CONCORD — The Hanover High boys hockey team will need time to adjust to the new COVID-19 hockey-playing reality. Concord High seems comfortable already.
The Crimson Tide used a two-goal first period to exert early control, maintaining it for a 4-0 shutout of the Marauders at Everett Arena on Monday afternoon. Concord’s second straight clean sheet to start the season was also the 500th career win for longtime coach Duncan Walsh.
Hanover (0-1-0) had its season opener with Pinkerton on Saturday called off when the Hanover Improvement Society decided to cancel all youth and high school games involving out-of-town foes until February. Concord (2-0-0) beat rival Bishop Brady on Saturday and kept the scoreboard clean again, denying 23 Hanover shots on goal.
“They are the defending champs; they didn’t graduate anybody,” Hanover coach Dick Dodds said. “It’s essentially the same team as they had last year, and they’d played a game, so they’d gotten used to the masks and electronic whistles. We’ve got a lot of new faces. We battled hard, and I was really, really pleased with how we played with them.”
Concord struck quickly, Noah Drew scoring just 9 seconds into the contest. A.J. Dow doubled the lead before the intermission.
With defensemen Jack Gardner, Tom Lyons and Spencer Lawe playing key roles, Hanover killed a two-man disadvantage to open the second period and gradually grew into the game. Brooks Craigue accounted for the Tide’s other goals, one in each of the final two periods. Will Pegnam posted a 16-save shutout.
Luke Ives made 32 saves in goal for Hanover, which also picked up a strong game from forward Casey Graham, Dodds said.
The two team will meet again at Everett Arena on Saturday evening.
GOFFSTOWN, N.H. — Up by just nine points at the half, the Marauders (3-0) buckled down on defense to pull away from the NHIAA Division I Grizzlies.
Melissa Whitmore (21 points) and Stella Galanes (20) powered Hanover’s big second half. The two Marauders combined for all four of the team’s 3-pointers, but a defense that held Goffstown to just five third-quarter points ultimately made the difference.
“We just had a little talk about the importance of playing solid defense,” Hanover coach Dan O’Rourke said. “Most teams we try to keep under 40 (points); they already had 35 halftime. We came out and, I think, we had a different attitude in the second half, had more help and were in better position.”
Jane Lackley finished with 13 points and teammates Charlotte Johnson and Caroline Adams both added 10 points for Hanover, which is next scheduled to play at Fall Mountain on Jan. 27.