Two Marauders Named to the Lions Twin Team

Hanover Captains Charlie Adams and Kyle Doucette have been named to the the New Hampshire Lions Cup team, and will be part of the 23-man senior all-star team that will play the Vermont seniors  this July 17th.  Their participation continues a long tradition of Hanover players  making the team, which draws from all four divisions.  They will see a number of familiar faces, with Bedford, Timberlane and Winacunnet also sending two players each.  Division Two finalists Lebanon and Con-Val will also contribute two players each, with Logan Falzarano and Cooper Bourne representing Lebanon.  Sunapee scoring star Michael Mullen and Mascoma leader Ben Schwartz, who each helped their team make deep playoff runs, will represent their team, giving the Upper Valley excellent representation.

Coach Rob Grabill, who shared D1 Coach of the Year honors with Bedford's Stuart Pepper, will be one of the four New Hampshire coaches.  Grabill was New Hampshire Head Coach in 2008.  The Lions Twin game has helped raise thousands of dollars for Lion charities in New Hampshire and Vermont.

Hanover High School Soccer Awards 2019

Hanover High School Soccer Awards 2019

Varsity Team Awards

Offensive Player of the Year – Charlie Adams

Defensive Player of the Year – Kyle Doucette

Rookie of the Year – Eric Ringer

Most Improved – Latham Allison

Unsung Hero – Judd Alexander

Goal of the Year – Charlie Adams (Free kick vs. Winnacunnett)

Sportsmanship Award – Noah Pikielny

Most Valuable Player

NHSCA All-State – Division One

First Team:  Charlie Adams, Kyle Doucette

Second Team: Eli Stack

Honorable Mention: Blake Palmer

Coach of The Year – Rob Grabill

United Soccer Coaches

All-American – Charlie Adams

All-New England – Kyle Doucette (Alternate)

NISOA Soccer Officials

Championship MVP – Joey Perras

Lions Twin State Cup

NH Senior All Stars – Charlie Adams, Kyle Doucette

Twin State Cup Assistant Coach – Rob Grabill

Junior Varsity One Awards

Most Valuable Player - Palmer Okai

Golden Boot – Oscar Miller

Coaches Award -Tom Lyons

Most Improved – Teddy Ruth

Goal of the Year – Pierce Hamlin

NHSCA Coach of the Year – Willie Johnson

Junior Varsity Two Awards

Offensive Player of the Year – Eli Bush

Defensive Player of the Year – James Kirkpatrick

Most Improved – Jackson Liu

Rookie of the Year – Asa Wise

Golden Boot – Archer Judd

Golden Gloves – Jared Licht

Coaches Award – A.J. Ristino, Henry Bernard

Sportsmanship – Henry Bernard

MVP – Henry Bernard

Freshman Awards

Golden Gloves – Ty Nolon

Golden Boot – Jack Gardner

Sportsmanship – Owen Smith, Jack Stadheim

Most Improved – Kevin Choi, Soren Stettenheim

Defender of the Year – Owen Smith

Coaches Award – Ty Nolon, Ethan Munson

MVP – Jack Gardner, Jack McGrath, Jack Stadheim

Varsity Banquet Puts a Cap on the Season; Final All-Star Games

This is the final weekend of the soccer season.  We will be holding office hours in the Gym during Activity Period on Friday.  Players who missed the Soccer Celebration Tuesday night may pick up their team certificates.  We will do a final collection of uniforms and practice gear, and hand out Hanover Soccer shirts to players who have not yet received theirs.

Friday night, the Varsity will gather to celebrate their championship season.  In addition to team honors, All-State and All-Region results, awarded by the NH Soccer Coaches Association, will be announced.  There will be several of them!  These and all team awards for all teams will be published Saturday.  (We said today, but it makes more sense to publish them all together).

