Hanover finished the regular season on a high note, exploding for four second half goals in a ten-minute stretch to beat Londonderry 4-0 and end with a 13-2-1 record. The Marauders clinched third place in Division One behind Bedford and Central, and will open the playoffs at home on Wednesday.
Coming off a disappointing 2-2 tie with Pinkerton Academy, the Marauders never looked back, dominating play in the first half and then quickly disposing of the Lancers early in the second, with a pair of goals by Kyle Doucette, and single scores by Eric Ringer and Charlie Adams, who assisted on all three of the goals he didn't score.
The Marauders took control of the match early, earning four corner kicks in the first ten minutes and a total of eight in the half. They outshot Londonderry 11-1, and got closer and closer to scoring as the half unwound. Adams hit a dangerous shot in the seventh minute, clanging it off the top corner of the
goal. Blake Palmer got loose in the penalty area off of a free kick, but couldn't connect omg a close range attempt. Kyle Doucette headed an Adams corner kick over the bar at the 20 minute mark, a harbinger of things to come. Adams nearly flicked home a header five minutes later.
Five minutes from the end of the half, Hanover had their best look of all, as Henry Aspinwall fed Eric Ringer for a long shot that sailed just past the left upright. Doucette almost guided the eighth corner kick of the half into the net, but the half ended with the score tied at 0-0.
If the Marauders were worried or frustrated, they didn't show it after halftime, taking a 1-0 lead before three minutes had elapsed. As has been the case several times this season, Adams took advantage of a long throw-ion by Ringer, controlling the ball on the right side of the penalty area and turning to fire a dart inside the left post. Three minutes later, the roles were reversed, as a perfectly placed free kick by Adams found Ringer in a perfect position for an easy tap-in and a 2-0 lead. Is minutes later, Hanover's ninth corner kick struck pay dirt when Doucette looped an interesting looking semi-bicycle that floated over goalkeeper Colby DiMaggio. Hanover's stunning surge ended two minutes later when Doucette got his head on an Adams free kick and collected his fourth goal in the last four games.
There was work left to the done, and a host of Marauders were more than eager to see the match off. Defenders Noah Pikielny and Brendan Brigham, on in relief of Dylan Kotlowitz, were excellent. Doucette played a bit of defense, too, teaming with Judd Alexander to lock down the middle of the Marauder line. Will Blinkhorn, Toño Correa, Nathan Subrahmanian and Jacob Kubik-Pauw all took the pressure off the defense with their quality two-way play.
Hanover's outstanding effort puts them the front foot heading into the playoffs. They will train on the turf Monday and Tuesday, awaiting the announcement of the playoff brackets mid-day Monday. They will host a first-round playoff game on Wednesday, and home to play it under the lights at 6:00. If they win against the 14th seed, they will host a quarterfinal match on Saturday at 2:00, perhaps against Keene. Whoa, whoa, whoa. Slow down, Sparky. The Marauders have worked hard to prepare for the second season, and they will be well advised to take things a step at a time, perhaps recalling a pair of one-goal wins, one in overtime (Thanks, Judd) in last year's first two playoff games. This is the time of year that Hanover teams have lived for the past 55 years. Not their first rodeo.
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