Hanover traveled to Concord on Wednesday and engaged the Crimson Tide in pitched battle which ended in a 2-2 draw. Concord jumped in front in the ninth minute and held the lead until Asa Berolzheimer scored on a sweet header early in the second half to tie the match. Although the Marauders controlled most of the game after the interval, the Crimson Tide re-took the lead, and held on until Berolzheimer's penalty kick tied the match again with three minutes to play in regulation. The two tired teams battled through twenty minutes of golden goal overtime, but the score remained at 2-2. It was an exciting match with moments of brilliance, tainted a bit by physical play and disappointing officiating. In the end, the teams agreed that both teams had showed the capability to be playing late into the playoffs, and perhaps meeting again to resolve the deadlock.
Both teams were feeling each other out in the early stages of the game when Concord scored a shocking goal to snatch a 1-0 lead. Crimson Tide goalkeeper Dylan Thomson, who had already demonstrated a very powerful downfield kick, was given a chance to take a free kick fifteen yards inside his half of the field. He hit a long, high shot that sailed into the Hanover end, screaming out of the high, blazing sun, and carried over Connor Edson and under the bar for a 1-0 lead. The goal energized an already highly-motivated Concord team, which continued to carry an edge on play, led by a strong performance by midfielder Luck Ndahigwa, a native of the Congo who had returned to Concord High after a year with the Seacoast Academy team. Striker Jacob Silverstein almost doubled the lead with a hard shot that hit squarely off the upright. Hanover showed a few signs of life, and earned a free kick at the edge of the Tide box. Asa Berolzheimer's ensuing shot was snuffed by the wall, and the half ended with the home team holding the lead.
Hanover had a chance to collect themselves at halftime, and they took full advantage. The Marauder offense clicked into high gear, and threatened several times before being gifted a chance to tie the game with a dubious penalty kick. The soccer gods correctly directed Berolzheimer's spot kick off of the crossbar, and Hanover was left to find a more legitimate way to tie the match. The wait wasn't long. Adam Pikelney got room on the right flank and centered a ball into the Tide box, and Berolzheimer launched a wonderful header past Thomson to tie the match. It was Pikelney's third assist of the season.
Hanover continued to press, but Concord stayed dangerous, and on one of their few forays into the Marauder end the Tide un-tied the match in the 62nd minute when defender Liam Bennett curled out of the corner and hit a left footed shot into the upper right corner of the Hanover net. This would be a true character test for the Marauders, and they were equal to the task. Hanover got a lift from several subs on a very hot afternoon. Casey Starr worked free for a dangerous shot that forced Thomson to make an excellent save. A few minutes later, Seth Stadheim hit a shot that was headed for a certain goal until Thomson denied him with a desperate dive. Hanover kept pressing, and as time ran down they mounted a furious flurry of shots, one of which was clearly handled by a defender on the ground.
The Marauders were awarded another penalty, and this time Berolzheimer made good, blasting the ball past the the talented but demonstrative Thomson to knot the game. Hanover actually had one more good chance before overtime, but the clock ran out, and the two teams tried to regroup for 20 minutes of golden goal overtime. Hanover had the better of the play in the first overtime, with Ian Caldwell making a dangerous run into the box, only to come up just a bit short. Coach Grabill went with fresh legs to start the second overtime, and the move almost paid off when Griffin Johnson found himself open at the far post and on the end of a cross. His header just glanced off the post, however. Neither team had much of a chance in the waning minutes, which featured several dangerous fouls by the host team.
There will be much to learn from this early-season showdown between playoff contenders. Both teams missed plenty of scoring opportunities, and there will be players on both teams who will want to atone for mistakes in execution and attitude. Hanover was given two yellow cards, and although it can be argued that neither one was justified, it's nevertheless a sobering total. In the 39 games played by Hanover in 2013 and 2014, they collected a grand total of three cards. So, there's room for improvement.
Luckily, opportunity is knocking. On Thursday night, the Marauders will welcome Exeter High School, another legitimate title contender, to Merriman-Branch Field for a 6:30 kickoff. Interestingly, this is the second game in a row between Hanover and Exeter on the turf. Hanover's last home game in 2014 was a thrilling quarterfinal victory over the Blue Hawks that propelled them to the semifinals. Now Exeter is back, fresh off a season-opening 6-0 victory. They will be leaded and eager to make a statement. Fortunately, Hanover has a pretty good record in night games at home. Be sure to bring your friends!
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