Marauders Beat Hartford 3-1 to Remain Unbeaten

 This was one of those afternoons that we dream about when we're putting in all of the hard work.  On a crisp, luminous fall afternoon, on a huge, pristine grass pitch, playing a respected local rival, the Marauders played 80 minutes of excellent soccer to defeat local rival Hartford 3-1.  Henry Aspinwall scored twice to pace Hanover, which remained unbeaten with a 5-0-0 record.

Playing on the huge, beautiful Maxfield Sports Complex field, the Marauders were able to spread out and dominate possession, outshooting Hartford 35-3 and controlling play for long stretches.  The well-organized Hurricane defense was strong in front of goalkeeper Shane Miller, but there was a sense of inevitability about the match. It took the Marauders a while to settle into the contest, but Eric Ringer fired a warning salvo 15 minutes into the match,  forcing Miller to tip it over the bar. Miller made another nice play 10 minutes later, deflecting a Henry Aspinwall lefty turnaround over the bar.  Just a minute later, Palmer Okai authored his best big of the season, firing a left footed shot over the top fro well outside the penalty area. With 10 minutes left in the half, a series of sharp passes set up Will Guerin on the left flank, but his volley was also off target over the top.

Hanover's pressure took a toll on Hartford, which surrendered 17 shots and 9 corner kicks in the half. The dam broke with less than four minutes to play.  Eric Ringer took a shot which was saved, but created a rebound for Ryder Hayes, who crushed a shot off the crossbar.  The ball found Aspinwall, who calmly nodded the ball over Miller and into the empty net.  It was a dagger for Hartford.  Matters got worse for the Hurricanes two minutes later, when Oscar Miller's pressure on a Hartford defender on a left to right run in the box created a looping shot that carried into the net, and suddenly Hanover led 2-0.

Not wanting the rest at the start of the second half, the Marauders emerged from the interval on the front foot.  Five minutes into the half, Jason Rubik-Pauw tested Miller with a hard shot, and then hit an amazing drive two minutes later that went bar down right in the corner, but was ruled not to have crossed the goal line.  It was a fearsome warning shot. Two minutes later, senior Captain Nathan Subrahmanian took the ball to the baseline on the right side and send a driven cross to the six, where Aspinwall headed home.

Four minutes later, Hartford pulled a goal back, well against the run of play.  Marauder goalkeeper Tyt Nolon received a back pass, and got careless in the face of pressure from Hurricane striker Nick Martin, who stripped him and deposited the ball into the vacant next.  To Nolon's credit, he kept his head and made a nice save a few minutes later, tipping a long shot by Tarin Prior over the bar.  That was Hartford's last gasp, despite their bench's assertions that "there's plenty of time!".  

Hanover left no doubt as to who had control of the game, resuming their pressure on the Hartford goal. Jackson Lake continued his strong play in the wheelhouse, and Pierce Hamlin nearly scored on a brilliant first-time deflection that forced Miller to make a strong save at the edge of his box, having been caught out of position by Hanover's quick counter.  Just a minute later, Eric Ringer took the last of his seven shots,  brushing the bar with a shot from the right flank. With 10 minutes to play, a hand ball in the box gave Aspinwall a golden chance for a hat trick. The spot kick was on frame, but saved by Miller.  Aspinwall got to the rebound first, but put his shot wide to the left. 

Next up for Hanover is a Saturday matinee with Mascoma, a Division 4 side with a strong senior presence, a junior scoring star with 50 goals, and aspirations of going deep in their divisional tournament. The Marauders will counter with an all-senior lineup on an afternoon devoted to honoring an exceptional senior class, which has given the program some superb leadership in a challenging year.  Look for a surprise starter to shake things up!