Varsity Beats Merrimack 5-0 to Move to 7-2-1

 The Varsity played its most complete game of the season against Merrimack on Tuesday, outshooting them 35-1 en route to a comprehensive 5-0 victory.  Five different players scored, and four others added assist.  (Six of the were from Lyme). Despite playing without both Captains, recovering from injuries, Hanover was equally strong on defense, limiting Merrimack in every respect and collecting the team's fourth shutout.  They are now 7-2-1, heading into the first of several showdown games, a rematch with Windham.

Games against teams with losing records don't always go this smoothly.  Hanover has been known to play down to the level of the opposition, which hasn't happened since their 2-1 victory over Salem last week. This match, perhaps, showed the progress that they have made in playing patient possession soccer.  It was a great setup for the harder games ahead.

There were no close calls or letdowns at the start of the match.  Hanover slowly gained a significant territorial edge, and then started testing the Merrimack defense.  Ten minutes into the match, Connor Hamlin lofted a long cross that turned into a shot when it clanged off the crossbar. Becket McCurdy was much more intentional a few minutes later, whipping a shot from outside the penalty area just past the right post. Ryder Hayes took aim from the same territory, and his shot ticked the crossbar before flying over it.  Fourteen minutes into the match, Murphy Hunt played a perfect ball to Zane Schiffman, cutting int other box from the right flank.  Schiffman took a touch and buried his first varsity goal past the already beleaguered Merrimack goalkeeper.  

Hanover was soon launching a full-bore, one-sided attack.  Becket McCurdy was on target with a hard, low shot into keeper Drew Flanders' breadbasket.  Jack Gardner flicked a header just wide.  Carter and Will Guerin each launched several shots that just missed.  Hanover's second goal came courtesy of Pierce Seigne, subbing for Schiffman in an effort to get every Council member on the scoreboard.  Seigne chipped the ball over a defender, perhaps intentionally, caught up with it on a run into the box, and found Will Guerin at the far post.  His first shot was saved, but his second was on target for a 2-0 lead.  It was Seigne's first career point.

Hanover had held a similar two-goal lead a week ago against Salem, and had to white-knuckle the second half when the Blue Devils pulled back a goal and threatened to make a game of it.  Coach Grabill tempted fate and inserted Jackson McBride in goal, and once again Merrimack made it interesting.  A giveaway in the Hanover end gave striker Carson Papp the chance to launch Merrimack's one and only shot, and it was a good one, forcing McBride to make a leaping save.  On the resulting corner kick, McBride charged into traffic to punch the ball clean, and the danger was past. 

Hanover's attention turned to offense, and Oscar was all over the place, creating several chances before he collected his fourth goal of the season at the 49-minute mark.  Murphy Hunt made a prototypical run into the box, and slid the ball to Oscar, whose close-range shot was nevertheless bar down.  Oscar almost grabbed another goal, with a cheeky lofted chip from close range that just went over the crossbar.  Carter Guerin made a nice run into the box and was hauled down from behind, but the VAR was broken and no penalty was given.

Minutes after Jackson McBride earned another DK (Dope Keeper) point, roaring off his line to beat a Merrimack striker to the ball, Jacob Rubik-Pauw turned a comfortable lead into  a near-rout, crushing a laser into the corner for his first goal of the season.  More will follow.  Ryder Hayes collected his first assist of the season on the play.  Three minutes later, it was a rout.  Carter Guerin took a pass from his homie Sean Smith and curled a goal of the year candidate into the upper corner, and the lead reached 5-0.

The remaining 24 minutes were anything but garbage time.  Hanover went deep into the bench, and the quality stayed high. Andrew McGuire played his first varsity minutes after a long recovery from a preseason injury, and wasn't shy, collecting four shots at goal.  At one point, all three freshmen were controlling play at midfield.  Heady stuff.  Pierce Seigne got some good minutes at striker, and continued to play very well, flashing his two-footedness and his interest in setting up his teammates.  Charlie Forbush nicely combines ball control, ball winning and playmaking. Jack  McGrath played well not he right side, and forced a save from backup keeper Matt Schmidt with a volley off a cross. 

Hanover's next game will be challenging in a far different way.  Having played smart, focused soccer against Merrimack, they will now be faced with perhaps their toughest opponent yet, defending Champion  Windham on their home pitch.  The last time Hanover faced Windham, it was in the last year's Division One Semifinals, and the Jags hung a season-ending 2-1 loss on the then-Marauders.  Hanover has paid its dues on the road this year, and it is doubtful that they will be easily rattled.  This match is the perfect test at the perfect time, and Hanover seems ready to rise to the occasion. It should be a great match.