On Saturday, the top senior players in NH from all divisions will gather in Concord to try out for Lions Twin State Soccer Cup team.  The top 22 seniors will play against their counterparts from Vermont in July.  The team will be named on Saturday night, and Hanover players selected will be announced Sunday here in the blog. Hanover has a long, proud history of having players selected, and excelling in the game.  Last year, Marauder Captain Liam Collins was the winner of the NH Team Sportsmanship Award.  Amazingly, Hanover has had six Sportsmanship winners in the past 14 years.

On Sunday, Hanover Captains Charlie Adams and Kyle Doucette will travel to Exeter to play in the annual Senior All-Star game.

Between now and the start of Thanksgiving break, all players on all teams are asked to find Coach Grabill for a five-minute conversation.  This is very important for players interested in participating next year.  The feedback received is very important for the continuing functioning of the program.  Players can message Coach Grabill to make an appointment.  Coach Grabill will be available during Activity Period, for one hour after school, and during selected periods to be announced. Interviews start on Monday.

Players interested in playing in the Hartford Futsal League are encouraged to organize teams.  The League begins December 1 and play continues through March.  Games are Sundays at the White River School.  There is room for several teams. The best format is organizing on class lines.  The juniors are pretty far ahead on this.  Here is the contact information for Hartford Rec:

https://hartfordvt.myrec.com/info/activities/program_details.aspx?ProgramID=30085

Please keep checking the blog through Monday, before we disappear.  New material every day!

Willie Johnson is Named JV Coach of The Year

On Wednesday, the NH Soccer Coaches Association met in Concord for their annual awards meeting.  Over 70 coaches from across the state, boys' and girls', all divisions, met to learn the results of the All-State voting.  They also then gathered in smaller groups to vote on the United Soccer Coaches All-Region awards, deciding the five All-New England and All-American  players from NH.  Several Marauders were honored, and these will be announced on Friday at the Varsity Banquet.

One honor is announced now:  Marauder JV1 Coach Willie Johnson was elected by the Division One coaches as the D1 JV Coach of the Year.  This is an incredible honor for Willie and his players, acknowledging not just the team's quality of play, but also their sportsmanship.  Willie's dedication to his players is evident in everything he does:  planning and organization of training sessions, team selection, game management, communication with players and parents, and his care for his athletes as students.  A well-deserved honor!

The sub varsity team honors will be published in tomorrow's blog.  Saturday's blog will contain all of the Varsity team awards as well as All-State and All-Region honors.

Hanover Soccer Family Celebrates; Marauders Nationally Ranked

If there was any doubt that it's time to close the fall soccer season, look outside.  But while the roads froze and the wind howled, the Hanover soccer family gathered in the cozy HHS gym and celebrated the journeys of four Marauder teams.  More than 80 players we're joined by coaches, parents and siblings to sample the sumptuous dessert buffet, receive team certificates, applaud the many winners of team awards.  The award winners will be listed in full detail in Thursday's post.

The Freshmen received their certificates from Coach Chris Dawes, whose addition to the coaching staff in mid-September helped every player improve individual technique significantly and grow tactically.  The young Marauders were constructed with the specific goal of peaking for the Concord Division One Tournament at the end of the season.  Coach Dawes led the squad to the NH D1 Championship, beating Exeter and Dover in pool play, and tying Londonderry.  Hanover beat host Concord 3-0 in the semifinals, and won a thrilling 2-1 game against Winnacunnet to take the title.  The lads then reunited with Coach Grabill to play a superb match against the Hanover girls, helping them prep for postseason.  That well-matched scrimmage relationship  was a highlight of the season for the Young Marauders, was was their in-house rivalry with JV2.

The JV2 awards focused on the outstanding leadership of Henry Bernard, Eli Bush, Archer Judd and Aidan Ristino, who helped the Reserves play their strongest soccer in years.  Although disappointed that several season-ending contests were cancelled by the hosts, Hanover showed their prowess in late season games with Sunapee, Fall Mountain and Cardigan.  Coach Erik McEwen presented the certificates, and everyone saluted Coach Yosef Osheyack, whose U.S. National Deaf Soccer team had just won a 3-2 decision over Mexico in the Pan American Games.  Training for the Games was a priority for YoYo all fall, but he was still able to help the Marauders with a number of training sessions and game coverage.

