Varsity Back on Track With 3-0 Win Over Portsmouth

Hanover responded to the challenge of a tough week, returning to their home turf and delivering a solid   3-0 victory overt Portsmouth on Saturday.  After a scoreless first half, Hanover scored three times in a thirteen minute stretch, with two goals by Jack Gardner and the game-winner by Oscar. Each striker hit the three-goal mark, and the Hanover defense in front of goalkeeper Ty Nolon recorded their third shutout of the season.

Charged with focusing on defense in the opening minutes, having conceded goal in the first five minutes of two of their last three games, Hanover nevertheless came within inches of falling behind again, this time inside the first two minutes.  Frank Coviello found a weak spot in the Hanover back eight and got off a hard shot.  Ty Nolon dove to his left to make the save, but spilled the rebound, and Clipper Adrian Degnan was first to the ball, missing just to the outside of the right post.  Way too close for comfort. 

Thereafter in the first half, Hanover developed a significant territorial edge, although the well-organized Portsmouth limited significant scoring opportunities.  In the 13th minute, Jacob Kubik-Pauw forced a sprawling kick save by Clipper goalkeeper Skyler Mikolaities with a hard shot from a tough angle on the left.  Hanover's best chance to the half was a twisting run through the Portsmouth defense by Carter Guerin, resulting in a hard shot that required another good save.  The Clippers had one more decent chance in the half, a shot off of a short corner that Ty Nolon handled without a rebound.

Hanover has a good history of playing better soccer after halftime, and Saturday was no exception.  They took control after the interval, with one small scare when Portsmouth's Diego Trevino took advantage of a marginal call at midfield and his a speculative long ball toward the Hanover goal that clanked off of the football crossbar.  That was it for Portsmouth, and Hanover soon took charge.

Hanover nearly scored in a scramble after a corner kick, and again after a hard Murphy Hunt shot created a juicy rebound.  Twelve minutes into the half, Hunt sent a devilish through ball into space for Oscar at midfield, and the senior striker held off a Portsmouth defender and expertly finished to give Hanover the only goal they would need. 

The shots started coming more frequently.  Jacob Kubik-Pauw hit the post with a hard shot.  Eric Ringer hit a free kick over the crossbar. And seven minutes after the first goal, Jack Gardner cashed in a rebound from a scramble after a Ringer corner kick, and the score was 2-0.  The final goal came six minutes later, after Conner Hamlin sent the ball into the box and Gardner found time a space to pop a short header over hesitating goalkeeper Elliot Miles.  Hanover had Portsmouth totally pinned in their end for the final fifteen minutes, and it didn't get any easier  for the outmanned Clippers as fresh legs kept coming off the bench and playing competent, intelligent soccer.

The result was businesslike and unspectacular, but very welcome after a long week on the road.  Hanover, now 5-2-1 on the season,  will be back in action quickly, heading to Salem for a 5:00 start on Tuesday.  


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