Christmas Tournament Success

Coming into Saturday’s final game of Round Robin action in the Brian C. Stone Christmas Hockey tournament, Dick Dodds’s Hanover Marauders sat at 1-1 in pool play with two close games against two very good opponents – a 2-1 loss to Bedford and a 4-3 win with Trinity.  Both of these teams are firmly in the hunt for the NHIAA Division I state championship, so the result for the Marauders can only be seen as very, very encouraging and no matter what the result, a very successful Christmas tournament. 

So into the fray they went for the early game this afternoon facing a Goffstown Grizzlies team that is leading NHIAA Division 2 with a gaudy 4-0 record, although had come up short in their first two games of the tournament.  As the puck was about to drop, most of the Hanover partisans spent the time trying to figure out the chance of moving on to Sunday, and the tiebreakers involved there-in.  Head-to-head, most wins, fewest goals allowed, quickest goal scored, coin toss, prettiest uniforms, nicest bus driver, loudest fans, ugliest facial hair – so we will at least have the advantage on the last four.

A Spencer Lawe blast from the point on a rebound to John Hill screening at 5:01 opened the scoring to make it 1-0 on Goffstown netminder Madeline Sage. Ben Plottner in net faced a surprising number of good Grizzlies attempts and a cross-check put the locals down midway through the first. However it was Cam Woods on an aggressive forecheck behind the net finding Patrick Daley in front at 8:33 to make it 2-0. Second assist to Jack Gardner. Then at 12:46 Augie Oberting picked up an errant puck in the neutral zone for a five-hole against Sage to make it 3-0, assists from Gardner and Nick Lee.  Rolling all four lines Hanover outshot the Grizzlies 12-7…and we started really paying attention to the tiebreakers.

The second period opened with Hanover scoring quickly as Daley got his second on a nifty cross into the slot from Woods and Spencer Lawe at 30 seconds.  However, it was Goffstown on a dipsy-doo right off of the faceoff by Jack Wilkinson that cut the lead to 4-1 at 6:47. And it was really the Grizzlies who owned the better of play for several minutes mid period as Hanover appeared to take the pedal off of the gas, including a crossbar late that almost cut the lead to two goals. But it was Casey Graham bailing out the locals on a rebound to make it 5-1 at 14:11 off assists from Gardner and Lawe.  Period shot total Hanover 15 and Goffstown 3.

With the Concord Crimson team gazing downward like choirboys from the West End stands, the third period opened with the first Hanover man-up of the game. Despite some shaky offensive zone, play Woods scooped up an errant puck in his defensive end and roofed it on Sage at 3:16 to make it 6-1.  Assistant to Daley and Jack Stadheim.  Almost immediately thereafter Rowan Wilson got on the board with a gloveside wrister assisted by Lee and the clock starting running with the six goal lead. With a crossbar as their best chance with five minutes left, Goffstown didn’t threaten again.  Final Saves 13 for Plottner and 36 for Sage.

So with the 7-1 win, the Marauders go to 4-1 on the season (2-0 in NHIAA Division 1 play).  We await the results of the 4:00 pm Trinity/Bedford game to determine if we get to make the Queen City four-peat, or instead get to breathe some clean air tomorrow and stay in the Upper Valley.  If nothing else, the annual Bishop Guertin grudge match awaits on Saturday afternoon at Campion.  Vegas odds has the over-under at 6 on both the number of recruited Mass players on the BG roster this year and the number of times the net will mysteriously come off its stanchions when the Marauders are about to score.

See you at the rink…

 

Total Team Win

If the 2019-20 Hanover Marauders boys hockey team goes deep into the NHIAA Division 1 playoff this year, today’s 4-3 win over the Trinity Pioneers in the second game of the Brian C. Stone Christmas tournament might just be seen as the turning point.  Because after yesterday’s 2-1 loss to defending champion Bedford, the sense for some was that although Hanover outplayed the Bulldogs, they maybe fell victim a little bit to the Bedford mystique and came out a little sluggishly.  So today was going to be an interesting match-up against a vaunted Trinity squad that featured one of the state’s best offensive players in junior wing Anthony Dizillo, had come off a 5-1 pummeling of Goffstown in their opening game, and had little Santas sewn on their uniforms - how cute.

And the first period didn’t start off as the Marauders had hoped, as after a dubious interference call put the locals on the man-down, Trinity’s Cadin Booth beat Hanover goalie Luke Ives in the scrum to go up 1-0 at 9:37.  But unlike yesterday’s game, Hanover played with sense of urgency throughout the first period and hammered the Pioneers netinder Ryan Brewitt with 8 quality shots in the period.  One could tell there was something different in the Marauders today – a swagger really – and they went in to the first intermission having outshot the Pioneers 8-4 and on the man-up coming out in the second.

And in the second they played there most consistent period of the year with the piece de resistance being a Rowan Wilson short-handed slot wrister at 4:53 with an assist from Brendan Brigham to knot it up at 1-1. And that’s when the Pioneers let their aggression get the best of them, and they started racking up the penalties.  And it was Spencer Lawe manning the quarterback positon at the point on the power play whose blast from the red line sailed over the goal, rebounded back behind Brewitt and off his skate into the goal – 2-1 Hanover at 6:40. 

And this is when Hanover really came into its own, because although Trinity tied it up just 42 seconds later on a scrum in front, the Marauders were dominating.  And it wasn’t based on one single player, but based on a total team chemistry and work ethic.  A crushing forecheck, disruptive backcheck and smart D-to-D work by the defenders kept Trinity guessing, Hanover for the first time this year looked like a skill team with a ton of effort being put forth.  As the horn sounded 2-2 at the end of the second, Hanover had again outshot the Pioneers 8-4.

And in the third Hanover just crushed it, with help x 3 for Ives from the post.  Just 2:31 it was your captain Toño Correa netting the all-important tiebreaker on a feed from Augie Oberting to make it 3-2. Right on its heels at 4:33 was Curtis Rice getting a kick out in the mid slot and his eventual game winner beat Brewitt glove side.  With rush after rush coming at him, Cool Hand Luke turned away it all.  It was only on the 6-5 with 51 seconds left that the Pioneers were able to draw within one.  But Hanover maintained a staunch defense and with the horn Dick Dodds and the locals went to 3-1 on the young season. Final shots 23-15 Hanover.