JV1 Coach Willie Johnson, a finalist for NH Division One JV Coach of the year, presided over the most entertaining segment of the night, honoring a feisty squad that didn't need a cancelled postseason tournament to certify them as the best sub varsity squad in the state.  The Marauders, with a record of 14-1-1, took care of that in their final regular season game, beating undefeated Londonderry in their own house, and leaving no doubt.  The JV players did a wonderful job honoring Coach Willie, and his haiku game was top-notch.

The Marauder Varsity are still trying to process the amazing two-week run in the NHIAA Tournament, four crazily-competitive games against the best teams in the state that led them to their second D1 title and 18th in program history.  Soon, there will be time to hear the extended stories about the three penalty kick shootouts, the back-to-back triumphs over Central and Bedford, the division's two heavyweights, the #2 and #1 seeds in the tournament. Now, the Marauders are in the conversation at the top of the table, and don't plan to cede that spot any time soon.  They will gather as a team to celebrate on Friday, and the tales will keep flowing.

In the meantime, the Marauders received word late Tuesday that they have been ranked as the #2  team in the final United Soccer Coaches New England Regional poll.  Wait, there's more.  Hanover is also ranked 16th nationally in the final national poll. In Region One (NE),  Hanover was second behind 16-0-2 Nauaset, the perennial Massachusetts powerhouse.  Fairfield (CT), 13-0-3, was third, and Lincoln-Sudbury (MA), Coach Grabill's alma mater, came fourth at 15-1-2.    VT power Champlain Valley was seventh with a mark of 16-0-1.

In the national poll, Hanover was 16th, just behind 23-2-0 George Washington, from Charleston, WVA, and just ahead of  #17 Elizabeth, NJ, with a record of 20-0-4.    Check out the link to the polls:

https://unitedsoccercoaches.org/rankings/high-school-rankings/boys-fall/

There is more to come.  Stay tuned to the blog.  Thanks to all for a wonderful season.

Hanover Soccer Schedule November 11-17

Hanover Soccer Schedule Nov. 11-17

Tuesday, Nov. 12

4:30 p.m.     Mandatory meeting for all Varsity Players and Coaches - Ramunto's

5:00 p.m.     All coaches Meeting at Ramunto's

6:00 p.m.     Four-Team Soccer Celebration - HHS Gym.  Potluck Dessert Buffet

Wednesday Nov. 13

6:00 p.m.     NHSA Coachers Meeting

Friday. Nov. 15

6:00 p.m.     Varsity Banquet

Saturday, Nov.  16

11:00. a.m.    Lions Cup Tryouts - Concord

Sunday, Nov. 17.

Senior All Star Game - Exeter

There will be a new blog post every day this week.  Please stay tuned.  I have a lot to say and a lot to share.

Marauders Win NHIAA Title; Beat Bedford in PK Shootout

Hanover completed a magical playoff run by playing their best defensive soccer all season, beating undefeated and defending champion Bedford 3-2 in a penalty kick shootout after 100 scoreless minutes of regulation and sudden death overtime to win the Division One Championship, ending a four-year quest for the team's seventeen seniors.

Goalkeeper Joey Perras was Hanover's Man of the Match, making 14 saves to shut out Bedford for the first time in years, and then stopping three consecutive penalty shots in the shootout, the final save clinching the victory for Hanover.  The gleeful Marauders swarmed  their hero, and then almost immediately veered toward the stands to rush their fans, who cascaded onto the field after providing critical support for the entire match.

Hanover won three of their four playoff games in penalty kick shootouts, gaining confidence and expertise with each one. After winning the D1 title in 2013, the Marauders lost in shootouts three of the next four years.  That streak has now been officially buried.

