Hanover opens NHIAA Division II playoff action on Wednesday with a 3:00 p.m. match against Trinity High School of Manchester at Merriman-Branch Field. The Pioneers, who dropped to Division II from Class L play last year, enter the match as the 15th seed and hold a 6-9-1 record. The Marauders are the #2 seed by virtue of their 13-1 mark.
The two teams have played only once previously. In 1984, Hanover beat the Pioneers 2-1 in the NHIAA Division AA Semifinals before losing to Oyster River in the Finals by a 3-1 score. From 1977 - 1985 there were only two divisions in NHIAA Soccer, "AA" and "A". Hanover joined the larger schools in the state in AA, and over the course of that nine-year stretch, made it to the finals five times, winning in 1977, 1979 and 1980.
Class I play, and the beginning of a four-class setup, began in 1986. In 24 years of Class I competition, Hanover made it to the Class I finals 15 times, and won eleven titles, including the last five in a row. Oyster River owns 10 trips to the finals, and five titles.
Coincidentally (or perhaps not), Oyster River has a chance to continue their amazing rivalry with the Marauders. The Bobcats are seeded #12 in the D2 Tournament, and travel to #7 Coe-Brown Wednesday. If they win (and they just beat the Bears 1-0 a week ago), they earn a return trip to Hanover on Saturday providing the Marauders hold serve against Trinity.
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