So a huge team win for the Hanover in which they were smarter, more physical and excelled in both zones.  But before we start going through the tournament tie breakers, it is critical that Hanover takes care of Goffstown tomorrow at noon.  Then we wait and see.  Four boiled hot dogs in four days? Nothing would taste any better.

See you at the rink…

 

 

Old School Hockey

The organizers of this year’s Brian C. Stone Memorial Christmas Tournament know what they are doing.  Holding the tournament in one of the true great barns in New England where there is still a sign on the West End stands threatening a $50 fine for bringing in any “intoxicating beverages” and an 8 foot wide neutral zone is one.  Maintaining the tradition of free hot dogs for each player after each game is number two.  And scheduling the first game of the tournament between the last two New Hampshire Division I state champions in Hanover and Bedford just completes the trifecta.

So to the Queen City for the first time they went this 2019-20 version of Dick Dodds’s Hanover Marauders to face off against the Bulldogs for the first of three this year.  With two games under their belt – a surprisingly close 2-1 victory over Bow and then a blowout of Manchester Central – we really didn’t know what to expect from the locals going in.

What we came out with was a close 2-1 loss, in an absolutely great, clean, hard-fought game that made the post egg nog hangover much more tolerable.  This was a fast game with limited whistles and a heckuva a lot of back and forth.  You know it’s a well-played game when there are more goals than icing calls...and there were only three goals.

So into the fray they went as the puck dropped at 2:00 pm on a Thursday (c’mon parents is there absolutely anything you would rather be doing than this?) and it was the Bulldogs who had the first early opportunity as a trip had Hanover facing the man-down just 2:09 in.  The locals killed it, and nearly scored on a short-handed rush.  There was back and forth throughout the period, with Bedford controlling better in their offensive zone, but the Marauders better on the transition and breakout.  However, all of the rushes, the most dangerous by senior Rowan Wilson, were turned away by the wily Bedford veteran netminder Shea Guimont.  And as the clock ticked down, it was Connor Labrecque on a one-timer coming off an end board rebound that beat Ben Plottner to make it 1-0 at the first intermission.

While an impartial observer would say that Bedford owned the better of the play slightly in the first, the second was dead even.  Plottner and Guimond were stellar as each faced down good chances on the rush.  Hanover had a lot of chances on their only man-up of the game, but it was a post by Hanover late in the period being their best chance as the horn sounded keeping it 1-0 moving into the third.

Now if Bedford had the advantage in the first, and the teams were pretty even in the second, Hanover certainly carried the play in the third.  Unfortunately for the locals, it was Guimond’s day, as he stared down shot after shot from the local forwards with Patrick Daley, Cam Woods, Brendan Brigham and especially Casey Graham having great opportunities.  Unfortunately Bedford was able to convert on one of their few third period opportunities on an absolute rifle writer from the slot from Owen Roberto to make it 2-0 at 5:55. 

But rather than go into the hole, Hanover responded with sense of offensive urgency that has been missing thus far this season and played their best five minutes of hockey this year.  They absolutely hammered Guimond and the Bulldogs defense with rush after rush until MVP thus far for Hanover this year Brigham loosed up another puck and fed Toño Correa in close for a one-time to make it 2-1 deep with less than two minutes to go. Unfortunately, the furious Hanover push over the last 43 seconds with Plottner pulled could not equalize and the locals were left on the short end.  Final save total 23 for Plottner and 30 for Guimond.

So what to take from this game?  For one, Bedford is beatable this year, and Hanover was the better team today.  For two, once Hanover can start to finish in close, look out NH Division I.  For three, the Hanover defense, which had question marks coming in with the loss of two All- Staters, looks very solid through three games.  For four, Ben Plottner is really good.

So, there you have it.  Lots of positives from today – again this tournament is all about getting the experience of playing great competition in JFK arena.  Oh, and also eating free boiled hot dogs.

See you at the rink tomorrow for Trinity, and their nasty nasty first offensive line, at 2:00 pm.

Holiday Time

Not much to say about this afternoon’s 12-0 Hanover Marauder win over Manchester Central/West except it was certainly good to see the boys come out firing against a clearly overmatched opponent.  Lots of scoring to go around, with hat tricks to Brendan Brigham and Cam Woods, as well as first time goals for Nick Lee, Augie Oberting and Will Fichman.  The brakes were put on midway through the second or it might have been a football score. 

I started putting all the goals in the blog but frankly, no one really needs that so I have enclosed the game sheet in a photo below.  Ben Plottner finished with 5 saves to preserve the shutout.

With the win, Dick Dodds’s 2-0 Marauders earn for their troubles a holiday break 6 am practice tomorrow morning – would have hate to have seen the practice time had they put up less than a dozen.   

Looming on Thursday is one of the true highlights of the year – the Manchester Holiday tournament which has the Marauders playing Bedford, Trinity and Goffstown back-to-back-to-back.  Nothing like going out of the frying pan and into the fire.

See you at the rink…

The Two Jacks

Everyone knows there are certain expectations that come with being a freshman.  You can expect to get the worst locker. You can expect your 8^th grade girlfriend to dump you for the older guy with the car.  You can expect your mom to still want you to kiss her goodbye when she drops you off at school in the morning in front of your friends.  Lots of expectations.

But what is not expected is for you to make the varsity hockey team, especially one as senior heavy as the 2019-20 edition of Dick Dodds's Hanover Marauders.  And if you make it, you’re not supposed to contribute much, let alone get any playing time.  And if you do play, you’re not supposed to be the best player on the ice in your first varsity game and score the team’s first goal of the season or bail your team out from a tough tie with the game winner with under a minute left.

But if tonight’s game against the 1-0- Bow Falcons is any indication, freshmen Jack Stadheim and Jack Gardner, the two Jacks, have come this year to defy expectations.  Throw in stellar performances from sophomore defenseman Spencer Lawe and senior forward Brendan Brigham, and you’ve got the Marauders 1-0 on the season with a closer-than-expected 2-1 victory at Everett tonight.

This is an improved Bow team from a year ago, and with a large Concord-based crowd on hand, the first period showed the rust on Hanover, with this being their first game of the season after a Tuesday snow cancellation.  While the Marauders came close several times, especially from senior Patrick Daley and sophomore Augie Oberting, the locals could not find the back of the net.  In fact Bow had the best chance from the mid slot at 6:40 but sophomore stud goalie Ben Plottner slapped that attempt away easily and Lawe was a beast moving from the defensive to the offensive zone, and the period ended in a 0-0 tie with Hanover outshooting the Falcons 11-4.

