Hanover-Bow Summary

HANOVER BOYS OUTPACE BOW 2-0 IN TITLE GAME REMATCH

The Hanover High boys played a strong game in their home opener, methodically beating a rebuilding Bow side 2-0 in a rematch of last year’s Class I title game. Since the Marauders took their third straight state title last fall, they have clearly reloaded at a quicker pace than the Falcons. Hanover dominated the contest in every respect, out-shooting Bow 24-3. Seniors Henry Caldwell and Ben Rimmer each scored, with Caldwell also assisting on Rimmer’s second-half strike.

The steady drizzle on Merriman-Branch Field did little to slow the pace of Hanover’s attack, which was on track right from the start. Four minutes from the start, Caldwell shook loose on the left side and fed a ball across the mouth of the goal that was blazed just wide of the far post by Rimmer. Kevin Dade was a constant presence in the Bow penalty area, threatening to flick several headers on goal. Lou Gemunden unloaded a pair of lasers from outside the box, including one that was nicely saved by Falcon Keeper Carter Bennett. Eric Jayne also made his presence felt at midfield, and was a key link in the attack.

In the meantime, the Marauders completely stifled any offense by Bow, whose faux Scandinavian hairdos initially delighted Hanover’s Swedish midfielder Oscar Eriksson, who momentarily thought that he was surrounded by kindred spirits, and was then mystified by the visitors’ tonsorial affectations. The Marauder back four of Dan Remillard. Mike Tecca, Lou Gemunden and Nate Hanna did an excellent job of containing Bow at midfield, winning headers decisively, and restarting the Hanover attack. Trevor Barlowe did superbly sweeping in front of the foursome, and was the best ball winner on the pitch. Bow managed one long shot by striker Alex Davies that looked dangerous, and an equally long-range offering by Eddie Berke that was easily gathered by Marauder keeper Rhys Cyrus.

Hanover broke the ice in the 32nd minute when Dade’s sharp header on goal was bobbled by Bennett and Henry Caldwell was there to pounce on the rebound for his first goal of the season and 1-0 goal lead that could be said to be have been insurmountable.

The Marauders came out strongly after the halftime interval and threatened to increase the lead almost immediately. Kevin Dade’s shot clattered off the crossbar and was headed to safety by a Bow defender. Eric Jayne’s hard shot was knocked down by Bennett, but no one was home for the rebound. Fourteen minutes in, Henry Caldwell shook loose in the right corner and hit a low, hard cross to Rimmer at the corner of the penalty area. The Co-Captain ripped a low first –time shot that blazed past the near post and into the net to make the score 2-0.

A number of substitutes performed well off the bench. Miles Peterson showed excellent positional sense and kept the pressure on Bow from behind. Andrew Holzberger was very active on the left flank, and Jake Harris had a good run at right midfield. Trey Rebman got his feet wet in his first varsity action, delighted to be free of his crucial (and dry) duties during the first part of the match, replicating his excellent work at Souhegan.

Cyrus made one more save on a free kick by Sean Dippold for his second and final save, earning his first shutout of the season and third of his career over a three-year stretch. He blanked Plymouth as a sophomore year and shut out Kennett last fall before departing for his year in Germany as an exchange student.

Next week will provide and interesting challenge for the Marauders, who play three away matches in four days, beginning with a trip down 89 Tuesday for a 7:00 game at Kearsarge, and then a Thursday trip to Laconia for a 6:00 start. Friday Hanover plays at Pembroke, currently 4-0 with wins over Bow and Kearsarge and a Tuesday matchup with Lebanon. “Three games in this short stretch might be a problem for many teams, but we have the depth to handle the demands. We have a number of players who are dying to see some playing time, and this will be a wonderful opportunity to show what they can do. We’ll take them one at a time, and learn a lot about ourselves.”