WEST LEBANON — It was closer this time, but the Hanover High girls hockey team prevailed yet again over rival Lebanon-Stevens-Kearsarge on Saturday at Campion Rink. The Marauders’ 3-1 victory was the tightest in years between the schools, but there was no doubting who was the better team.
“It certainly was exciting,” said Hanover coach John Dodds. “We had a good crowd on a Saturday night, and I feel like we put on a good show for them.”
The game began almost as badly as possible for Lebanon, which surrendered a goal after 36 seconds and on Hanover’s first shot. Meredith Morhun fired from the left point and Gail Morse helped the puck along and over the goal line at the left post while being dumped to the ice by a defender. Sage McGinley-Smith also earned an assist.
The Marauders (8-5-1) doubled their lead four minutes before the first intermission when Kaye Lindsay rushed into the left side of the Raiders’ zone and scored inside the near post, past goaltender Paige Hoegler’s blocker. Danielle Rudd earned the assist, and Hanover held a 10-2 shot advantage after 15 minutes.
Lebanon (6-4-2) committed all three of the second period’s penalties but halved its deficit during the stanza’s 12th minute. Lily Gogan skated around the Marauders’ net and emerged on goaltender Rebekah Rudd’s glove side. A quick, centering feed found Claire Falcone in the low slot, and she used a one-time shot to beat Rudd low.
A turning point seemed to come a minute later, when Makayla Macciolli had a similar chance but couldn’t put a shot on goal. Lebanon worked hard and got its chances but all too often didn’t have a skilled player in the right place at the right time. The Marauders also deployed three forward lines to Lebanon’s two, and the difference in depth played an increasing role as the game wore on.
Hanover closed the scoring with four minutes remaining when Falcone passed from the left-side boards to the slot, from where McGinley-Smith pounded the puck home.
“We left it all on the ice, and now we know we can play with them if we see them again,” said first-year Lebanon coach Mike Sheehan, whose team was outshot, 26-9, and lost the faceoff battle, 11-4. “We won the second period, and we could have won the third.”
Both coaches praised Hoegler, who made 18 saves and was a major factor in the score remaining as close as it did.
“We had a fair amount of shots from prime territory, but she made the saves,” Dodds said. “We could have had three or four more goals.”
Hanover, 8-0-0 against NHIAA foes this winter, hosts Oyster River-Portsmouth on Wednesday for senior night. The Raiders visit Manchester Central-Memorial on Tuesday.
Notes: Former Lebanon High player Julie Barber, paralyzed from the waist down after cancer surgery a few years back, attended the game and moved about using crutches. … Kaye Lindsay, a Hanover sophomore, and her Lebanon senior sister, Ella, played against each other for the second time and staged a good-hearted wrestling match at center ice following the final horn. … Hanover backup goaltender Katie Smith videotaped the game on a tablet from one end of the bench while wearing full gear. … Fan silliness was limited to a single Super Ball being thrown on the ice with seven minutes to play. … McGinley-Smith missed an open net from feet away during the closing seconds but was able to laugh at the play after the game.
Tris Wykes can be reached at twykes@vnews.com.