The second period belonged to Stadheim, as his double dangler rush (never saw Seth or Owen do that!) finishing with a backhander in close was just barely turned away at 4:49.  But you knew it was coming, as on Hanover's only man-up of the game the freshman kept pushing and pushing until at 7:41, Cam Woods’s pass from behind the net met the oncoming freshman in the mid slot whose wrister put Hanover on top 1-0.  Second assist to Daley.  The locals would finish the period up in shots 22-11 but clinging to the 1-0 lead heading into the third.

And might I digress for one second from the game.  I don’t know if there is something they teach the people in charge of the music at Everett, but they consistently have the best of any arena. And it doesn’t even matter what home team is in charge.  Spectacular.  Great variety, all the hockey favorites and nothing written after 1987 – perfect.

But Bow came out of the locker room hoping to avenge last year’s 5-1 loss to the Marauders, and at 4:47 Jake Mielcarz picked up an errant clear at the blue line and walked in alone on Plottner to make it 1-1.  Each team then battled back and forth throughout the period, with a post for Bow and a crossbar for Hanover keeping the tie intact.  As the clock clicked under a minute, Hanover pressed again down low in the offensive zone and it was Brigham, as he had done all night, winning an all-out hustle battle behind the net and loosening the puck so that it came out to Gardner poaching at the left circle.  The freshman stepped up for the one-timer slapshot from about the Hopkinton town line and rifled it off the Bow goalie’s blocker at 14:10 into the back of the net for the game winner.  Yes Mrs. Gardner, having to redo the sheetrock in the basement because of all of the errant puck shooting practice was worth it.

With a dangerous last fifty seconds to play it was Plottner who saved the day with a key save on Mielcarz from the point and with the horn, the boys start their march to March 1-0 on the season.  Killing 3 penalties, rolling the lines and the aggressive play from the newcomers all keyed the victory.  Plottner had 18 saves with the locals outshooting the Falcons 39-19.

However, the 1-0 Marauders won’t get much rest, as in about 17 hours, Manchester Central comes to town for a mid-Sunday tilt at Thompson.  So welcome to the big show two Jacks, enjoy first place Marauders, and Bow I hope you won’t have too many nightmares about #3 tonight.  Always good to pull out of Everett with a win.

See you at the rink…

2019-20 Season Preview

      Ok…here we go.

      It’s been a long year since the anguish of March 2nd, 2019 when the fourth-seeded Hanover Marauders (14-7-1) lost a killer against the fifth-seeded Trinity Pioneers on a dank Saturday night at Campion.  We watched Bedford win their third title in four years later that month and thought “We were so close to a repeat” if it weren’t for a little more puck luck going our way. 

      But the anguish of that night, especially in the talented and deep junior class, lit a fire.  And all summer there was a lot of weight room time, a lot of skating, and a lot of bonding which has this year’s senior-laden team (eight of them) ready to bring the NHIAA Division 1 crown back to Hanover for the second time in three years.

      Leading the charge again this year will be NH Legends of Hockey 38th year coach Dick Dodds and his veteran staff of Dean Cashman (“Best assistant in all of NH hockey” per Dodds), Pat Doherty (Yes, he is THAT St Lawrence superstar) Alex Dodds (Make-a-wish game MVP senior year) and strength coach Wayne Burwell (Always kind not to laugh at your dad bod).  The five of them will be gunning for Hanover’s 10^th state championship – the most of any New Hampshire Division 1 school - and looking to put the thorn in the proverbial Bedford powerhouse come March.

      However, Dodds sees NHIAA division 1 as the most competitive ever in his tenure.  “Top to bottom the league is great this year.  The upper echelon teams have gotten stronger, the middle tier teams have improved…there are at least ten teams this year who could win the title.” Dodds sees this as a huge plus.  “Playing these caliber teams night in and night out will only help us to improve.”

      Leading the team this year will be the senior veterans, many of who got that taste of a state championship back in 2018 when Hanover came out of nowhere to beat Bedford in a 2-1 thriller.  However, Hanover isn’t sneaking up anymore on anyone, and as last year’s campaign showed, every Hanover game is a big one for the opponent.  Dodds believes the strength of this year’s team is the unbelievable work ethic of his senior veterans and the team cohesiveness that has been built throughout the fall captain’s practices and early season skates.

      “We don’t have superstars this year, which I think helps us.  We have established a really strong team dynamic which is so important and great participation and work from everyone.  Out strength will be down the middle with three talented centers, powerful wing play and two strong goalies.”

      Captaining this year’s team will be veteran forward Toño Correa who Dodds describes as “smart, strong, responsible and athletic.  He has taken the leadership role seriously and puts in the work off of the ice.  He will be a big part of our success this year.”  Joining Correa in leadership roles at forward will be assistant captain Rowan Wilson (“Brings speed and excitement and is an excellent defensive center. His shot has improved a lot over the last year”) and Cam Woods (“The premier power forward in the league - big, strong, fast and physical.  He is going score a lot of goals this year”). 

      Scoring duties will additionally fall heavily on classmate Patrick Daley, who was the leading forward point scorer last year prior to a clavicle injury which ended his season early.  Dodds describes Daley as “really smart, good with the puck, and really knows how to work the walls.” Another veteran senior is Brendan Brigham who Dodds characterizes as “a great athlete and pound for pound the strongest hockey player I have ever coached”.  Senior Carter Auch, who should be back shortly from a wrist injury, has Dodds excited about his “hard shot and ability to play different positons for us.”  And the last of the seven senior forwards, Archer Judd, is a “big body who can park himself in front of the net and can create lots of problems”.  The lone senior on the blue line will be Will Fichman who “has size and strength and has grown into a solid defenseman who will help to teach the younger guys.”

      The only junior on the squad is defenseman Tom Lyons, who will be joined on the blue line by returning sophomores Curtis Rice and Spencer Lawe. Newcomers sophomore Nick Lee and freshman Jack Gardner will round out the defensive corps.  Sophomore Casey Graham is back at forward and will be joined by new teammates sophomores John Hill and Augie Oberting as well as freshman Jack Stadheim. 

      In goal will be two veterans of last year’s campaign, sophomores Ben Plottner and Luke Ives – both of whom saw all of the action for last year’s team.  Said Dodds “I feel really confident about our goalies this year.”