The Marauders opened the game on the front foot, putting the ball into Bedford's net in the second minute, although the play that created the shot was ruled offsides. Charlie made a nice run into the Bedford box in the seventh minute, but was denied by an excellent tackle from a Bulldog defender.  David Stoffel, thrust into a starting role due to Eric Ringer's concussion, whistled a long left-footed shot over the bar in the 10th minute.  Bedford had several good looks, especially by the athletic Flanagan, but Hanover's defenders were doing an excellent job standing their opponents up and covering for each other.  18 minutes into the half, Adams hit a spectacular shot headed for the upper left corner that was tipped wide by Bulldog keeper Aiden Wisherd.  This is what a Division One Final was supposed to look like. Bedford had an edge win the latter stages of the first half, and Perras was forced to make several saves to keep the match scoreless.  The Bulldogs were warming to the task.

Hanover and Bedford had played on relatively even terms in the first half, but the Bulldogs dominated the second half, and only a series of saves by Perras on Bedford sharpshooters Zach Verow, Vitor Rodriguez, and Matthew Flanagan gave the Marauders a thread of hope.  Bedford outshot Hanover 7-0 and had five corner kicks.  Hanover had none, although in the closing minutes Alex Stevens came close to setting Adams up inside the Bedford box.

Surviving into sudden death overtime, the Marauders did what they had done in their semifinal win against Central, and recovered enough of their shape to keep play between the 18 yard lines.  Hanover's depth helped, as they struggled to make up for the absence of injured starters Amane Matsuoka and Eric Ringer.  The Marauders were not about to make excuses about missing players, however, and that attitude is what saw them through the match.  As the minutes ticked down in the second overtime, Zaach Verow broke once again into the Hanover box and his a low, hard shot to the right corner. Somehow, Perras dover to his left and stretched to his limit, pushing the certain goal wide of the post.

Hanover's shutout was spearheaded by Perras, but it would not have occurred without the amazing work of the Marauder back five of Kyle Dioucette, Judd Alexander, Noah Pikielny, Dylan Kotlowitz and Brendan Brigham, who played tenacious defense against a Bulldog squad that had been averaging four goals per game.

As the clock wound down toward the end of overtime, and penalties beckoned, the Marauders allowed themselves to hope.  It was still Bedford over there, however.  Victor Rodriquez stepped up first for the Bulldogs and buried his shot.  Adams led off for Hanover and went right, changing his target point successfully.  James Poshmann put Bedford ahead 2-1, but Blake Palmer equalized with a hard shot to the right corner.  Senior Nathan Statires was next, and saw his shot saved by Perras. Latham Allison gave Hanover a 3-2 lead with a hard, accurate shot past Wisherd's desperate drive.
Next up for Bedford was Flanagan, and again Perras denied the Bulldogs with a scintillating save.  Hanover had three match points in hand.  They could taste it.  Evan Nichols got his shot on frame, but Wisherd save it to keep his team alive.  Up stepped Bedford's Captain and talisman,Zach Verow.  His shot was too close to the middle, and Perras wouldn't be denied.  He dove left and got his body behind the ball, and it was over.  State Champions.

There will be other, better accounts of this dramatic, entertaining match, culminating a late-season run that saw the Marauders always under pressure, and always equal of the task.  Hanover had many, many heroes, including the squad members whose hard work and excellence in training continually raised the bar for their teammates.  One final name deserves mention before this account closes, early Sunday.  Hanover's precision, style and  superb possession game derived from the meticulous planning and sure vision of Associate Head Coach Sam Farnum. Coach Grabill did his usual work as gaffer, but Farnum's coaching this season is what put the Marauders over the top.  From the very start of the season, his fingerprints were all over.  His training sessions demanded a great deal, but their design was so engaging that practice became a high point for this team.  How very fortunate that the squad extended the season as long as possible, and soaked up every benefit of Farnham's marathon sessions.  Hanover last won the title in 2013.  Farnham was the Associate Head Coach that year.  Coincidence?  We think not.

A season like this one (17-2-1, State Champions) is a product more than just one campaign.  The seniors who graduated after the past two years, intermediate steps in this journey, can take heart that their contributions helped put the Marauders on the medal stand.  More than 100 players tried out this fall, and 96 hung around to play, and every of them owns a piece of this as well.  Hanover has more than a team. They have a program. All of those roads eventually led to the careworn turf of Manchester Memorial, where 17 seniors and their underclass mates closed out a dream season with medals and memories that will last the rest of their lives.

