making 29 crucial saves, with Lehmann especially playing like his hair was on fire and McNulty providing a strong, senior presence handling the defense.  For the current Marauders, this one was sweet, and for last year’s 11 graduated seniors, a little payback.

Hanover's Holy Trinity - McNulty, Lehmann, LaRock

     

The Marauders return to action this Wednesday night for a rematch against Exeter, who gave the Marauders a tough 4-2 game back on January 6.  Game time is 6:00 at Campion.