JV1 Beats Winnacunnet 1-0 to Finish 9-4-2

 Hanover JV1 would finish its regular season by playing the Warriors of Winnacunnet on Thursday, winning 1-0. Play would open with a very unusual circumstance. No longer having the protocol of going to midfield to check if players are properly and legally equipped, it was found that both goalkeepers had taken the field without their shin guards in the second minute. The nearside official was kind enough not to administer yellow cards to the respective coaches for this infraction (which is the rule), but rather had both keeps sub out to put their shin guards in. As coach Willie was yelling to put the ball out to allow both keepers to sub back in, Hanover would fling a ball from the middle third into the 18 to test the field player who had replaced the Winnacunnet keeper. He handled the bouncing ball then gave it a punt where it would be put out of play to allow both keepers back in. The two teams seemed matched in their level of play as the game developed further. Ian Press and Joseph Umwizeye held down the middle third from their center mid positions by not allowing the opposition to turn upfield and making timely tackles to deny further build up by the Warriors. Hanover would tally the first shot on frame in the 12th minute with an attacking third throw by Freddy Mierke that would be collected and shot by Sam Calderwood, only to have the returned Winnacunnet keeper well positioned for an easy save. Shortly thereafter in the 15th, Ian Smith would earn a free kick on the right flank 25 yards out being just a bit wide and above the 18. Press would stand over and drive a kick across the goal mouth that went buzzing by an on rushing Calderwood looking to flick a header in, and an outstretched foot by Marco Rodriguez only to roll off the end for a goal kick. As the teams went into their benches, Hanover would start to build an advantage on Winnacunnet. Aidan Bradley had a cross that he struck early in transition that just barely missed finding Calderwood in the 20th minute. In the 24th, Henry Werner would similarly play a cross in right above the six yard box that Nick Riess fired off his head, but only to have it miss the goal mouth by a foot. Liam Worden and Sayan Bhattacharya would continue to help keep control in the middle third as the half went on. Joseph Rudd would make several quality timed tackles to keep the ball in the attacking third. Getting desperate having defended deep in their own end, Winnacunnet started making more clears deep from the edge of our attacking end and the middle third One such ran all the way toward the 18 where Wyatt Seelig beat the sprinting Warrior right winger to a ball to clear it out for a throw. In the 33rd minute, Seelig made a save on a long shot from 30 yards out that he was able to handle in spite of the slick ball. Seelig would post a zero on the board for the visitors in the half and had a kicking game that was equally as good. With the first half squared at nil-nil, Hanover would look to follow a similar game plan in the second half feeling they had an advantage in the first.

Hanover would open the second half pressing Winnacunnet back into its own end. In the 42nd, Press and Veer Patel would converge on one of the Warriors' center backs. Press would win a tackle, pull the ball over toward center and lay off a softly- touched through ball that Patel would run onto. Patel looked to go far post with his right, but didn't get it around the keeper. These two would be linked again in the 45th minute of action. Press would take a corner kick that bounced around by the far post then drifted back to the near post where Patel would slot it short side of the keeper, this time giving Hanover the 1-0 advantage. Marco would have a highlight moment where he a series of 6-8 touches where he shielded off multiple defenders and split two of them looking to converge on a tackle. The Warriors would have their best scoring chance in the 52nd minute of play. Winnacunnet's star striker exchange student from Spain would take a very hard low shot that Christian Blix made a low dive to have it hit his chest. The ball being slick from the slight drizzle preceding the game, popped out of Blix' clutches, but his cat like reflex had his left hand reach back behind him as it slowly rolled towards the goal line. Blix was again equal to the task in the 59th minute, collecting a high lofted cross from a full back amidst a crowd inside the 18. Ethan Munson was loud and commanding with his calls to his back line mates while also taking charge on winning headers from punts and goal kicks alike. Sam Loescher had several tackles off the ball a clear off a free kick that landed by the line the backs held on the 18. Davey Tolliday would make two significant tackles one on one to deny scoring chances. Cam Forbush coordinated and layered his tackles expertly with his running mate Munson. Hanover would find itself playing a bit more defensively in the final 10 minutes, but didn't appear to have nerves playing in their own end. Worden and Bhattacharya did excellent in recovering to get goal side of the ball in the defensive third and to time their tackling opportunities. Ian Smith would also prove to have great defensive instincts and had several times where he man marked in the defensive third coming from his wing positioning. Hanover would earn one final corner kick that went long before the game was blown full time with the ball getting into the middle third.

Hanover will be participating in the NH JV Div I tournament in Nashua this Sunday. The bus will depart at 6:25 with the first game set to kick off at 8:50 against Dover.  All of the morning games will be played at Nashua South High School.  Hanover plays Winnacunnet at 10:30 and Nashua South at 12:10.