Be SURE to show up Tuesday at 6:00, dessert in hand, so that we can celebrate this and all of the amazing seasons enjoyed by all of the Marauders.  See you there!

Hanover Tttle Game Will Be Live Streamed

That NHIAA Division One Championship Game between Hanover and Bedford will be live streamed today:
https://www.nfhsnetwork.com/sports/soccer/new-hampshire

Be sure to join us Tuesday night at 6:00 in the HHS Gym for the four-team Soccer Celebration.  Dessert potluck buffet begins at 6:00, followed by player recognition and SHORT speeches.

Marauders Beat Central On Penalties 5-4 to Advance to The Finals

Hanover beat Manchester Central 5-4 in a penalty kick shootout to win the NHIAA Division One Semifinals 3-2 and advance to Saturday's Championship against unbeaten Bedford. The match will be at Manchester Memorial High School at 6:30 on Saturday.

Hanover had never beaten Central in postseason play, and had not been to a final since 2013. Central beat Hanover 4-0 in last year's semifinal.

The Marauders opened up a 2-0 lead in the first half on wonderful goals from Charlie Adams and Henry Aspinwall. Adams struck for his 23rd goal of the season less than three minutes into the game, heading home a deep, first time cross from Blake Palmer in his best moment as a Marauder winger. Central struck back hard, but the Marauders defense had its best half of the season, clogging the middle and blocking or deflecting a number of shooting attempts.

Hanover's bench played a big role after the midpoint of the half. David Stoffel gave the Marauders a lift with his midfield play, and rolled into the box for a dangerous left-footed take. Brendan Brigham came in a right back and made a number of big plays, winning a one on one battle with the dangerous Samuel Assantha.

Twenty-seven minutes into the half, Hanover was awarded a free kick inside on Central's half. Adams sent A perfectly-weighted ball into the box and Henry Aspinwall caught up to it at the end of a right-to-left run into the box. He turned and volleyed the ball back across his body and caught the upper right corner. It could actually be Hanover's goal of the season. Oh wait. The Marauders have another game. But it was good.

With a 2-0 lead, the Marauders owned the last 10 minutes, stifling the Little Green. Latham Allison, Kyle Doucette and Judd Alexander played superb individual defense, and the half ended on a high note.

Central came out steaming in the second half, and dominated. possession. An open header clanged off the crossbar, and the Little Green tacked in waves. Five minutes into the half, a rash high kick which was cautioned and could have warranted ejection injured Hanover's talismanic Amane Matsuoka, who had scored the previous two playoff game winners. Central continued to press, and nearly scored again in a scramble. Eli Stack had a chance to counter on a breakaway, but his shot rolled wide of the left post. Noah Pikielny had Hanover's best bid, rocket8ing a shot from the left side that was saved over th bar by Central keeper Alex Walker.

With 10 minutes to play Central broke through on a goal by all-world midfielder Sam Latona. There was blood in the water. Less than 4:00 minutes later Central tied it on a goal by the highly-recruited Samual Assantha, who broke past Hanover's center defense and tied the game with less than seven minutes to play. Marauder goalkeeper Joey Perras was injured on the play, and replaced by Senior Andrew Enelow. Somehow, with Enelow excelling, Hanover held on until the end of regulation, when conventional wisdom suggests that the game was gone.

Hanover rallied in overtime. Both teams were exhausted, but Hanover was deeper. Ringer, Stoffel, Correa, and Blinkhorn helped hold the midfield. The 20 minutes of golden goal overtime were mostly quiet. Enelow's kicking game helped Hanover stabilize things, and right near the end of overtime Adams almost made something happen, getting to the right baseline and shooting a ball across the face of the goal that just missed Aspinwall. Kyle Doucette closed overtime with a nice block on Assantha.

