Laconia Summary

HANOVER KEEPS ROLLING WITH A WIN AT LACONIA

The Hanover High boys soccer team continued to play well and get a good result Thursday night at Laconia, stretching their season-opening win streak to four with a satisfying 3-1 victory over undefeated Laconia. The Marauders took a 2-0 lead on goals by Ben Rimmer and Oscar Eriksson, and after surrendering their first score of the season they roared back and left no doubt as to the eventual result, mounting a steady offensive attack that resulted in Kevin Dade’s first goal of the season and a 3-1 final scoreline.

Laconia entered the game with a 3-0-1 record and visions of beating the Marauders for the first time in the history of their program. Boosted by a good-sized crowd at spacious Robbie Mills Field, they worked hard and showed the sort of spunk that had earned them tournament spots the past several seasons. Hanover withstood their pressure, which resulted in only one first half shot, and took a 1-0 lead in the 18th minute when Trevor Barlowe’s crossing pass found Ben Rimmer behind the Laconia defense and with plenty of time to beat goalie Justin Wirth to the ball and slip it into the open net for his second goal of the season. Most of the remaining play was at midfield, as Hanover’s offense sputtered but their defense remained resolute. Chris Jayne did a nice job at right back, filling in for an ailing Lou Gemunden, and Miles Peterson came off the bench to give valuable minutes up front, taking the spot normally held by Eric Jayne, who was also nursing a sore foot.

Laconia nearly tied the game on the opening kickoff of the second half, as Sachem sniper Arso Kuridza received the first touch and launched a half-field ICBM that nearly took Sam Gest by surprise in the Marauder goal. The junior netminder managed to deflect the ball off the goalpost and out of bounds, and Hanover dodged a bullet. Only a minute later the score was 2-0 when Eriksson took a pass from Yosef Osheyack and scored in his second straight game from his favorite spot at the top of the penalty area.

Laconia refused to fold and pulled a goal back when they earned a free kick on one of those ticky-tack little calls, which happen all of the time but nevertheless betray a stunning lack of knowledge about the flow of the game. Given a direct kick 25 yards away, Kuridza showed why he is Laconia’s top striker by hitting a laser into the upper ninety. It was a beautifully taken goal, and it seemed to shake up the Marauders for a few minutes.

It didn’t take long for Hanover to mount the sort of second-half charge that is now becoming commonplace for them. Ben Rimmer and Yosef Osheyack were dangerous on the flanks, and Trevor Barlowe continued to win every head ball at midfield, distributing flawlessly and keying the attack. Oscar the Grouch hit another Scud from the edge of the box that smacked off the inside of the left post before rolling across the face of the goal and eventually out. Ben Harris, brilliant in relief at midfield, made several dangerous forays into the Laconia box. Miles Peterson struck a challenging turn-around shot that was well-saved by Wirth. Chris Jayne and Joe Carey helped regulars Dan Remillard and Nate Hanna keep things clean in the back, and late in the game Jayne came forward on the right flank and served a ball that found Kevin Dade in front for a near post header that barely grazed his head before beating Wirth to the near side and an eventual 3-1 result.

Coach Grabill was sanguine after the match about Laconia’s sole score, commenting, “It wasn’t took upsetting to see a team finally score on us after an eight-game run dating back to last year. In a way it takes the pressure off, and we stayed perfect in the only column that really matters. I was pleased that we had the chance to show some composure under stress, and that was valuable.”

Next up for the Marauders in a 24-hour turnaround and a date in Pembroke with the 5-0 Spartans, eagerly awaiting their homecoming opponent and a chance to make a splash in Class I. “All of our scouting reports suggest that they have a lot of talent and are highly motivated,” said Grabill. “There’s no better way for us to close out a busy week, and we are looking forward to this sort of a challenge, and will learn a lot about ourselves.”