The Marauders overcame a slow start Tuesday night under the lights to defeat a hard-working Hartford Hurricane squad 4-1 and earn their seventh straight win. Leading 1-0 at halftime, Hanover cranked up the offense right from the start in the second half and cruised to the victory behind goals from Eric Jayne, Ben Harris and Isaiah Fariel.
It was slow going in the first half for the Marauders, not only because of a well-organized Hartford defense, but also because of some tactical naivete that resulted in repeated forays into the heart of a packed-in center of the park. Hanover held an edge in play, but the game was in doubt throughout the first half because of the counterattacking threat of Hartford's excellent striker Rory Skehan. The former Lightning teammate of many of Hanover's seniors, Skehan shook loose for the Hurricanes' only shot of the half, and was dangerous throughout. Hartford's best chance was a long, high free kick into the box by Sam Polas, another Lightning ex-pat, but Stefan Dyroff ranged far off his line to snare the ball in a crowd.
Late in the half, Hanover's patience paid off in a flurry that resulted in a Marauder corner kick. Keegan Gantrish hit a driven ball to the far post, and Eric Jayne rose to meet it and sent it back across the fact of the goal, where it deflected in off of Hurricane defender John Borchert and in, followed closely by Hayden Pressey-Murray. The officials, a source of amazement all night, deemed it an own goal. Fine. Whatever. Hanover had snatched the lead with 27 ticks on the clock, and could fully enjoy the GU buffet during the interval.
The tenor of the game changed dramatically in the second half, and it wasn't a case of Hanover wearing Hartford down. With the best elevens fresh at the resumption of play,
The Marauders took to the wings, which subsequently opened up the center. In came Hanover. Marauding. After several good offensive looks, including a couple of great saves by Jed Sass on Jayne, the Marauders doubled the lead on another corner kick.
Trey Rebman curled one in from the left side and Jayne ghosted in front of Sass and deflected the ball enough for it to lazily trickle into the goal. It was Jayne's eighth goal of the season, and it marked the fifth straight game in which he has scored.
Seconds after the resultant kickoff, the play finally got deep enough into the Hanover end for a penalty to be called on....someone, for........something. Skehan gratefully accepted the alms and expertly ripped the penalty home, pulling a goal back.
Somehow, the lead didn't seem to be in danger. Hanover went back to work calmly and efficiently, and camped in Hartford's half. Somehow, though, they made the field seem huge, switching the ball and exploiting the flanks. Forrest Pratt and Trey Rebman were were tip-toeing on the touchlines, and their quick play facilitated some great shots from the top of the box, by Joe, Carey, By Hayden Pressey-Murray, and then by Ben Harris who hit one of his patented long-range drives from 25 meters past a diving Sass to make the score 3-1. As waves of subs came off the Hanover bench, it wasn't conditioning that kept tilting play to the Marauder end. It was real skill and tactical sense by the reserves that made for some of the best football of the night.
Ryan Brigham and Forest Watkins showed well on the flanks, and Alex Dodds was at his creative best up top. Brendan Barth, who had also given valuable minutes in the first half, was a key factor in orchestrating the offense. Jay Mobilia continued to show well in back.
With a 12-3 edge in shots and a telling 7-1 edge in corners, the match was just about put to bed when Isaiah Fariel entered the game for his first real minutes since injuring his ankle in the season opener. His patient rehabilitation bore fruit at the death of the match. Charlie Umland stepped up and headed a ball down the line in Fariel's direction, and the junior striker turned and hit a long, high drive that tucked under the crossbar with 13 seconds remaining for his first goal of the season. It won't be his last.
Hartford got the most out of those final seconds, getting the ball into the box for another "penalty". This time, the soccer gods rendered appropriate judgment and Rory Skehan's spot kick rang off the left upright and was cleared.
Hanover's bright 7-0 start will be put to the sternest test of the season Saturday when Bedford comes to town. The Bulldogs are 7-1 and are also winners of seven on the trot, with their only loss of the season coming in their opener to still-unbeaten Souhegan. Stuart Pepper is an expert coach, and his young side are eager to prove themselves against the defending champs. They are familiar with the playing surface, and will come on unafraid. Kickoff time is 12:00 Noon for this must-see soccer showcase.
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