      This year’s schedule opens on Tuesday, December 17^th with a home tilt against Manchester at 7:15 at Thompson and then cranks up all the way until March.  In case you thought the regular season was going to be easy, guess again – the Marauders face Trinity three times, Bedford twice, Concord twice, Exeter twice…and how about a little Salem, Londonderry, Pinkerton and oh yeah BG for good measure.  Freshman, you aren’t playing Tier III against the Storm anymore.

      A hungry senior-laden team, incredible team chemistry, and an awesome Christmas tournament all tied together with the best coaching staff your son will ever have – let’s get at it Marauders for number 10.  So sell your gold cards (I hear Concord coach Dunc Walsh is a big fan of our blog and might consider buying a few gold cards to support the Marauders), wake up with joy when the alarm goes off for practice at 4:15 am, and when you win the state championship try not to dance too hard on the roof of Mr. T’s bus because it’s hockey time in Hanover again.

      See you at the rink…

An Awesome Year

This is a tough one to write.

 

Not because of the 6-2 loss. The better team won today in this NHIAA state quarterfinal match-up between the 14-6-1 and fourth-seeded Hanover Marauders and the 12-5-1 fifth-seeded Trinity Pioneers.

 

But it hurts. It hurts badly.  Because it hurts for the six seniors who played in their last meaningful hockey game and their underclassman teammates who gave such a strong effort this year.

 

It hurts because of the awesome year they had. Starting back in early December through tryouts, the Keene jamboree, incredible wins over Pinkerton and Concord, a trip to see the Devils and having most of all the opportunity to play and compete for the legend of New Hampshire hockey Dick Dodds as well as his incredible coaching staff of Dean Cashman, Patrick Doherty, Alex Dodds and strength coach Wayne Burwell.

 

There is not really too much to say about the game except none of these boys will make a career out of playing hockey.  However, they will make a career based on the characteristics embued in them while playing hockey, especially in games like this one.  We can be very proud of how they handled themselves throughout the year in both victory and as with today's game, in defeat.

 

So we say goodbye to six wonderful players who embodied and perpetuated the Hanover tradition. Charlie Plottner, Hans Williams, Duncan Bailey, Sam Seelig, Will Laycock, and Joey Goff - thank you.  Thank you for committing yourselves to Hanover, thank you for being role models for the younger players not only on the team but for the Youth Hockey Association players who come to watch you, and thank you for giving us so much joy in watching you during your Hanover careers.

 

It is too premature to speak about next year because it hurts so badly this Sunday morning.  But that is why all of us are so invested - the emotions that this game triggers and the lessons it teaches that will go well beyond the hockey rink.

 

Thank yous go to coaches Dodds, Cashman, Burwell, Alex Dodds, and Doherty and thank you to the players, managers, POCs, fans and everyone else who made this an incredible year.

 

We will see you soon at the next rink.

Doing Their Job

      After going 0-2-1 in their last three games, albeit against very stiff competition, we heard rumors about some acting out behaviors to try and break the recent bad karma for the Hanover Marauders.  Burning all of the clothes worn to recent games, not bathing until there was another win, even boycotting any Jolly Green Giant vegetables were all acts that we heard were performed to help turn it around before tonight’s critical match-up with the Bishop Brady Green Giants.  Yes, Jenny Williams is your POC extraordinaire, and we have talked to her, and she is OK now and is back to bathing and eating peas.  We hope it helped Jenny and thanks for being so dedicated.

      So with the POCs and all of the other senior parents and players facing their last regular season game in a Marauder’s uniform, the 13-3-1 Marauder juggernaut (14-5-1 overall) headed to what can only be described as New Hampshire’s armpit, the always odiferous Tri-town arena, for a late Saturday night game that had a lot of playoff implications.  Grab a beer (or five) before the game, watch a Tier IV Mite parent implode in an expletive-laden diatribe against his 8 year-old in the lobby while waiting for our game to start, wonder who in their right mind would be smart enough to get into dental school and then decide to put their office here in this hellhole, and enjoy all that hockey night in Hooksett brings time and time again. 

      But plain and simple, the Upper Valley boys needed a win to avoid the chance of losing a home playoff game, with the bleak prospect of having to face a confident Trinity squad in (yikes) Sullivan Arena or a suddenly resurgent Exeter Blue Hawks team at the Rinks of Exeter – so scary I almost forgot my dangler.  Bishop Brady came in at 8-8 and in eighth place in NHIAA with some narrow losses (2-1 to Concord, 3-1 to Exeter) that heralded that this one was going to be tough.

      So the puck dropped in the pit of humanity on the North rink and for the first period, all of our hearts were probably in our chest.  This was a big game, and despite owning the possession, we could not put the puck in the net.  As the time drew on, the Green Giants became a bit more emboldened, and the Marauders a bit more tentative, and all of a sudden it was 0-0 at the first intermission and Hanover was facing now over 110 minutes since scoring their last goal.

      So into the second they came and the Giants took it to them for the first two minutes.  And then, in an act of unexplainable and undeserved forgiveness from the TriTown gods, Hanover was blessed as Hans Williams found Sy Oberting at the point and his rebound kicked around in front before #18 Will Laycock hammered it home and the curse was broken at 2:12.  But this was only a 1-0 lead and these Green Giants don’t have jolly in front of their names for a reason.  They just brought it and soon thereafter a Hanover hooking penalty had them facing a very scary penalty kill.  Now this won’t make any headlines, nor it will be written about in the Valley News tomorrow, but this penalty kill was the key to the game.  Brady was bringing it, the defense was under duress, and goalie Ben Plottner was taking shot after shot in front.  But stoning the Giants like they were Tessie Hutchinson, Hanover survived not only the 5-4, but subsequently a 1:20 minute 5-3.  With a newfound spring in their skate, Hanover went up first on a 5-4 of their own and then a 5-3 and with the power play looking like the ’85 Edmonton Oilers, Matty Gardner found Oberting at the left circle, whose cross ice pass found Casey Graham for a one-timer back door for a big freshman goal to make it 2-0 at 13:57.  Less than a minute later it was Curtis Rice stepping in at the neutral zone on a feed from Graham for a long range wrister with 12 second left to get that all important third goal making it 3-0 into the locker room.

