Toe to Toe

     When we last left a Hanover Marauders/Concord Crimson Tide game, it was last February and Dick Dodds’s Marauders had just gotten whitewashed at Everett by a score of 6-0.  It was an ugly game for Hanover, but in a way it seemed to serve as a motivator for them as they swept to the NHIAA championship a few weeks later.

      Enter the first of at least three games scheduled for 2018-19 between these two longtime foes – the first in this year’s Manchester Memorial Christmas Hockey Tournament.  Correction – the Brian C. Stone Memorial Christmas Hockey tournament, named this year formally for the longstanding New Hampshire coach and player who died this year.  So as most high school students this time of year were sleeping in until 2:00 pm the day after Christmas, we found our 3-1 Marauders dropping the puck for some holiday non-league action in the Queen City.

      Everyone knew this would be a good game given the history of these two schools, as well as the HNIB state preseason polls having them at the 1 and 2 slots.  Concord was undefeated , and Hanover was coming off a sluggish loss to BG four days ago that had just a hint of Ogie Ogelthorpe/Tim McCracken and had them motivated to come out fast.  So how nice it was to see two skilled teams – less on checks and more on the speed – moving the puck up and down the JFK ice through the first period.  This was a 100% even first period with Hanover having the shots on goal advantage 7-3.  Despite a shaky appearing man-up, the Marauders had more chances and carried the play going into the first intermission.

      Like the BG game last week, it was goalie Ben Plottner who kept the locals in the game during the second.  Stopping a dead on blast from in front 13 seconds in, the freshman played older than his years throughout the period, turning away shot after shot from the Tide.  Probably the most impressive play from the locals came from senior Will Laycock, who seemed to single handedly will (credit for pun due here) away a Tide power play opportunity midway through the second with his inspiring forecheck.  When the horn sounded, you had two tired, deep teams knotted at 0-0 playing clean, hard, back-and-forth hockey in the middle of the afternoon on a Wednesday in December – I wish every Wednesday afternoon could be like this.

      So into the third it went, with everyone in the swelling crowd knowing probably that the first goal would be the game winner.  It could have gone to either team, and on this day it was freshman Tyler Coskren putting home a rebound in close 1:39 in for the Tide.  Despite heavy pressure for the remainder, Hanover could not solve Concord goalie Parker Taylor in this year’s tournament and with an empty netter late, the home team took the first game this year 2-0.

      The best part about the Christmas tournament is having the opportunity to lie to your boss again about feeling sick and having to go home early tomorrow.  Actually that is the second best thing – the best thing is the free hot dogs given to the players after each game – how great is that?  Tomorrow it doesn’t get any easier.  It’s Bedford and they don’t need any introduction. Don’t eat too many hot dogs on the way home boys and see you tomorrow.