Solid Start

 

Having been 319 days since their last competitive ice hockey game, the Hanover Marauders finally took the ice to kick off their NHIAA Division 1 season in a rare mid afternoon dust-up with Concord at Everett today.  And while they ended up on the wrong end of a 4-0 decision, there were plenty of positives to take away from today.

Consider…

1.      We were playing a stacked, defending state champion team in the Crimson Tide that looked like it had been put together by Nick Saban himself

2.      Playing your first top drawer Division 1 NHIAA game after your youth hockey career is a little like being in Drivers Ed and getting on the highway for the time – you quickly realize you aren’t driving 25 mph down Lebanon Street anymore.  But once you have been exposed to the speed, it becomes much easier the second time around

3.      We have the best goaltender in the state

Luke Ives - BEAST

So in we rolled to Everett to take on the Crimson tide for the first of the away and away series.  And while the Livebarn feed from Everett made it look like you were watching the game through a fish bowl, nothing better than seeing the Marauder boys get on the ice for warm-ups.  And as the always do, the Everett music crew did not disappoint, with no fewer than four head-splitting AC/DC songs to set the tone during warm-ups (BTW – how many minutes do you think it would take the Campion Arena neighbors to register a complaint after hearing Thunderstruck playing at volume 12 on a Monday afternoon?...but I digress)

And with the puck drop a little before 2:00 pm, the 2020-21 season began for the Marauders, and a little bit of normalcy finally poked its head back into all of our lives.  For the next two hours, the players and coaches could focus on the game, the parents could do their best to pretend to work while following the feed, and probably most importantly, all of those grandparents and friends of the program could tune in remotely to watch those boys play a game we all love.  Not enough thanks can be said to all of those who put the kids first to make this happen and happen safely – the NHIAA, the Hanover school administration and athletic director, and coaches Dodds, Cashman and Alex Dodds.

And really, this game was a lot more competitive than the 4-0 final score, especially given the injuries facing the Marauders.  While it could be said that Concord had a little bit better of the play and had the better finishing ability, this one was hard fought throughout.  Going up 2-0 just over 5 minutes in was probably more indicative of the Hanover rust than the Crimson Tide dominance.  Goaltender Luke Ives who faced 31 shots on the day and at least three in-the-crease checks, was magnificent and stood on his head repeatedly.  Especially in the second period when he shut down 15 of the 16 chances he faced, the junior was the MVP of the game for the Marauders.

We also got to see the grit and toughness of the team that did not back down and made it a game throughout.  The Marauders are generally big boys and the bodying, especially along the boards, really seemed to slow down the Tide and neutralize their speed.  Multiple rushes in the offensive zone, especially by alternate captain Curtis Rice and freshman Wyatt Seelig, kept the pressure up on the Concord D.  While we were outshot 16-5 in the second, the first and third were pretty even with Concord owning only a 15-11 shot advantage.

Hanover also looked good on the kill, shutting down each of Concord’s four power plays, most notable a 5-3 early in the second.  Take away those rusty first five minutes and this one was pretty even – an excellent sign for the locals moving forward.

There aren’t too many positives that can be attributed to the pandemic, but the Division 1 NHIAA hockey schedule is one of them.  Not only will every one of the 12 games be competitive, the away and away game sequence allows these teams to face each other again right away - kind of like the NHL during the days of the original 6.  And with every team making the post-season tourney, all of these games are a warm-up for the big event in March.

So, with this confidence-building game one against the defending state champions under their belt, Hanover vs Concord part II will take place this Saturday night.  So study hard this week Marauders for finals and remember that an Ivy philosophy degree is not worth what it used to be so relax and focus on the big picture, pick C on the multiple choice if you don’t know the answer, and get plenty of rest.  And parents, we don’t want to see any of you getting caught trying to sneak into Everett on Saturday night.

See you at the rink…