HANOVER — An offensive explosion in the first half helped Hanover High cruise to a 7-0 win over Timberlane in an NHIAA Division I boys soccer matchup at Merriman-Branch Field on Tuesday.
Junior Rex Chanyi led the Hanover offense with two goals and three assists during a contest in which multiple Bears got involved.
Junior Sacha Palm (two goals), junior Braeden Friedman (goal, assist), junior John Thapa (goal), senior Kalee Lloyd-Clare (goal) and juniors Eli Prince and Grayson Lyall and senior Nate McFetridge (assist each) all fueled Hanover’s offensive fireworks.
“I think we came out very hard. I think it was very fun to see us play like that,” Chanyi said. “I mean, honestly, I haven’t seen that. Especially near the end of the first half, we were just combining really quickly, very quick touches and passes, and it’s just very fun to see.”
The result was welcome for second-year Bears head coach Lucas Richardson, considering his team came out on fire against an opponent that entered the contest 1-8-1.
“There’s a lot of things that I like about this group, and one of them is they like to play soccer and they always compete,” the coach said.
Richardson shared that his team was finishing up practice around 8:45 p.m. the previous evening, adding that his players were into it and the noise could probably be heard up by the school building.
“They just like to play hard, and it’s fun to have a team like that. So they do a good job, regardless of the setting, of competing, playing hard, and everybody sort of steps up and does that,” Richardson said.
It was all Hanover (10-1-1) from the jump.
The Bears wasted little time getting on the board, striking first in under two minutes on a header from Thapa after a nice cross from Prince. They then extended their lead about three minutes later on a nice strike from Lloyd-Clare after Chanyi found him open.
Hanover went up 3-0 about five minutes later on a goal from Palm, set up by McFetridge.
Timberlane got a reprieve from Hanover’s goalscoring for part of the first half, but the Owls could not generate much pressure or possession. The Bears got back to work around the halfway point of the first half on two quick goals, one from Chanyi and another by Palm, to go up 5-0 with 20:53 remaining.
Hanover added another goal before the break from Chanyi and went into halftime up 6-0.
The big lead let Hanover get plenty of minutes for subs, which could help as it gears up for a postseason run.
“I have confidence in everyone here to be able to contribute if they need. I also think it keeps the team connected; the more we can get everybody in and make sure that everyone feels a part of what’s happening,” Richardson said.
Hanover added another goal in the second half from Friedman to seal the final tally in a dominant performance.
As for what this squad can do next, Chanyi indicated that the sky is the limit.
“If we just keep doing the things that we’re good at — communicating with each other, finishing well — I think we’ll be probably the best or second-to-best in the state,” he said.
Hanover hosts Pinkerton (5-4-2) on Thursday at 6 p.m.
