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.