      And then it became less tense and a whole lot more fun as Hanover crushed in the third.  First it was Toño Correa on a pass from Graham via Gardner at 11:12 and then Rice finished it off with a long range blast at 14:09 on Graham’s third assist via Joey Goff.  Final 5-0.  The scoring curse had been broken and with it, Hanover earns that all-important fourth seed and a home playoff game next Saturday night.

      Plottner had 14 saves and earned yet another shut out on the season - his fifth.  The Marauders got off the snide with 5 goals.  No one got seriously hurt.  Awesome.

     So with the great regular season finale win Hanover finishes 14-3-1 in NHIAA play. They have beaten two of the three teams ahead of them in the standings and they know they can beat anyone.  Next up is a home playoff game for the chance to go the best night in New Hampshire high school hockey, the semifinal double header at JFK.  And yet again we see why coach Dodds and his staff are the best in the business with the avoidance of Bedford in the potential semifinal - brilliantly played and of course, following the game plan drawn up this summer perfectly.  I will never know how he got the boys to tank the game and not score against Bedford on Thursday at Sullivan to make the seeding set up this way - the man is a legend.


      Now every shift counts from here on in as the playoffs are here.  Time to tell your sons to play even harder this game Hanover dads even though you tell them to play hard every game as they walk out the door ignoring you.  Time to grow your playoff beards Hanover moms and remember the difference between a hockey mom and a bulldog is just lipstick.  Its playoff hockey time in Hanover - where it still matters.  See you at the rink.

 

 

We've Got Them Right Where We Want Them

Ineffective power play, turnovers galore, off-the-post opportunities, even a fall in the introduction line...perfect game plan in the 4-0 loss to Bedford.  Get all of the bad out, get the team embarrassed in front of representatives from of all of the top NHIAA teams in attendance, get them mad. This one didn't matter in the standings - each of the rest do.




Look out NHIAA - the Marauders are pissed.  No more nice vineyard vines boys from the Upper Valley from here on out.




See you at the rink.

Big Ben

      When it was over, many pundits felt that the most recent Super Bowl was one of the most boring every played, and not just because Maroon V was terrible during the halftime show.  They complained that there was no offense, no excitement, no scoring.  Many have said they same thing after reading Hemingway’s Old Man and the Sea – old guy catches a fish, sharks eat fish, old guy is sad – not much plot there.  So what do these two things have in common with this afternoon’s clash between the Crimson Tide and Hanover Marauders that ended in a 0-0 tie?  Well, if you looked at only the box score and weren’t there, you might think that this was a sleeper.  However, if you appreciated the nuance, the subtlety, the little things that made this game great, the incredible defensive play, the missed opportunities, the riled up fans and most of all the absolutely incredible goalie play, it was a subtle masterpiece – kind of like Super Bowl LIII and the Old Man and the Sea (I got us back here eventually but I know it took a while).

      The third game of this season series between these old rivals – each having won once already this year – including Hanover’s stomping of the Tide four days earlier.  Both having played tough games the night before and both tied in the standings bunched up into second place.  Throw in a big Thompson afternoon crowd and a time pressure crunch to get off of the ice to so that warm-ups were truncated, and it had all of the making of a classic.

      So out they came and from the opening tip, it had a very different feeling than the last game.  To teams going toe-to-toe from the get go.  And one got the sense that this would come down to goalie play – would it be Tide junior Parker Taylor or Marauder freshman Ben Plottner, not of the NH Avalanche, who carried the day?  Over the next 53 minutes of hockey, it was the Parker/Plottner show, check that  - it was the Plottner/Parker show, as each team had multiple great scoping opportunities in this one.  From Sam Seelig’s rile from the high slot midway through the first stoned by Parker, to Concord’s scary power play early in the second, both goalies were absolutely stellar.  And on and on it went, neither team giving an inch, and as the fatigue set in, one could see the opportunities develop until the final horn sounded at 0-0.

      So with the Dartmouth athletic department fretting over an overtime that pushed back whatever C level intramural game scheduled afterwards, an 8 minute overtime slugfest ensued.  Hanover had the best of the early going, and a point blank opportunity missed on an empty net (just saving these goals for the playoffs I’m sure) had Hanover fans groaning.  And almost immediately afterwards a defensive zone turnover had Plottner staring down a point blank shot with three minutes left – and like he had all day, he stoned Concord to preserve the shutout.  And there we had it 0-0.  And for the record that is now 98 minutes in a row that Concord has not scored a goal on Hanover.

      The three stars in this game for Hanover therefore go to period 1 Ben Plottner, period 2 Ben Plottner, and period 3 Ben Plottner.  And he gets an extra special star for overtime. An absolutely incredible performance with 22 saves.

      So with the tie, Hanover (12-3-1) falls into a three way tie with Concord and Bedford for second place in NHIAA play.  Bedford is on Thursday, Brady on Saturday – playoff fever is already here.  See you at the rink.

Senioritis

      Senior year. The pinnacle. On top of the world. Life is ahead of you. You know everything about everything (except how to financially support yourself).  Anything is possible (well maybe not for most of the teams trying to beat Hanover this year).  It’s a time of huge celebration, but also a game tinged with a bit of melancholy.  In fact this week in speaking to one of my work friends he said the only time he has cried in the last 20 years was driving home from his son’s last high school hockey game. For all hockey parents out there then, it is a time of proud reflection colored by a bit of sadness.  From the time they have been little learn to players, just about every weekend from October until March has been in part spent in a hockey rink.

      What makes it even harder is Dick Dodds, Dean Cashman, Alex Dodds, Pat Doherty, Wayne Burrell and all of the others who make playing for Hanover so much of a privilege and so much fun.  To be part of the Hanover tradition, to be part of something bigger than themselves, to commit themselves to their school and their town for four years – this is as much a celebration of that tonight than of the players themselves.  If it wasn’t so great, it wouldn’t hurt so much to say goodbye when it is over.

      And boy what a senior group of players it is.  Captain Hans Williams the shifty, sneaky, lateral presence ripping through the neutral zone time and time again.  Will Laycock, who is a better pound for than Floyd Mayweather and whose punishing for-check belies a sweet touch coming hard into the net.  Joey Goff, a hero of the 2018 state championship game who brings a big, hard, tough wing presence shift after shift.  Duncan Bailey, whose has left his imprint on many opposing teams (no, I mean literally left his imprint on them) with his hard nosed play and devastating wrister from the point. Sam Seelig, a smooth skating, steady defensive presence who half the team will be working for some day.  And finally captain Charlie Plottner, who defines what a captain needs to be – exuberant, tough as nails, picks everyone up, and is absolutely lethal around the net.

