HANOVER — Fog descended on Merriman-Branch Field shortly after the Hanover High boys soccer team concluded its NHIAA Division I first-round playoff game Wednesday against Concord. It was clear from the start, however, that the host Bears were the better team.
Pressing the 12th-seeded Crimson Tide early and with ferocity, fifth-seeded Hanover scored twice during the first 22 minutes and breezed to a 2-0 victory. The Bears visit fourth-seeded Exeter for a quarterfinal clash on Sunday.
Concord was outshot, 24-4, and saved from a rout only by the performance of goalkeeper Nathaniel Wachter, who made 12 saves and turned aside a penalty kick. A red card issued late in the first half meant the visitors played a man down the rest of the way.
“If there was one team we wouldn’t have trouble getting up for, it was Concord,” said 17th-year Hanover coach Rob Grabill, whose team lost to the homestanding Crimson Tide in overtime on Sept. 10. “We were still figuring things out, and we couldn’t finish at all. It was terrible.”
Hanover posted Wednesday’s first goal after Wachter dove to stop Jack Gardner’s low shot but coughed up a plump rebound. Carter Guerin knocked the ball in at the left post during the 12th minute.
The Bears (14-4-0) doubled their lead less than 10 minutes later, several quick passes giving Ryder Hayes time to settle the ball before ripping home a shot from the top of the penalty area.
“Our scoring came out of our defense, but both goals were fast-break style, hockey assist-type plays, and that was gratifying to see,” Grabill said.
Hanover posted its 10th consecutive victory, a streak that includes a 3-2 defeat of visiting Exeter on Oct. 4. The Bears started the season an uncharacteristic 3-4-0, giving doubt to Grabill’s preseason statement that his program has a standing reservation in the division semifinals. Hanover has reached that stage each of the last four years.
“Garcon, our table, please,” the coach said with a hand flourish after Wednesday’s game. “I like the way we’re playing right now. This is a great time of year to be playing your best soccer.”
So what changed after that miserable season start?
Grabill said that following Hanover’s last loss, a 5-0 spanking at Windham on Sept. 17, he and associate head coach Sam Farnham decided to add a defender to the back line, giving the Bears four players there. They also worked to get central midfielders Becket McCurdy and Hayes forward more often, giving the attack more punch.
“We had to practice smarter finishing by actually putting shots on goal,” Grabill said. “Make the goalie make a save to stop us. And our kids are unselfish; they’re always giving the ball up for a better scoring chance.
“You never plan for your kids to suffer, but the fact that ours suffered at the start helped a great deal. They’ve worked very hard, and they take nothing for granted.”
Notes: Concord finished 6-7-4. The Crimson Tide won the 2015 and 2017 Division I state titles. … Grabill said Hayes missed his team’s previous game because of injury. … Senior defender Jack McGrath played with a black shoe on his right foot and a fluorescent orange one on his left. … Tim Boyle, Wednesday’s referee, is a former Hanover athlete and now principal of the town’s Richmond Middle School. … Hanover JV coach Willie Johnson donned Grabill’s prized bear mascot costume and strode about the stands for part of the game. … Windham, the last team to beat Hanover this season, is top-seeded and 13-2-1. Nashua South, which last year needed penalty kicks to beat the Bears in the finals, is second-seeded and 14-3-0. … Grabill said sophomore Noah Winchester, the team’s left fullback, has started every game of the winning streak after being promoted to the top 11. … The Division I semifinals are at Exeter High on Nov. 2, and the finals are Nov. 6, also at that location.
Tris Wykes can be reached at twykes@vnews.com.