Freshman Team Excels in Concord Tournament; Edged 1-0 by Exeter in the Semifinals

 

After its cancellation in 2020, the Concord High School Freshman Boys’ Soccer Tournament was back in action for 2021! Eight teams from across the state—Bedford, Concord, Dover, Exeter, Manchester Memorial, Londonderry, Winnacunnet, and, of course, Hanover—converged on two slanted, bumpy, and slick fields at Rundlett Middle School. But the pitches wouldn’t put a damper—or pause—on the play. Each field hosted a group of 4 teams, all of whom would play each other in a total of 6, 35-minute matches.

Hanover was wheels up at 6:55am, which was the second Saturday in a row where the entire team was on time for an early bus departure. (Not the only way history repeated itself today.) We arrived shortly after 8am, with Concord and Manchester Memorial playing the opening match of our group on Field A. Right at 8:35am, the whistle blew to end their game (2-1 in Concord’s favor), and it blew once again at 8:40am for our kickoff against Winnacunnet. The weather was cold and gray. A hazy mist hung in the air. Our play in our opening match was equally dampened at the start. Soon, however, Hanover warmed up. Despite the challenges presented by the surfaces on which we were playing, every Hanover player worked hard to earn possession, maintain possession, find a teammate’s foot for a pass, and press forward. Despite Hanover’s clear advantage throughout the match against a short-handed Winnacunnet side, we earned a 0-0 draw.

After a brief break (Winnacunnet drew Manchester Memorial), we returned to action for back-to-back games. The first was against Concord, and the match seemed poised to be the one that would determine which team won the group. In the 21st minute, Hanover scored their first goal of the tournament. Gavin Munson crossed the ball in high from the left side, and the Concord goalie couldn’t control it in the air. The ball fell to the ground, and it was picked up by Andrew Rudd, who drilled a shot into the back of the net. This goal would turn out to be the game-winner, with The Two Henrys and The Two Sams combing to earn The Two Shutouts. (Does that math check out?)

Heading (with only a 5-minute break) into Hanover’s final match of group play, the point total was as follows (each team had played two games and had one to go): Hanover: 4 points; Concord 3; Winnacunnet 2; Manchester Memorial 1. We were set to face off against Manchester Memorial, who had just come off a 40-minute rest break but was determined to earn a win (likely securing them a spot in a semifinals match). Unfortunately (for them), Hanover continued their excellent play by putting Memorial behind early. In the 3rd minute, Andrew Rudd collected the ball on the right side of the field just inside the penalty box. With some nifty footwork, he turned around his defender then hit the ball hard and low to the far post. 1-0 Hanover. We continued to dominate the match, and our hard work paid off. In the 24th minute, Noi Larusson struck a ball from 40 yards outs, which was headed straight up into the air by a player (from which team, we know not) standing near the penalty spot. Sam Ames saw the ball fall back to the ground and he slid to punch it past the keeper. With two wins, a tie, and three shutouts, Hanover finished first in Group A and earned a chance to play in a semifinals game against the runner-up of Group B.

The final standings in Group B would be decided by the final match in Group B: Londonderry vs. Exeter. Hanover received 40 minutes of rest, and we used it to scout this match. The two teams played earlier in the week, and Exeter won handily. But Londonderry’s star player, out in that match, returned for this tournament. With #7 leading the way, Londonderry earned a 1-0 win, which meant Hanover would face off against Exeter.

So, for the second Saturday in a row, it was the Exeter Blue Hawks facing off against your Hanover Bears/Hawks/Huskies/Maroon Crush/Trailblazers. And, just like last Saturday, the two teams were well-matched. And, just like last Saturday, the fog lifted to reveal a perfectly sunny day. And, just like last Saturday, Exeter struck first on an early goal against the run of play: in the 3rd minute, an Exeter attacker hit a line drive from the top of the 18-yard box, which slid into the goal past our keeper. But, even MORE so than last Saturday, Hanover responded with determination, focus, and intensity. About 10 minutes in, an Exeter player tried to grab and tackle Joseph Glass to the ground after a hard foul, but Joseph cooly kept his eye on the prize. For the next 20 minutes, Hanover controlled the match, with Exeter rarely managing more than a high clearance from their half, which our keepers readily retrieve to restart our attack. Sam Ames set the tone for the team as he shifted from center back to striker. He had heartbreak miss after heartbreak miss. (Indeed, if there were some football uprights over the net, Sam Ames would’ve made at least 5 field goals on the day.) Unfortunately, like last Saturday, the game ended with Exeter up 1-0, and Hanover’s season came to a close.

We’ll have more to share with each player and the team as a whole during end-of-season soccer events. For now, we simply want to communicate how proud we are of our 23 players. Each and every one of them became a better player over the course of the season, and, more importantly, each and every one of them became a better teammate: cheering for, consoling, and committing to working hard for one another. We are grateful to have gotten to know them.

NOTE:  All team members are asked to return their uniforms on Monday.  They should be washed, folded, bagged and labeled with your name. There will be a bin inside the front entrance door by there reception desk.  Return everything: tops, shorts, socks, loaner items. Coach Grabill has no grandchildren. These uniforms are like his grandchildren too him.  Return your uniforms, or he will hunt you down.  Then, we can all party!