Hanover High Boys Soccer 2021

 Here's a bit more information about Friday night's Varsity home game at 7:00 against Manchester Central:  It is by any dispassionate estimation, potentially the most high level and entertaining regular-season match of the high school season. It matches two teams that over the last decade have been the very best in New Hampshire by any metric.  It's not "must win".  Both teams, currently ranked second and third in Division One standings, are good bets to hold onto a top four spot regardless of the outcome for Friday's game. Both may very well be meeting again in a few weeks at Stellos Stadium. Without the urgency of "win or go home", the match has the potential to be a bit more open and free-flowing.  Both teams lost 1-0 to Nashua South.  Both are pretty certain that on another day, the results might be different.  Hanover and Central have been going at each other since Hanover first made the jump to Division One ten years ago.  In 2012, their fir...

  The highlight of today's match was being back on our home field and having our entire team in attendance. With the sun still high in the sky, the 22 players on our active roster suited up in their maroon home kits for a rematch against Keene. Almost exactly a month ago, we played the Blackbirds in Keene and came away with a 4-1 victory (thanks to a handful of goals at the very end). Today, we came away with another 3-goal victory: 5-2 in our favor. Ian Holmes, the sole member of our squad who, due to injury, has yet to play, was a superstar on the sidelines: setting up drills before the game, warming up our goalies, and keeping track of key statistics during the match. We're excited for him to finally suit up come Saturday! Hanover came out hungry. Within 20 minutes of the initial whistle, we had scored 4 goals: a Sam Ames header off a Gavin Munson cross, an Alex Orsino goal off a Gavin Munson through-ball, what would prove to be the game-winning goal from Andrew Rudd with a...

 It looks like a week of perfect fall weather ahead, as we aim to take full advantage.  There are fewer games this week, but more chances to train under ideal conditions.  There are also several small but significant changes, worth noting. The Freshmen lead off the week with a game Tuesday at  4:30 at Dresden against Keene.  They will take the regular practice bus.  JV1 and JV2 will train any 4:00, sharing the other field.  The Varsity will train on the turf after the girls' Varsity game against Dover.  Varsity players are encouraged to come root for the girls, and must be at the turf no later than 6:00. There is no school on Wednesday except for the Juniors taking the PSAT.  As a result, there will be no practice busses.  All players on JV1, JV2 and Freshman teams are responsible for finding transportation to Dresden for the 3:00 - 4:30 practice sessions.  The Varsity will train on the turf from 2:00- 4:00.  Note the earlier s...

 The Varsity boys stared adversity in the face against a hot Dover team and never blinked, rallying from a two-goal deficit with 17 minutes left to play to earn a gritty 4-3 victory.  The win snapped Dover's nine-game wining streak and increased Hanover' to six, improving their record to 10-2-1 and locking them into third place in the NHIAA Division One standings.  It sets up a high-level showdown next week, when Hanover hosts second-place Manchester Central under the Friday night lights. The road trip to Dover, rescheduled from next Tuesday due to a lack of available busses, posed several problems.  Hanover was minus both starting center backs, the heart of their defense, due to injury and a long-distance college visit.  The match was played on Dover's bumpy little grass field.  The talented hosts, entering the game with a 9-3 record, had won nine in a row.  Dover lived up to their clippings, leading 1-0 at the half, and then increasing their lead wit...

  The Freshman team had two good days of practice after the midweek game at Dover, so the boys were excited to take on Pinkerton Academy and even more excited to be playing on the home turf at Merriman-Branch Field.  Unfortunately, we were missing several players due to prior engagements, injuries, and the long weekend, and this was a key factor in our 4-3 defeat. Pinkerton scored the opening goal just a few minutes into the contest when a long-range shot got past Henry Steffen in the goal, but we answered back when Sam Ames slotted home a loose ball in the box following a corner kick.  Strong midfield play allowed us to control the tempo of the game, and we were rewarded in the 28th minutes when Joseph Glass found the back of the net after getting on the end of a nice series of passes on the left side of the field.  Pinkerton tied the game before the half when their striker found a gap in our defense and lofted a ball on goal that Henry Steffen w...

  The Hanover JV1 squad  would face off with the Green Wave of Dover on the dewy Bellamy road fields here at 10a on Oct. 9th. Being down some number of players due to trips for the holiday weekend, and had 15 available players, but coach Willie was not concerned. Before the game, He noted to the team that their early departure and few subs would make for the players feeling more awake and engaged. They proved him right, beating Dover 1-0 to improve their record to 8-4-1 Hanover would start the game quick on their feet, moving the ball well. Joseph Umwizeye and Henry Werner paired well through the center midfield, constantly checking off one another and denying easy turns in the middle. In the 6th minute, Werner would play Soren Stettenhiem toward the endline, where he was able to sight Umwizeye at the top of the 18. Umwizeye had a chance after settling the ball but missed the goal mouth for a goal kick. In the 12th minute, Veer Patel would take a ...

  Sun Oct. 10     1:00                     CROP Hunger Walk in Lebanon (Optional)     Monday,  Oct. 11     4:00 – 6:00          Varsity Practice – HHS Turf     Tuesday, Oct. 12     3:45                     Busses depart for practices/ Game at Dresden Fields   4:00 – 5:30           Practices for JV1, JV2 – Dresden   4:30                     Freshman Game vs. Keene - Dresden   6:00 – 8:0-0           Varsity Practice –  HHS Turf  ...