      So as this later afternoon game tipped off tonight between the first place (12-2 NHIAA, 13-4 overall) Marauders and the sixth place Blue Hawks from Exeter, it was with a sense of pride and sadness that we realized that there was a hockey game to play.  And this was a big one, for the next two weeks will determine seeding for the upcoming NHIAA tournament.  Hanover has four tough ones to go, and tonight would be yet another test for the defending state champions with Concord and Bedford waiting in the wings this week.

      The puck dropped at 4:20 and it was Matty Gardner unassisted from the high slot to put the locals up 1-0 just 24 seconds in….and then the wheels fell off the proverbial bus.  While the score was 1-0 going into the first intermission Exeter’s Brandon Doyle, in what was probably the game of his life, scored the first of his four goals on the night at 3:23 to knot the score.  Sylas Oberting answered unassisted a minute later, but it was Doyle who answered right back deep into the second to make it 2-2.  The last goal from Carter Auch on an assist from Hans Williams had a nervous Marauder squad up 3-2 going into the third.  And then boom it was Doyle again in the third at 4:46 to knot it up and then Sam Perry put the visitors up for good at 9:24 before Doyle closed it out with an empty netter at 14:12 – final 5-3 Exeter.

      So a bad, bad senior night loss.  And I suspect the only thing keeping the locals from a date with a Herb Brooks inspired practice is that in less than 12 hours, Concord comes to town. The game is at 2:45 and I suspect for everyone in Hanover nation this puck drop can’t come soon enough.  I have a feeling the Tide are going to be meeting up with a hornet’s nest tomorrow – let’s hope so.  See you at the rink.  

Right Back Where We Started From

      Put the brakes on. Relax. Exhale. It’s just one game in the standings, the same as a win against Central or a loss to Bedford.  Just another mid-February game between two NHIAA teams, on a snowy Wednesday night at Everett.  Don’t get too high, don’t get too low, just another game…but didn’t it feel just a little bit good to watch the Hanover Marauders kick the crap out of Concord in their home barn tonight in a 4-0 stomping to solidify second place in Division 1 NHIAA play with four games to play? In the over 60 years (that is right sixty years) of high school coaching experience between coaches Dodds and Walsh, I can’t imagine they have seen this type of one-sided dominance too often between their two clubs.  Oh wait, there was last year’s 6-0 Concord stomping at Hanover.  Maybe a little payback in the air tonight?

     But as lopsided as the final tally ended up, this game was a lot closer than the box score.  Concord is a great team, picked as the preseason number 1 this year by HNIB.  So they must have been as surprised as anyone when the freight train Sy Oberting dialed up one of his blue line bombs just 56 seconds in, and with the coolness that only comes from a guy who can jet set to the West Coast and back over the weekend for a music audition, #20 Hans Williams beautifully deflected the shot past Crimson Tide goalie Parker Taylor to put the Marauders up 1-0.  With many of us still confusedly asking in the lobby as we shuffled in at 5:30 “They’re playing already?” it was freshman goalie Ben Plottner, not of the NH Avalanche, who dominated the rushing Tide forwards in close numerous times as the first period wound on.  A little bit of a friendly post kept Concord out of the scorer’s column, as did a smothering back check.  However, in what would doom them tonight, Concord get whistled for its second penalty of the period and on the man-up, Matty Gardner pirouetted around the near side circle a few times before finally realizing that the point of an offensive man-up is to score goals and with that, his unassisted snipe made it 2-0 at 14:33.

      Into the locker room they went and were it not for the incredible intermission music selection (always well done by the way Concord – keep giving us the Maxine Nightingale because we appreciate it very much) perhaps we could have heard some rumblings coming from the home locker room.  But in what is something rarely seen in a high level high school hockey game, the Crimson Tide had zero (yes zero) shots on Plottner in the second period – thank you to the smothering defense from Spencer Lawe, Curtis Rice, and Tom Lyons.  But the Marauders would not return the favor and with fury after flurry raining down on Taylor, it was Cameron Woods on the man-up in front scrum on an assist from Gardner and Casey Graham to make it 3-0 heading into the final intermission.  And doesn't it seem like Woods is always there to put these goals home - a sneaky, understated, lethal assassin in front of the net.

      The all-important three goal advantage, now all we wanted was the shutout and Plottner (18 saves) obliged by stopping several point blank attempts with fewer rebounds than Taylor Swift in a given year.  With Concord  finding themselves again in the sin bin it was big brother Charlie who stuffed in Hanover’s third power play goal of the night on an assist from Gardner at 10:26 to complete the scoring at 4-0 and in the process put cupid to shame with his pre-Valentine’s Day archer goal celebration.

      So with the win, Hanover climbs to 12-2 in league play (13-4 overall) and sits solidly in second place with tonight’s action still pending (like the Valley News the deadline for the blog site is now 10:30 pm).  But is doesn’t get any easier, with a senior night tilt against fifth place Exeter on Saturday and then, you guessed it, Concord at Thompson on Sunday.  So savor the win, don’t forget to kiss your mom tomorrow and wish her a Happy Valentine’s Day, and sorry guys, I got the last gas station rose bouquet from Dan and Whits on the way home – start coming up with the excuses now.  See you at the rink.

And Now the Fun Really Starts

      Today’s afternoon tilt between the 10-2 (11-4 overall) Hanover Marauders and the one win Manchester Memorial Crusaders had the feeling of the calm before the storm.   While the Crusaders did own a recent 6-6 tie with Trinity under their belt, most everyone in Hanover nation expected a win today prior to embarking on the stretch run which will see them battle with playoff team after playoff team leading to the state tourney in early march.  And making yet another trip down to JFK arena on a cold, blustery February day, the marauders got a little more game than they bargained more with a 5-1 win.

      The goals came in equal bunches in this one, with two goals in the firs two periods and a closer in the third.  Sy Oberting, Charlie Plottner, Toño Correa, and Duncan Bailey twice found the twine, with assists going to Joey Goff x 3, Plottner, Correa x 2, Oberting and Will Laycock.  Ben Plottner had 10 saves for the locals.

