Hanover breaks through, shuts out Souhegan to win D2 field hockey title (video)

BEDFORD – Getting on the first goal always makes a difference, but for the Hanover High School field hockey team, scoring first in Sunday’s Division II championship game meant a little bit more.

After getting shutout in the previous two finals, the Marauders needed to find a way to break through, and they got it.

Kate Blaisdell gave No. 2 Hanover the only goal it would need late in the first half, and the Marauders scored twice more in the second half on the way to a 3-0 win over No. 4 Souhegan at Bedford High School. The win gives Hanover its first title since 2009 after the Marauders came up a goal short in the last two finals.

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“I told them if we go up first, it’s going to change the flow of the game,” Hanover coach Jean Essex said. “We know we can come from behind, but we don’t want to give up a goal because if we can go up first, it’d give us the edge we needed. They play stronger, faster and better as they get deeper into the game.”

Macy Curtis added a goal off a penalty stroke early in the second half and Olivia Trummel put the game away for Hanover (14-1-1) with her goal with 11:04 remaining. The Marauders also got two saves from Ella Edmonds, as they were able to keep Souhegan from getting many chances offensively for most of the game.

“Souhegan is a great team, they have a great goalie, and they definitely gave us a run for our money,” Curtis said. “We came out ready to play. I think because of the fact we lost 1-0 the last two years in a row, getting that first goal, having it be our goal, it was huge for us and our momentum.”

Ellie Byram made five saves for the Sabers (13-3), who were coming off a shootout win in the semifinals against Derryfield on Friday.

“I think we left a lot of it at the semi,” Souhegan coach Kelli Braley said. “A game that goes that deep, and one day in between those two games, it’s a tough recovery. They were gassed and I think the experience Hanover has being her three times plays to their advantage as well. Their veteran core has been here, knows what to do here, knows how to win here. My girls have to figure it out, so now we know for next year.”

For the first 20 minutes, the teams traded opportunities, with each getting three penalty corners, but both defenses were up to the task.

Hanover had another corner with about 10 minutes to play, and while the Marauders didn’t score off it, they were able to keep the ball in Souhegan’s end. A loose ball eventually came to Blaisdell, who one-timed it into the goal with 8:45 left in the first half to give Hanover a 1-0 lead.

“That was huge,” Braley said. “That took the wind out of the sails a little bit even though there was so much hockey left to play. I think when that first one went in it was a collective ‘uh oh’ situation. This was a season where we didn’t give up a lot, except for those last four games when we were injury riddled. When you’re not practiced at having to rebound and come back, it makes it a little tougher.”

Curtis made it 2-0 with 25:21 left in the game, beating Byram stick side with her penalty stroke, the second the second has made during the playoffs.

“I took the stroke in our quarterfinal, too, in overtime,” she said. “It’s been crazy. It’s a lot of pressure and it’s a great reward. I was happy I could put it in for the team. I had confidence in my team that if I didn’t make it we were still going to finish it off.”

Hanover kept the pressure on the Sabers’ defense after that, keeping the ball in Souhegan’s end for long stretches. The Marauders went up 3-0 on Trummel’s goal, and after that, the Sabers were able to get control of possession.

Souhegan had three corners in the final two minutes, but Hanover keep the Sabers off the board.

“They were focused and they just wanted to get it done,” Essex said. “We’ve been working hard to play 60 minutes of field hockey, and I said if we go out strong and we get going fast, it’s going to make a huge difference. They’re talented and they’re good and they’ve worked hard.”