Rolled Tide

Saturday night at Everett for Concord-Hanover Part II had an eerie sense of similarity to their first game five days ago.  AC/DC blaring, a social-distanced partisan Concord crowd in the stands and the speed of the Tide (2-0) matched up against the brawn of the Marauders (0-1).  So with our only connection to the game via the spotty Livebarn connection coming up from 1-89, the boys played their second game of the pandemic season against the top team in NHIAA Division 1.

And unfortunately for the locals, the first period showed why speed is so often the determining factor in who wins high school hockey games.  While Hanover clearly outbodied the Tide (defenseman Spencer Lawe especially showed more aggression than the expected McGregor-Poirier fight later tonight) it was Concord’s stick-handling and pace that quickly neutralized Hanover.  Despite having two man-ups in the period and killing one, Hanover found themselves down 3-0 heading into the locker room.

However, it was junior Jackson Fisher who finally got Hanover on the board this season.  Stealing the puck from a sloppy Concord clear in their defensive zone, he circled around the top of the near circle and launched a wrister unassisted into the scrum which found its way into the net for Hanover first goal in over seven quarters dating back to last year.  And this why is pucks on the net is so important as Hanover found themselves down 3-1 only 2:04 in the second.  However, Concord is tenacious and Concord is fast and by the period’s end had added two more to the tally to make it 5-1 going into the third. The local’s best chance came on a Tom Lyons point black cannon from the slot on the power play deep into the second.

The third was almost a carbon copy of the second, with Hanover getting the firs goal on a junior Casey Graham dump in close of an assist from Lawe at 6:40 to make it 5-2.  However, this seemed to invigorate the Tide and they poured it on for the reminder of the period, scoring three more to make the final score 8-2. Luke Ives had 29 saves for Hanover with Hanover having a total of 13 shots.

So with the loss, Hanover drops to 0-2 on the young season – but on the bright side has played their toughest opponent in NHIAA division I this season.  They will next travel to Exeter for a Saturday tilt against the Blue Hawks, another Division 1 powerhouse facing a bit of a rebuild this year.  So keep your heads up Marauders, enjoy those 5:00 am practices this week, and wear those masks.  

See you at the rink…