      While admittedly not the best blog of the year, this was the type of game that really didn’t warrant too much attention.  Because starting Wednesday we see what Hanover has learned this year and what we can expect for the States.  In succession it goes – Concord, Exeter, Concord, Bedford, Bishop Brady.  All good.  All playoff teams.  All wanting to knock off the defending state champs.  Time to bring it Marauders – the best time of year is upon us.  See you at the rink.

And Now The Fun Starts

      Leaving the Upper Valley this evening for the long trek down to the Salem Ice Center, probably few of us were too excited. For one, we were playing a historically tough, well-coached Salem Blue Devils team that has given fits to the Marauders over the years in their barn.  Two, we had other things on our mind like collarbones, and Crimson Tides, and flu-like illnesses.  Then you get down past Manchester in the 1-93 construction zone and wonder why it has taken so long to make a road one lane wider (nice work NH DOT) and by the time you get to the Ice Center, not even the 5 for $15 buckets of beer on sale in the bar make you smile.

      And to top it off, in the first five minutes, you find your team down 1-0 and you wonder if the third loss in NHIAA play is looming.  And as the nervous pacing starts from us dads in the BMI >30 crowd, our boys wake up, put the pedal down, and run the Blue Devils out of their own rink with a complete 6-2 win to go to 10-2 (11-4 overall) in NHIAA play to move into a virtual second place tie with Pinkerton and Concord.

      Said coach Dick Dodds, “This was a complete game from start to finish.  Our depth is impressive.  We ran all four lines the whole game and all six D.”

      It was Toño Correa at 9:49 who tied it up, putting in a rebound in close off of a Sy Oberting shot from Joey Goff.  In addition, in what has become both a positive and negative for the Marauders this year, penalties put them on the kill, but the kill continued to be incredible.  And it was on the very end of a kill that Hans Williams found Will Laycock free in the neutral zone who took it in alone on Salem goalie Cam Smalley to make it 2-1 heading into the intermission.

      Up themselves on the power play coming out in the second, Casey Graham put the locals up 3-1 just 1:20 in on a one-timer on a lateral pass from Cam Woods.  20 seconds later, Goff, on a pass from Charlie Plottner, came streaking up the far side and on a snipe that would have broken the glass had the top left corner of the net not stopped it, made it 4-1.  And then Marauders did what truly separates them from many teams – they killed two 5 on 3s in the period, with goalie Ben Plottner (15 saves) preserving the lead with incredible kick save after incredible kick save.

      Into the third it went and Curtis Rice made it 5-1 when he picked off a pass in the neutral zone and beat Smalley with a long wrister just inside the blue line.  After another Salem score, Charlie Plottner finished the scoring at 3:35 with a cross that went off the back of Smalley and found the net on an assist from Williams.  In addition, just for kicks, Hanover killed off another 5 on 3 to finish the game.

      So now it gets interesting.  Hanover has six games to play in NHIAA competition and five of those six games are against teams in the top 8 in the league standings, including two with Concord and one with Bedford.  The first is Wednesday night, when Concord, who beat Pinkerton today, comes to town.  This ought to be a fun one as all of these top teams jockey for positon heading into early March.  Maybe time to ask Dabo for some advice on how to beat the Tide?  Oops, wrong sport.  See you at the rink.

Heart Pounding Win

      Having never been allowed to coach above the Travel Mite level by the HHA board, I can’t say for sure what drives high level hockey coaches the most crazy.  I imagine a turnover when skating the puck out of the defensive zone instead of passing to the forwards is pretty annoying.  I always wonder what goes through the coach’s mind when he is trying to make a point during a break in play and can’t hear himself think over the crappy AC/DC from 1974 (keep it coming by the way Sean - especially It’s a Long Way to the Top if you Want to Rock & Roll – best hockey song ever – bagpipes bringing Malcom and Angus back to their Scottish roots) – probably pretty annoying.  I won’t even get into hockey parents questioning their little Johnny’s playing time.  But I imagine if there is one thing that is universal amongst all high level hockey coaches, it is the dumb penalty, the game-changing dumb penalty, that has them reaching for their in-game nitro.  And in today’s game between the 4^th place Hanover Marauders and the 5^th place trinity Pioneers, coaches Dodds and Connell probably used their Nitro so much that they’ll be booking an appointment with their cardiologist tomorrow.

      Because tonight was a big game – a really big game.  It was a rubber match between two teams that had split already this year – Hanover winning 7-1 in the Christmas tournament and Trinity paying back the favor 5-2 a week ago in their barn.  It was a game that had many implications – seeding implications, respect implications, rivalry implications.  So, as the Pioneers made their trek up 1-89 for a mid-week tilt in front of a small but vocal Campion rink crowd, everyone knew that it was either going to be the Marauders avenging an ugly Sullivan rink disaster from last week, or Trinity making a huge statement knocking off the defending state champions.

     It was Hanover that came out ripping on Pioneer goalie Ryan Brewitt who stoned the hungry locals on every attempt.  And just when it seemed like Hanover would be finding the twine at any moment, a five minute major boarding penalty – a killer in high school hockey because a goal does not wipe out the penalty – put Hanover on the man down.  Now a boarding penalty is not a bad penalty per se, but doesn’t actually make you the guest of honor at the next penalty kill unit dinner party.  But one thing Hanover is really good at doing is killing penalties, and with the forwards buzzing around like Cape Cod marsh flies on a summer night and the defense holding steady, Hanover killed off the Pioneer charge until his team caused coach Connell to reach for the first Nitro of the night.  Because in succession, on the man-up, Trinity committed two hooking penalties to go from a 5-4 for five minutes to a 3-4 and then a 4-4.  Ouch.  And with that, all of the momentum shifted back to Hanover and on the power play it was Duncan Bailey, from Spencer Lawe, firing in from the point with Charlie Plottner deflecting at 14:01 to put Hanover up 1-0 heading into the first intermission.

      And it didn’t stop there because almost as soon as they came out for the second, Hanover went up 2-0 with Pat Daley finding Cam Woods on a deflection just 57 seconds in.  Now came time for the all important third goal and as Ben Plottner (16 saves) preserved the net for the locals, older brother Charlie found Matty Gardner at the point whose wrister at 5:40 in made it 3-0.  A big old sigh of relief, not even when Trinity finally beat Plottner to make it 3-1 at 9:12.  The locals continued to pepper Brewitt, who even took one off of the mask from Joey Goff point blank (dam you Jacques Plante!) until Brendan Brigham took it upon himself on a goal of the year candidate score to seemingly send Trinity to purgatory.  On a full out fore-check, Brigham stripped the puck down low and through a sheer force of will we haven’t seen since a lacrosse face-off, he dusted three Pioneers and stuffed it into the back of the net to make it 4-1 heading into the third.

