Monadnock Playoff Summary

HANOVER BEATS MONADNOCK 1-0 IN OVERTIME THRILLER

The Hanover High boys soccer team opened their Class I title defense with a thrilling 1-0 victory over Monadnack in the second sudden death overtime. Ben Rimmer’s spectacular goal moved the Marauders into the quarterfinals on Saturday and a rematch with Merrimack Valley, surprise 4-2 winners over Lebanon earlier in the day.

Hanover outshot the Huskies by an astonishing 44-5 margin, but spectacular goalkeeping by Monadnock’s Nicco Demarco and equally solid sweeper play by Ryan Hart helped to frustrate the Marauders until Rimmer’s 10th goal of the season in the 104th minute of a well-played NHIAA first-round contest

Monadnock conceded a territorial advantage right from the outset, but most of Hanover’s first-half shots were from long-range, and fairly easy pickings for the tall, aggressive Demarco in goal. He was equally adept at picking off a series of Marauder crosses. In the meantime, Hart, who bedeviled the Hanover basketball team last winter as the point guard for the Huskies’ Cinderella Class I hoop heroes, was the court of last resort in the center of the Monadnock defense, getting the final touch a number of times in one on one situations.

Although Monadnack had very few forays into the Hanover end, there were two telling ones in the first half. Striker Tyler Merchant hit a bad angle shot from the left side that momentarily handcuffed Rhys Cyrus in the Marauder goal, but there were no Huskies in position for a rebound. Later in the half, Cyrus saved the season when speedy Josh Guion broke away cleanly and came in alone on Crusher. Cyrus, who had looked solid in practicing for the shootout on Monday, held his ground and made a point blank save, snuffing the rebound and effectively ending any Monadnock hopes of scoring in regulation. Cyrus also hauled in a difficult high shot by Kyle Simpson in the second half. Hanover goalies have it tough, having to wait for long stretches before they are called upon, and at times needing to make big saves. Cyrus more than proved his worth, and in many ways was one of the heroes of the game.

Hanover stayed composed in the second half, and a number of their shots were from closer range, requiring Demarco to make a number of hard saves. The Marauders actually put the ball behind Demarco with only a few minutes left in regulation when Yosef Osheyack pounced on a rebound and rammed it home. The play was inexplicably ruled offside, and once again Hanover’s composure came to the fore. The Marauders moved on without a peep, and stayed focused on the task at head, and this is what eventually won them the game. As the half wound down, a number of Hanover players began to tire, and the Marauders got valuable bench minutes from Ben Harris, Oscar Eriksson, Miles Peterson and Gunnar Shaw. This, too, may have set Hanover up for their overtime triumph.

Hanover completely dominated the extra sessions, and stayed patient as the shot totals piled up. Cautioned by Coach Grabill before the second overtime to be careful not to harm any teammates in the celebratory pigpile, the Marauders created a beautiful goal when tireless Henry Caldwell colleted a ball in the right corner and centered it to Lou Gemunden, who deftly rolled a back-heel to Rimmer, cutting behind him into the middle. Hanover’s leading scorer took a touch and then blasted a left footed laser into the upper left corner, and the matched ended on an appropriately high moment.

Hanover is now 16-0-1 on the season, and stretched their undefeated streak to 44 games. They will host Merrimack Valley on Saturday at 2:00 p.m.. The Pride will be making their third trip to Merriman-Branch Field in 10 days, having lost a tight 1-0 contest a week ago and beaten 8th seed Lebanon in a game preceding the Hanover-Monadnock tilt. “This will be an extremely challenging game,” commented Grabill. “They will be playing with no fear and indeed they have no reason to fear us. We will have to be playing our best to continue the season.” The game will be highlighted by a halftime ceremony honoring members of the 1968 Hanover High team that won the first NH title in school history, exactly 40 years ago.