A LOVELY VALENTINE'S DAY WIN

      While many high school boys on Valentine’s Day afternoon were off searching the local gas stations for last-minute $6 rose bouquets, the boys on the Hanover Marauders hockey team spent the afternoon taking on the Bishop Brady Giants in their first NHIAA game in 11 days.  Returning back to Tri-Town arena, the site of their first league game of the year against Londonderry, the Marauders skated off the rust in a 5-1 victory to go to 13-1 in Division 1 (16-2 overall).

Hat Trick for the Captain

      If we could customize conversation hearts for the 3-11 Giants in the first period, “Braxton McNulty” would be written in big bold pink letters.  The senior captain erupted for three goals to have the Marauders up 3-0 not even seven minutes into the game.  Each goal was on a prodigious blast from the point with assists going to Rowan Wilson x 2, Cameron Woods, Owen Stadheim, Charlie Plottner and Peter Warhold.  But make no mistake, these goals were all McNulty just ripping it in from the blue line in the face of some tidy Marauders screening.  Cam Woods finished the scoring on a scrum for the Marauders on assists from Duncan Bailey and Elias Zinman to make it 4-0.  A late Giant goal with a minute left on the period made it 4-1 at intermission with Hanover outshooting the home team 17-5.

3 points for Woods

      The early lead must have led to some complacency in the Upper valley boys, and perhaps a little more rust from the long layoff was still at play, as the second and third periods were a somewhat mundane affair.  The second period was notable for power play opportunities on both sides that went unfulfilled and the third saw only one change on the score in front with Woods netting his second on assists from McNulty and Patrick Daly.  Outshooting the Giants 41-15, Harris LaRock continued to be a stalwart in the nets for Hanover, which leads Division 1 in fewest goals allowed.

      With the win, Hanover cemented its hold on the top spot in Division 1 with a one game lead over the Concord Crimson Tide who sit at 12-2 after a big victory at Pinkerton tonight.  While Hanover will return home this Saturday night for the second of two this year with Manchester Memorial, all eyes will be on next week’s key home-and-home back-to-back contest with Concord.  As the final league standings come closer to finalizing with only two weeks left in the regular season, games like tonight’s affair are critical to put in the win column.  Nice work this Valentine's Day Marauders – make sure you hug your mom tonight.