      But Trinity came out embarrassed, and perhaps feeling guilty about sending their coach to have a heart cath tomorrow, almost immediately they took advantage a neutral zone turnover and a trip to make it 4-3 not even four minutes into the third.  And now with the Pioneers salivating and tasting blood like it was dinnertime at the Donner’s house (I just can’t stop making that joke), Hanover found themselves suddenly on the defensive.  But just like in the first period, it was a killer Trinity penalty that doomed them, because putting Hanover on the man-up deep in the third had Casey Graham finding the net in a scrum on an assist from Sy Oberting to make it 5-3 at 11:48.  An empty netter by Graham completed the scoring at 14:11 and Hanover had their 6-3 win.

      So now Hanover finds itself at 9-2 in NHIAA play (10-4 overall) with a few key games coming up – including a late Saturday night game a tough Salem team (just breathing the air coming north from Methuen makes you mean) that may have some of our boys spitting their own chiclets by night’s end.  By the way boys, there are discounts on swivels at Home Depot this week and directions are included on how to attach to your head.  Then it is Concord next Wednesday – no intro needed.  See you at the rink.

Bounce Back

      Sporting by far and away the best hockey hair in all of NHIAA Division 1 (sorry Bedford – the peroxide is just too easy to do on a whim whereas the legendary Lancer locks take months of careful grooming), Londonderry came to town for a Saturday afternoon rematch of last year’s state quarterfinal.  After a closer-than expected 3-2 victory, the Marauders improved to 8-2 in league play (9-4 overall) and solidified their hold on fourth place as the rubber match awaits with Trinity on Wednesday.

      With three players out for the locals and some line-up changes perhaps reflecting a carry over from their game earlier this week, the Marauders came out a little tentative against the pressing Lancers early.  But it was the visitors’ exuberance that had them in the hole early as Casey Graham’s debut on the power play resulted in a 1-0 lead after his wrister from the near circle found the five hole on assists from Cameron Woods and Patrick Daley at 7:33 in.  Almost immediately thereafter the Lancers were whistled for a five minute major boarding penalty which had Woods finding the twine in close on a feed from Curtis Rice and Daley at 8:37 to make it 2-0 just one minute into the man-up. But an immediate time out settled the Lancers, and seemed to have the opposite effect on the Marauders, because from that point on it was the local boys who owned the sin bin, beginning with a retaliation interference that negated their advantage through the end of the period.  Hanover almost went up 3-0 on Joey Goff’s backhander off of the post, but settled for a 2-0 score as the horn sounded.

      Owning a two goal advantage into the second, it was the Marauders who were on the kill for most of the period, including a five minute stretch for a boarding major which limited their offensive chances throughout the frame.  The steady play of goalie Luke Ives kept Hanover even for the period, but a late penalty had them heading into third again on the man down.  Just 32 seconds in, it was the Lancers getting that all important third goal to make it 2-1 and suddenly what seemed like a sure thing win in the first five minutes became a bit tenuous.  But it was Rowan Wilsons dagger om the man-up soon thereafter on assists from Hans Willaims and Joey Goff which had that line getting the game winner.  The Lancers made it close at 8:12 beating Ives high to make it 3-2, but the smothering Hanover defense never let them get close and Dick Dodds’s boys finished it off firing rockets at Londonderry’s empty net.

      So here we go – a suddenly big three game stretch starting on Wednesday with Trinity, Concord and Salem in succession.  Now the NHIAA season is more than half over, and positional jockeying will be the order of the day moving forward.  Rest up Marauders, heal up fast, and on behalf of all of the Hanover moms, we hope that the Londonderry hair did not inspire you.  See you at the rink.

Ouch

      Watching late night TV following Hanover’s 5-2 loss to the Trinity Pioneers in Division 1 NHIAA play tonight, there was a financial services company advertising their latest way of ripping off the American consumer and after promoting a no-risk annual 15% return mutual fund, they quietly hedged at the end of the commercial by stating “Past performance is not indicative of future returns.”

      What a prophetic statement, especially considering the Marauders game earlier this evening.  This was a game that everyone expected Hanover to win, especially given the 7-1 drubbing they had laid on the Pioneers in the final game of the Holiday tournament three weeks earlier.  But, this is why they play the game because Trinity put the hurt on Hanover from the opening puck drop to drop the locals into fourth place in NHIAA play.

      There’s not too much to blog about this one, except to congratulate Trinity on a very strong performance.  Perhaps Hanover should have known things were not going to go well when during the first period power-play, on the only penalty called of the game, the normally sure fire Marauders were not able to muster a shot against the stout Pioneer penalty kill.  Other than that, this was a back and forth contest without any real drama until deep in the second when the Pioneers finally broke through on goalie Ben Plottner with five seconds left to make it 1-0 heading into the third. 

     While none of the Hanover partisans were privy to the discussion in the locker room between the second and third period, we took it as a good sign that none of the freshman came out crying.  However, despite putting extensive pressure on the Trinity D, Hanover could not break through and it was ping pong game of scoring as first Trinity, then Hanover (Cam Woods one-timer on a beautiful rush and behind-the net feed from Sy Obtering) then immediately Trinity, then Hanover (Duncan Bailey unassisted on a turnover from the high circle) and then unfortunately Trinity right back to make it 4-2 with 2:30 left.  Hanover pulled Plottner but an empty-netter doomed the locals to seal the defeat. 

      The great thing about sports is that even when you have a tough loss and face a little adversity (i.e. Pats/Dolphins “Miracle in Miami”) you can get back on the horse for immediate redemption (i.e.  Pats/Chiefs “Still Here”).  Now that doesn’t mean it comes easy – for example as the Hanover partisans left the rink the betting line on the over/under date on when pucks would be allowed back in practice was set at Valentine’s Day – but these are the challenges that make it fun.   So enjoy your Herbie’s boys and remember to answer, as Mike Eruzione taught you, “I play for the Hanover High School Marauders” when you are asked on Friday morning at practice.  Next up is Londonderry Saturday afternoon.  See you at the rink