One the game got to penalties, Hanover had the advantage. Both the teams had advanced on sudden death penalties (Central last Saturday over Timberlane), but the Marauders were so deep that even losing Perras and three regular shooters didn't faze them. Hanover's first four shooters connected confidently: Adams, Latham Allison, Judd Alexander, and Blake Palmer. Central's fourth shooter, Haris Suljevic, missed over the bar, and sophomore Evan Nichols, ice water in his veins, nearly broke the net with the force of his thunderous shot. For the second time in a week, Nichols almost ruined a promising skiing career at the bottom of a celebratory pig pile.

Central is Division One Soccer royalty. They are the only team to win three times this decade (beating Hanover 2-1 tin the 2012 Final). They lost to Bedford last year in the greatest D1 final ever. This was Hanover's first postseason win ever over Central. Now the Marauders will face unbeaten Bedford, with an 18-0-1 record and a thirty-game unbeaten streak. They only lost once last year in a championship season. That was a 2-1 loss to Hanover on two amazing Charlie Adams goals. Saturday at Memorial is going to be wicked cool. Get your Carharts on and be there at 6:30.

Marauders Face Manchester Central in D1 Semifinals

Hanover steps onto one of the best stages for postseason soccer in the state, Stellos Stadium, and plays one of the best programs in D1 history, Manchester Central, in Tuesday's NHIAA Division One Semifinals.  It's the best possible scenario for the Marauders, pitting them against the team that ushered them out of last years semifinals by a 4-0 margin.  Has Hanover closed the gap?  The Marauders trekked to Gill Stadium a month ago and beat Central 4-3, but they have never beaten the Little Green in postseason play.

The Marauders advanced to the final four for the second year in a row (after a two-year absence) with a pair of scintillating contests at home.  Hanover beat Winnacunnet on penalties after a 2-2 regulation draw, and then dismissed 6th seed Keene 2-1 in Saturday's quarterfinal.  The top four seeds survived into the semifinals, with Concord and Windham advancing on penalties.  Now they will all square off at Stellos, which has seen a number of classic playoff games involving Hanover teams over the years.

The teams winning tomorrow will be rewarded with three days of training before the Saturday Finals at Manchester Memorial.  That time together is a precious commodity, especially when team chemistry tends to be strong at season's end.

Hanover Beats Keene 2-1; Advances to Semifinals

Senior Amane Matsuoka’s goal with 15 minutes remaining gave Hanover a 2-1 victory over Keene, advancing them to the NHIAA Division One Semifinals on Tuesday.  The third-seeded Marauders will face off with second-seeded Manchester Central, which advanced Saturday on Penalties.

Hanover is now 15-2-1, gaining the final four for the second year in a row and the sixth time in eight years.  The Marauders dominated the contest statistically, taking a 1-0 lead seven minutes into the game on a goal by sophomore Eric Ringer, and responding with a strong offensive display after Keene tied the game 1-1 five minutes into the second half. 

Adams shifted to center forward, making room for dangerous chances for wingers Matsuoka and Blake Palmer, and midfielder David Stoffel.  Twenty minutes into the half, Adams, who had also assisted on Ringer’s goal, penetrated the Keene defense and slid the ball to Matsuoka, who first timed a hard shot past the near post.

From that moment until the final whistle the Marauders dominated possession and didn’t allow Keene a single attempt, almost taking a two goal lead when sophomore Evan Nichols missed connecting on a far post header.

Adams’ two assists gave him 19 on the season, tying the single season record held by Asa Berolzheimer.

Senior Joey Perras had three saves for the Marauders and helped Hanover’s strong possession game with his accurate kicking.  Perras’ save on a free kick late in the first half was a critical one, and his vocal leadership was consistently good.

Hanover plays Manchester Central, who defeated the Marauders 4-0 in the Semifinals last year.  Hanover beat Central 4-2 earlier this season on a pair of second-half goals from Adams.  The Little Green advanced to the Semifinals by beating Timberlane in sudden death penalty kicks after a scoreless draw through 100 minutes.