Freshmen Remain Unbeaten With 5-0 Win Over Concord

The freshman team was excited to play our first home game on the HHS turf, and that enthusiasm paid dividends as we won a comprehensive 5-0 victory over the Crimson Tide of Concord High School.  We got off to a fast start when Gavin Munson slotted a ball through to Andrew Rudd, who buried a left-footed shot into the far side netting.  Just five minutes later, we struck again as Munson cashed in after a nice midfield combination left him open near the top of the penalty box.  He drifted to his left and drove home with his lethal left foot.

Meanwhile, our back four of Sebastian Bujarski, the Sam Ames and Sam McDonell and Jai Gregory held the quick and skillful Concord forward in check through a combination of strong tackling, good communication, and instinctive play.  Henry Cotter directed his defense with his usual poise, coming off his line a number of times to clear dangerous through balls.  The central midfield combination of Joseph Glass, Munson, Gus Thompson, and Alex Orsino was spectacular on the day, controlling the middle of the park and distributing well to wing midfielders Ben Thaler-Wellborn, Andrew Rudd, Ezra McGinley-Smirh, Teddy Abbate and Isaac Novosad.  

Hanover went up 3-0 with about 5 minutes remaining in the first half on a goal from Noi Larusson, who tapped in a rebound off the near post that came from a cheeky shot from Alex Orsino, who had streaked into the right side of the penalty area.  At the half, we discussed the importance of keeping our foot on the gas and not letting Concord back into the game.  We also talked about the importance of keeping the majority of the possession in order to wear down the Tide's midfield.  With our vast army of players, we have the luxury of frequent substitutions, while Concord came to Hanover with only 16 players.  

We tacked on two more brilliant goals in the second half, the first from Alex Orsino, who alertly banged home a rebound after the Concord goalkeeper couldn't handle a close-range shot from Joseph Glass.  The second goal was a thing of beauty.  We strung together 5 or 6 passes through the midfield, and finished off the move when Gavin Munson drove to the baseline and fired a cross into the box for Ben Thaler-Wellborn, who made no mistake when he struck an instep drive past the helpless keeper.  

Special applause should go to the defense who worked hard for the shutout on the afternoon.  Lionel, Sebastian, Jai, and Dan logged a lot of minutes (and miles!) and consistently stepped up to make strong tackles.  Wynn also demonstrated skill and vision in a midfield role, and Henry S. finished off the game with a few important saves.  We nearly gave up a goal in the late minutes, but Sam A. miraculously saved a close-range shot by being in exactly the right place at the right time.  The game must have been a frustrating experience for Concord, but for Hanover, it was one more shutout win on a beautiful afternoon on the turf.  This was easily our best performance of the season.  We were hitting on all cylinders.

Thanks to a handful of upperclassmen soccer players who were boisterous and supportive in their role as spectators.  It was also nice to see some parents in attendance.  The vocal support gave the boys a big lift.  This was a true team victory.  The Freshmen return to action right away, hosting always-strong Manchester Central Monday at Dresden at 4:30.