West Lebanon
But Hanover’s success is as much an indictment on girls hockey in New Hampshire as it is the institution Marauders head coach John Dodds has helped build. Hanover fell to defending Massachusetts Division I champion Austin Prep, 4-1, at Campion Rink in the Marauders Holiday Tournament during Thursday’s snowstorm, the Cougars first-ever trip to Hanover. Teams from Beekmantown (N.Y.) and Burrillville (R.I.) did not make the trip because of the weather, shortening the tournament to just one game.
“This is exactly the reason we’re playing teams like this,” Dodds said. “You could tell by the way they are on the ice. … We always look forward to challenging ourselves with some of these tough teams, but I think I was really pleased with, only our third game, being able to handle that challenge, and the added pressure.”
Hanover is scheduled to play seven games this season against opponents outside of the NHIAA’s lone division for girls hockey. In the Marauders’ first two New Hampshire games, against Oyster River-Portsmouth and Concord, Hanover walked away with two victories by a 15-1 margin.
Last year wasn’t much different, a season which saw Hanover win its seventh straight state title and its eighth in nine years since the NHIAA sanctioned the sport. Hanover was 15-0 and held a 155-8 goal differential against NHIAA foes last winter. In eight games against opponents from other states, including Austin Prep, Beekmantown and Essex (Vt.), among others, the Marauders were 5-1-2 with a 28-16 goals difference.
New Hampshire girls hockey has slowly grown, just not fast enough to keep up with Hanover’s talent pool. St. Thomas-Dover folded its co-op program after last season, but Stevens (with Lebanon) and Portsmouth were both added via co-op programs with existing teams. Still, the lack of depth in New Hampshire has forced Dodds to look elsewhere for tougher challenges.
“We’ve got some of these games where it doesn’t make any sense in New Hampshire,” Dodds said. “If you can beat somebody 15-0, you don’t want to play them twice. It doesn’t do them any good; it doesn’t do us any good. It’s really a no-win situation.
“Not all the games are like that, but too many right now. That’s why we place a big emphasis on developing these relationship (with girls hockey programs in other states). Austin Prep just happened to be one of the teams.”
The Cougars, who defeated the Marauders, 5-1, last season, gave Hanover all it could handle on Thursday, sending 28 shots on Hanover sophomore goaltender CiCi Barton. Austin Prep broke through with three goals in the second period, all following sustained pressure deep in Hanover’s defensive zone. The Marauders, who struggled in the neutral zone, had a tough time breaking out against Austin Prep’s suffocating pressure.
Briland Laycock scored the lone goal for Hanover in the third period, assisted by Maddie Lyons and Hannah Curtis. Laycock has scored at least once in all three games for the Marauders this season.
Hanover features eight new faces to its lineup this season after graduating eight seniors a year ago, including Matti Hartman, the program’s No. 2 career scorer, who now plays for Northeastern. The transition has forced the Marauders to re-evaluate their offense this season, but Dodds said he’s liked what he’s seen through the team’s first three games.
“I think, for some of the new players, this is tough,” Dodds said. “It’s the speed and developing confidence with the pressure that they apply. But they’ve got to do it; they’ve got to experience it in order to handle it. We get as many of these games as we can. They just happen to be the best (in Massachusetts).”
Hanover (2-1) will host Berlin-Gorham on Tuesday.
Josh Weinreb can be reached at jweinreb@vnews.com or 603-727-3306.