Freshmen Lose To A Strong Londonderry Squad

 We've got to give credit where credit is due: Londonderry is a talented team (all their ninth graders play on the team, even those with the ability to play up), and in their first match of the season today, they were composed, patient, and victorious—winning 6-0 over the Bears. Goals game in the 19th minute (from 25 yards out and right under the crossbar), the 22nd minute (beating our last defender and keeper for an open look), in the 46th minute (a defensive miscue allowed the Lancer striker to beat our keeper with a well placed shot to the far, bottom corner), in the 56th minute (a short shot from the left side of the goal area), in the 61st minute (a slow shot that dribbled in past our keeper's outstretched arms), and in the 73rd minute (a tap in after a diving save from our keeper deflected the ball back into the scrum).

At the same time, serious credit is due to our Hanover squad, who kept their composure throughout the match, demonstrated improvement in the areas we had been working on in practice, and didn't stop hustling until the final whistle blew.

Jackson played another excellent game in goal, with big save after big save after big clearance after big save after big save after...you get the idea! In the back, Finn, Phin, Sam B, and Noah each played hard for all 80 minutes (or very close to it)—they communicated with gusto and made sure the crafty Lancer strikers and wingers had to fight for every chance. At defensive center mid, Jack made his presence known in the center of the field, ably assisting our defense and starting some of our attacks. Ahead of him, Sam J and Jojo kept constant pressure on the Lancer midfielders—a tall task given Londonderry's propensity to pass the ball around and around. On the wings, Oliver J, Oliver B, Liam W, Micah S, and Duncan K hustled up and down the field, over and over again as they worked to force the opposing players towards the outside of the field (an area of focus for us!). And up front, Gabe, Casper, Jacobi, Denis, and Ronan were "pests" in the best way possible—by putting pressure on the Londonderry back line—and managed to get in a few good attempts on goal.

Thursday's match was a humbling one for the Bears, but there's no shame in playing hard, staying focused, and coming up short against a talented team. Time to refocus and get ready for Saturday's away match!  The bus leaves at 7:00!

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Bears Beat Pinkerton 1-0 for 9th Straight Win and a 12-4 Finish

  Hanover closed the regular season with a flourish, beating Pinkerton Academy 1-0 for their ninth win in a row.     The Bears end the season with a record of 12-4, surging into a tie for 3 rd   place in the NHIAA Division One standings.     They will open postseason play Wednesday with a home game, probably against Concord.   After a scoreless first half that saw Pinkerton enjoy an edge in play, the Bears took the lead less than six minutes into the second half on Andrew McGuire’s 10 th  goal of the season. Although they didn’t add to their lead, Hanover managed the game professionally and emerged with a well-earned result.  Ty Nolon highlighted the defensive effort with seven saves to record his sixth shutout of the season.   The game began without any initial fireworks, but it was clear from the start that the hardworking Astros, with several big results on their resume, would present a challenge.  Hanover had the first...
Read more

Bears Beat Merrimack 4-0; Carter Scores

  Hanover continued the redemption section of their season, putting together a businesslike 4-0 win over a hard-working Merrimack team.  In winning their second game in a row, the Bears dominated the visitors statistically and were tight defensively.   Taking the initiative from the opening whistle, Hanover left a few calling cards in the first few minutes.  Becket McCurdy had a good attempt with a far post header on a corner kick, and Carter Guerin got a free kick on goal.  The Bears were finding a lot of room on the flanks, and capitalized on the time and space in the sixth minute to take the lead. Sean Smith celebrated his second start on right wing by driving past his defender and squaring a ball to Guerin for a tap-in. The world exhaled.     Carter was off the schneid.   Hanover kept pounding.  Alex McGrath had a solid-looking far post header on another corner.  He’s getting closer every game, and should be conne...
Read more

Hanover Beats Windham 3-0 to Gain a Berth in the D1 Finals

    Hanover played its best game of the season at the most crucial time, thoroughly dominating Windham 3-0 in the NHIAA D1 Semifinals and earning a trip to Sunday’s championship game.  It’s Hanover’s second straight title game, and it will be a rematch with Nashua South, which outlasted Hanover a year ago in penalty kicks.  The Bears’ semifinal victory over the Jaguars was their 12 th  straight win, and it avenged their most recent loss, a 5-0 debacle in Windham a month ago. Since that low water mark, Hanover has slowly and patiently improved, waiting for opportunities that have put them within reach of their third D1 title.   The Bears dominated the Windham match at both ends of the field, taking an early lead on the first of two goals by Ryder Hayes, and closing the Jaguars down en route to their fifth straight shutout, and tenth of the season. All of Hanover’s defenders closed ranks, knowing that if each of them stepped up a bit, they would be ...
Read more