For the second game in a row the Freshmen dug themselves a huge hole against a strong opponent, and then proceeded to play superb soccer, staging a comeback before falling just short in a 6-5 loss to Exeter. After falling behind to Cardigan 3-0 on S aturday before charging back in a 5-4 loss, they resolved to start more strongly. So much for resolve. Exeter played aggressively from the start, and the Marauders were careless in their own end. Two minutes after kickoff, a Hanover defender missed on a clear, giving their deadly #25 an open shot. A well-intentioned back header to goalkeeper Ty Nolon was poached by Exeter’s talisman for a 2-0 lead at thee 14-minute mark, and three minutes later a soft square ball in the middle lead to another easy Exeter goal. When #25 made the score 4-0 at the 20-minute mark, it looked as though the game would be a complete runaway. Hanover was actually not playing badly, and to their immense credit, they stayed calm, kept playing, and refused to stop trusting themselves and each other. The Marauders were creating shots. Liam Worden, Soren Stettenheim and Jack Gardner all had good shots before Jack Stadheim had an even better one, ringing a shot off the post. Despite the relief offered by. Alex Brackett, Will Taylor, and Ian Smith at midfield, Exeter scored AGAIN ten minutes before halftime on their one well-made goal of the afternoon. It would have been so easy to give up, blame others, lose focus (a few tried), and spend the rest of the day wallowing in a promising game gone south. Happily, the Marauders held fast and kept playing. With five minutes to go, Jack Stadheim broke into the box and was tackled, and the official who had been calling the game tightly continued to call the game tightly, awarding a penalty kick. Stadheim hit his spot kick right to the goalkeeper, who saved it. Fortunately, Stadheim made it to the ball first and tucked it into the back of the net to stop the carnage. Hanover wasn’t done. A minute from the interval, Stadheim and Jack Gardner completed a series of accurate wall passes, giving Gardner the room to tuck a superb shot just inside the left post.
Having made the score respectable by halftime, the Marauders lost no momentum after the break, completely dominating possession and territory. Stadheim started the fun with a shot off the crossbar. Gardner had a great look from the corner of the box and hit a shot that may still be in orbit. Following a free kick into the box by Jack McGrath five minutes into the half, right back Cam Forbush snuck into the fray at the edge of the box and looped a shot under the balk to make the score 5-3. Game on. Stadheim and Gardner kept hammering, and then the Marauders subbed well into the half. Exeter extended the lead to 6-4, but even that wasn’t enough to throw the Marauders off. The boys off the bench kept up the momentum, and with 13 minutes to play Theo Joseph was in the right place at the right time at the far post, jamming home rebound from Owen Smith. First career goal for Theo, but not the last.
With the score 6-4, the Marauders continued to play with precision and confidence. Berekeley Chamberlain had a number of excellent plays on the wing, and after several near misses Gardner pulled the team to within a goal, converting a cross from Cam Bonner, who collected his first career assist. With seven minutes to play, Hanover continued to play good position, moving the ball around and refusing to play “hero ball”. With three minutes to play, a series of passes isolated Stettenheim at the far post, and he did everything right, getting a hard, low shot on goal that was blocked with a timely save. Ty Nolon got to relieve one of the iconic moments for his favorite team, charging into the box on a corner like Manchester United’s Peter Schmeichel. He didn’t score, but he didn’t get burned by his upfield adventure. The Marauders had one more chance before time expired, as Alex Brackett connected with a header that sailed over to bar.
There is much to be learned from a game like this. Falling behind 5-0 means there is a lot of work to be done. Digging out with five great goals means that progress is being made. Wednesday’s home game with Keene will give the Young Marauders a chance to show what they have learned.
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