Hanover
Tessa Cahoon found herself in such a situation midway through the second half, finishing off a cross from Macy Curtis that deflected off of Diana Schwarz for the Marauders’ last goal in a 3-0 victory over the Knights at Merriman-Branch Field. Natalie Smith and Miranda Galbraith built a two-goal lead by halftime for fourth-ranked Hanover, and netminder Ella Edmonds made just one save all game.
For the Marauders, who entered the playoffs relatively healthy after last fall’s injury-ridden campaign derailed their postseason hopes, this year’s run feels like a chance at redemption. Playmakers Izzy Sangha, Aiden Smith, Lois Schwarz and Hannah Curtis all missed significant time last year. Now, Hanover gets to see just how far it can go at full strength.
“The injuries were definitely a huge thing last year,” said Hannah Curtis, a senior captain. “We didn’t lose too many seniors and, I think, of the girls that were returning, we just had a huge passion for the game. Automatically, we were all like, ‘This is what we want, and this is what we want to do. We need to figure out a way to do it.’ … I think that’s why we jelled so fast.
“It’s a different atmosphere,” she added. “We all want to be here. We all want to win. We all love field hockey. I think it’s a new mentality of having a common goal and really wanting to achieve that.”
Hanover (11-2-2) has not been to a state final since 2009, when it beat Oyster River for the program’s first state championship in 21 years. The Marauders, with their talented group of six seniors, will face No. 1 Souhegan (14-1-0) in the D-II semifinals on Tuesday night at Exeter High’s Bill Ball Stadium.
“We have really strong captains, and I think the senior leadership is phenomenal,” Hanover head coach Jean Essex said of seniors Curtis, Sangha, Cahoon, Daphnie Friedman and Madeline Wallace. “Really, what makes it special, for one, they know each other. They’re good friends. But the seniors are not selfish at all, so they’ve really just led. … I tell them all the time, when they play together, they make magic.
“We focus, since the beginning of the season, on one game at a time,” she added. “We didn’t even look at the brackets. I told them they weren’t even allowed to think about whoever comes next.”
Galbraith got Hanover on the board 9 minutes, 47 seconds into a first half dominated by the hungry Marauders. Sangha was credited with the assist. Smith added to the Hanover lead six minutes later, finishing off a scramble that included Cahoon and others in front of Kingswood’s net.
But Cahoon’s second-half goal — her fourth of the season — hit fifth-seeded Kingswood (10-4-1) the hardest. The Knights seemed more desperate after halftime.
“We had really good passing down the field,” Cahoon said of her goal. “They just had a really good pass (to the front of the net), and I was there.”
Hanover outshot the Knights, 11-2, finished the game with a 5-2 advantage on corners and found a way to win. Diana Schwarz and Sangha, the Marauders’ top scorers entering the match, each provided an assist.
“I think, sometimes, other teams focus on our leading scorers — Izzy, DiDi (Diana Schwarz) and Hannah,” Essex said. “I think everyone tends to focus on their plays, and then we can get the ball to Miranda and Tessa and they can do what they need to do. It was beautiful.”
The Marauders have gone 7-0-2 since a 3-2 loss to Plymouth on Sept. 20. Essex said this year’s squad has all the right ingredients. Its next step is to take advantage of the opportunity.
“I kind of jokingly say if you understand anything about Christianity, it’s kind of like Moses wandering the desert,” Essex said. “You’ve got to wait until (a deep playoff run) comes around. But when it does come around, you’ve got to take advantage of it. It’s always a test to me, as a coach. If you’re not there, you’re not there. But when you have it, you really have to know what to do with it.
“Had we not had the injuries, I think we would have seen back-to-back deep runs into the playoffs. … It’s a little bit of redemption for them.”
Josh Weinreb can be reached at jweinreb@vnews.com or 603-727-3306.