Varsity Beats Salem 2-1 On The Road for Sixth Win

 Hanover's fifth long road trip in the last six games was a highly successful one.  Hanover controlled their game with Salem from wire to wire and came away with a businesslike 2-1 victory that was enabled by a large number of players, both starters and subs. Eric Ringer and Carter Guerin scored first half goals, and a patched-up Hanover defense tightened up after one second half goal against the run of play, and saw the game out to raise their record to 6-2-1. 

Hanover tried as hard as they could not to conceded an early goal, or risk doing so.  Fortunately, in the seventh minute of a til-then turgid match, Ty Nolan came roaring off his line to win a 50-50 ball off the foot of dangerous striker Tyler McGary.   Hanover had their first good chance in the eleventh minute, when Oscar flashed out of his tete-a-tete with the Salem goalkeeper and nearly flicked am Eric Ringer corner kick inside the far post.  Two minutes later, Jacob Kubik-Pauw dropped an amazing calling card, crushing a shot off the crossbar.  Salem made a brief foray into the Hanover end and earned a corner kick, but Ty Nolon snatched the kick in a crowd with really, really, really sure hands.

Jack Gardner, off the bench to spell Oscar, nearly replicated one off his Saturday goals, racing in pursuit of a through ball.  Sure-handed Blue Devil goalkeeper Matty Ferreira got there first, however.  Ryder Hayes announced he was really, really back in the 25th minute, cranking low, hard line drive that unfortunately went straight into Ferriera's breadbasket. Five minutes later, Luke Ives nearly took matters into his own hands, making a twisting, tackle-breaking run deep into the Salem end. Finally, with less than eight minutes left in the half, Carter Guerin slid a pass to Eric Ringer, who absolutely crushed a shot just inside the 18 that scorched into the net for a 1-0 lead. Haaland-like. CR7.   Less than a minute later, Becket McCurdy penetrated into the box and hit a shot that Ferreira saved, but the rebound fell to Carter Guerin, and he buried it for his second goal of the season.  Three points for the Z line.  

Salem wasn't finished, and threatened inside the final two  minutes.  The dangerous Tyler McGary rolled a shot past an onrushing Nolan toward the far post, but Luke Ives cruised back and cleared it off the line.

The 2-0 halftime lead occasioned a lineup change, with Jackson McBride taking over in goal for Hanover. He was tested early, and made a nice save on a hard, high shot from a bad angle by Troy DiMinico.  A minute later, though, a mistake in the back provided McGray with a breakaway, and there is a reason we described him as dangerous.  He cruised in and finished past McBride, and the Blue Devils were within a goal.  By this time, the Hanover back line was minus both Palmer Okai and Jack Ross, off with injuries. Owen Smith and Alex McGrath were more than equal to the task of replacing them, and did an excellent job.  So did McBride, who made another cure handed save on a shot by Liam Shopack, and then came off his line to win a 50-50 ball, earning his first DK. 

For the most part, Hanover managed the game exactly the right way, spending a lot of time in the Salem end and threatening several times. Two Hanover corner kicks to the back post resulted in near misses by Ryder Hayes and Zane Schiffman.   Zach Tracy and Jack Gardner did wonderful work, creating several chances.  Gardner's best work came when he dispossessed poor Eddie Rowell, overmatched at left back, basically stealing his lunch money, and then raced to the endline before hitting a worm burning cross that should have found a recipient. The final five minutes will always allow the trading team one last gasp, and with three minutes left lanky McGray broke free for a final shot that sailed just over McBride's outstretched hand and over the bar.

Hanover now has a well-earned week before their next game, a road trip to Merrimack. The training time needs to be spent well, however.  There are big challenges awaiting.