Hawkward

      In a rare Wednesday afternoon matinee at Campion, the Hanover Marauders saw a strong early effort against a loaded senior-heavy Exeter Blue Hawks team go for naught, as costly penalties left them staggering from a 7-1 onslaught to drop them to 2-2 in NHIAA play and 4-3 overall.

      With the Marauder-killer #20 Brendan Doyle living up to his well-deserved reputation, Exeter came in mean, fast and ready to dish out a little payback after being on the short-end of the scoreboard against Hanover the last few years.  Almost  immediately to start the game, it was sophomore Kam Hyles who put the visitors up 1-0 barely two minutes in.  But despite controlling the play for the most of the remainder of the first, the Blue Hawks could not break in on goalie Ben Plottner, and heading to the locker room, it appeared as though this was one was going to be tight.

      But Exeter made its opportunities on the man-up count, because taking advantage of an early Hanover penalty at 4:31, it was Doyle with the first of his hat trick to put the score at 2-0.  But almost immediately, Hanover came storming back, as Tom Lyons broke in from the high slot on goalie Jude Robles to end an over 60 minute scoreless streak for the locals – 2.1 at 4:58.  But Doyle is a plyer of the year candidate for good reason, and his snipe at 5:25 made it 3-1 and then two minutes later Ricky Davis made it 4-1.  A Dick Dodd’s time-out thereafter stemmed the bleeding, and the second period finished with the three goal deficit.

      There was some fight left in the locals to start the third, but a five minute major for boarding doomed them to the man-down and Exeter is too talented a team to give them that opportunity – quickly it was 5-1 and then 6-1 on the powerplay.  With the 7^th goal we went to running time at 8:35 and despite some great chances from Jack Stadheim off of the post and Archer Judd who came within an inch of squeaking one by Robles, Hanover went down.

      Fortunately, Hanover’s next games is against one of the hyphens, as they visit Nashua South-Southegan for a Saturday afternoon tilt.  Then it is midterm week (seniors it really doesn’t matter despite what the teachers say – everyone else buckle down) and a good Pinkerton team on the 18^th.

      See you at the rink…