Hanover Varsity Overcomes Distractions, Then Overcomes Exeter 2-1

There was nothing typical about the Varsity home opening on Tuesday night, beginning with Exeter's 6:30 arrival for a 6:15 scheduled kickoff due to bus issues.  Such is life in a pandemic.  After the Blue Hawks had a suitable warmup, Hanover struck quickly, taking a 1-0 lead less that two minutes after kickoff.  Eric Ringer launched a long throw into the penalty area, and after a missed defensive header, the ball fell to Murphy Hunt, who jammed it home for his third goal of the young season.

Exeter was undaunted, and refused to concede anything else to Hanover, creating a game that was largely played at midfield, limiting either side from creating good chances.  Although their looks at goal were limited, Exeter took full advantage of their one good scoring chance, tying the game in the 30th minute when Sean Cheng played speedy Owen Richard into space on the right side, and he went in alone on Hanover goalie Ty Nolon, lining a shot through him to knot the score.

Hanover shook off its legacy in the final two minutes, creating two golden chances. Both Jacob Kubik-Pauw and Oscar were denied by excellent saves from Exeter goalkeeper Johnny Meyer, and that half ended with the score tied at 1-1.

Hanover did a superb job refocusing in the second half, and took complete control of the match, aided by a large and boisterous student section, cheering constantly.  Jacob-Kubik Pauw gave the fans what they wanted, constantly threatening on the left flank, creating several chances and two good shots that forced Meyer to make a pair of saves.  After Ty Nolon made a nice diving save on a shot by Cheng in the early going, both Oscar and Becket McCurdy threatened, with the latter sailing a long hard shot over the bar from long range.  Hanover cashed in less than eight minutes after the interval.  Murphy Hunt played Kubik-Pauw into space, and the senior winger crashed a shot off the crossbar. Eric Ringer was in a perfect position to convert the rebound, and collected his second goal in two games to put Hanover ahead.  They were playing superbly, and it seemed only a matter of time before more goals would follow.  Instead, four minutes after Hunt's goal, the lights went out.  Literally.  Three of the four light towers at Megriman-Branch Field went dark, and stayed that was for over 25 minutes. 

It was clear after play finally resumed that Hanover's momentum was gone.  Only a brilliant point-blank save by Ty Nolon on an Exeter free kick kept the game from being tied again, and Hanover was having a hard time mustering the attacking mojo that they had been enjoying before the plug was pulled.   Nevertheless, Hanover's senior-laden defense was equal to the task in the final 28 minutes, keeping Exeter at Bay and holding the ball for long periods of time.  Ty Nolon came off his line to make a Hugh save on a 50-50 ball with 10 minutes to play, and Luke Ives was one of several defenders who made tackle after tackle to ensure the win. Owen Smith made a key cameo appearance at center back in the waning minutes, coming on for a nicked up Palmer Okai and playing with confidence and composure.  

The match gave Hanover a lot to work on in their next few training sessions, as they prepare for another strong opponent, the always dangerous Bedford Bulldogs. Kickoff at Megriman-Branch is at 11:00, so no worries about the lights!