JV1 Back on Track With 4-1 Win at Salem

 Hanover soccer made the long commute down to Salem this Tuesday, September 21st, in hopes of taking care of business. Upon arrival, the JV1s were met with the smallest pitch they had seen yet, but this was of little concern as it just meant fewer through balls, more playing to feet, and switching the ball in the middle third.

Hanover got off to a good start,  keeping possession in Salem’s end. However this would directly lead to an early chance for Salem in the 4th minute when they cleared out of the defensive third into the attacking third where they won a sprint to cross a ball in, finding  a winger for a head. Wyatt Seelig kept his calm and coolly collected the bouncing ball on frame for the first save of the game. Hanover recognized that they couldn’t play too casually with the ball and picked up their intensity. In the 7th minute, Sam Calderwood would collect the ball on the 18 and make a run down toward the end line before playing an excellent sliding ball in front of the goal mouth that Ian Smith was just a step slow from being able to finish. The short field proved challenging with few through balls that Blue Devil’s keeper collected. Salem’s keeper routinely punted the ball from 18 to 18 and Wyatt once again kept composure and found where he could play a higher line to receive the opposing keeper's punts. Hanover would final capitalize through grit and determination by Henry Werner. Werner, playing like a man possessed, ran hard at the keeper as he attempted to make a clear, and caused a deflection that trickled over the goal line to put Hanover up 1-0. As the minutes ticked on, Hanover would continue its run of play in the attacking third, with wing backs committing to pinch and keeping the ball in. Sam Loescher,  having a stint at left back, would have a look to put one on frame near the end of the half but would push it wide. There was a clear sense at half that this game was within reach but it would take a concerted effort in the second half.

The second half would start inauspiciously for Hanover.  They found themselves on the wrong side of a counter attack again, going down the outside where a mishap kept Hanover from making a tackle right on the six where the Blue Devil winger finished near post. This seemed to jolt Hanover to life as they recognized this game was not going to be handed to them. Ian Press, positioned on the left flank dropped his positioning while Jackson Watts made an over taking run. Press played a quick one-two combination with Peter Jorgenson, then turned up field to play lofted ball for a sprinting Ian Smith. Smith rightfully recognized the keeper was off his line took on touch, and then banged a golazo from 27 yards that dipped at the last moment under the bar to regain the lead at 2-1 for Hanover. However, Hanover wasn’t finished and remained hungry. Freddy Mierke would send a long cross toward that found Aidan Bradley who got his body in front to knock it down to Nick Riess’ foot, but had it sail over the bar. Ever determined, on a similar play Freddy threw the ball deep into the 18 that found Reiss’s foot in a similar position and there would be no doubt about this one and buried it with force toward the right top corner to double Hanover’s lead to 3-1. It was only a matter of three minutes later that Werner would arc a beautiful corner in to find his favorite running mate, Soren Stettenheim, finishing with a driven header and closing the score book for the day with a 4-1 result.