Hanover's sense of timing has rarely been better, as the Marauders struck early in each half and controlled the match when it counted, beating Portsmouth 5-2 in a Homecoming Saturday matinee.
Blake Palmer and Amane Matsuoka each scored inside the first five minutes of the match, and did so within 21 seconds of each other, to wrest control of the match. Charlie Adams added his ninth goal of the season 57 seconds into the second half, and that was all the Marauders needed. They added second half scores by Eric Ringer and Pat Osborn to give them a 5-0 lead before two late Portsmouth goals made the game appear closer than it was. Hanover is now 5-1 on the season, heading into a big showdown at Manchester Central on Wednesday.
The well-coached Clippers looked strong in the opening minutes, controlling the ball in the Hanover defensive end, and forcing several corner kicks that the Marauders were able to defend. Suddenly, though, two lightning strikes put Hanover in complete control. Dylan Kotlowitz got things started, stepping at midfield to win a ball, and sending a ball between two defenders. Eli Stack made a great run to beat two defenders to the ball, and his shot was saved by Portsmouth goalkeeper Elliot Miles. The rebound came straight to Blake Palmer, who lashed it inside the left post for his third goal of the season. Almost immediately after the kickoff, the Marauders doubled the score. Eric Ringer hit a long serve to Amane Matsuoka on the left flank. Amane beat his defender, stealing his soul, and hit a hard shot inside the near post, the senior winger's first score of the season.
Portsmouth stayed composed, and shortly afterwards were denied on a great scoring bid when Marauder goalkeeper Andrew Enelow raced off his line and made a dope save, stretching out at the top of the box to block a dangerous shot. Marauder Captain Kyle Doucette made a number of excellent plays on defense, using speed, sure tackling and smarty positioning to deny a number of Portsmouth opportunities.
Hanover soon asserted themselves in the Portsmouth end, creating a number of excellent scoring chances. Matsuoka threaded a nice pass to Eli Stack, and the speedy senior broke in alone, only to be snuffed on a nice save from Miles. At the 20-minute mark, Stack had another good looks, moving to his right before ripping a hard shot that was foiled by a sweet Miles dive. Seven different Hanover players had at least one shot, and the first half stats showed the Marauders with a 14-2 shot advantage.
If there was any suspense in the contest, it was ended before the first minute after the interval was over. After a long throw by Eric Ringer, Miles bobbled the ball and dropped it at Charlie Adams' feet, giving him an easy goal. It was the 50th career goal for the All New England midfielder, tying him with Eric Jayne for the all-time Hanover career lead. Jayne, a part-time Marauder coach, was open hand to congratulate Adams, who last season broke Jayne's career points record.
Hanover kept the pressure on Portsmouth. Doucette, a force in the defensive end, got forward on an Adams corner kick and headed the ball over the bar. Adams had four more shots, but at the 53-minute mark it was Ringer who found the mark. Matsuoka made a great baseline run and dropped the ball back to Eric, who finished clinically for his first career goal. Seven minutes later, senior Pat Osborn became the third Hanover player on the day to open his account, tucking home a far post finish on a free kick by Adams, who collected his sixth assist of the season. Osborn kept working, adding two more shots in quick succession.
Leading 5-0 with 20 minutes to play, the Marauders remained in control, although they conceded two inconsequential but frustrating goals, one coming after a missed tackle in the defensive end, and one after an intercepted goal kick that resulted in a point blank shot.
Hanover's next match is a challenging one, a road trip to Manchester's Gill Stadium for a Tuesday night matchup against unbeaten and top-ranked Manchester Central. The Little Green beat the Marauders twice last season, a 1-0 regular season defeat, and a 4-0 loss in the NHIAA semifinals.
Motivation should not be a problem. Hanover has made a lot of progress, and this match will be an excellent measuring stick. These are the matches that make all of the work worthwhile.
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