Bears Beat Bishop Guertin `14-4 for Win Number 13

 Hanover's quest for first place in Division One and the top seed in the NHIAA playoffs took them to Stellos Stadium for the third time this season, and once again they emerged victorious, beating Bishop Guertin 14-4.  The Bears scored three times in the first six minutes to take control of the match, but from that point on both teams traded goals in a wild shootout that resulted in an 8-4 halftime lead for Hanover.

Zach Tracy, Will Guerin and Ian Press all scored in an amazing 85-second stretch in the opening minutes, and even more remarkably Carter Guerin assisted on all three goals. Speedy BG forward Rayaan Hameed took advantage of a depleted Bear defense, which was missing three starters, and pulled a goal back on the first of several breakaways, but less than two minutes later Andrew McGuire took a pass from Tracy and made the score 4-1, and a mere 51 seconds later Carter Guerin found his brother Will open at the far post for an easy tap-in, and the score jumped to 5-1 with less than 14 minutes elapsed.

The crazy continued.  Two minutes later some sluggish ball control on the back line gave Hameed another breakaway, and BG cut the margin to 5-2.  Zach Tracy scored again to make it 6-2, but stunningly, a Hanover defender lost the ball only 22 seconds after that, and the talented Hameed completed his hat trick, and the score stood at 6-3.  Although the sequence of scoring wasn't exactly the same, the game began to take on weird echoes of Hanover's 8-3 win over BG two years ago in the same location.

With several subs int the game for Hanover, the frenetic scoring pace continued unabated.  Carter Guerin pricked up his sixth assist in 18 minutes of play, setting up sophomore Roan Palm to make the score 7-3.  Ten goals in 18 minutes. Hard to imagine, or understand.  Finally, for 20 minutes, the game calmed down and there was no scoring.  But with less than three minutes to play,  Sean Smith scored a nice goal, breaking on the right wing and finding the side netting inside the far post. It was 8-3.  Deja Vu all over again.  Hameed had other ideas.  Another giveaway by the Hanover defense gave Hameed yet another breakaway on poor, unsupported Henry Cotter in the Hanover goal, and mercifully the half ended.

With so many goals being scored each way, it made sense to start the starters at the onset of the second half, and both Tracy and McGuire took advantage of their brief window and each scored a nice goal, which each Guerin collecting an assist. Now it was time to clear the bench.  Both sides cleared the benches, actually, and this didn't do much to keep the score down. Henry Werner picked up his second goal in his return from his collarbone injury, assisted by Veer Patel. Six minutes later, the most celebrated goal of the night, and rightly so:  hardworking midfielder Alejandro Esparza Soto ripped a short from the edge of the penalty area, and the Hanover JVs in the crowd went crazy in celebration, as the the Bear bench.  This was a well-taken, well-deserved and long-awaited goal. Roan Palm had a nice far-post volley on a cross from Sean Smith for his second goal of the night, and Smith closed the scoring with five minutes to play.

Analysis of all of these goals and assists will have to wait until after the season.  Several players are approaching single season and career records.  The overall team is closing in on some impressive and well-deserved scoring records.  But no individual or team statistics matter right now, and that will not be the focus or the distraction. Now, with two weak opponents dispatched, it's time for the team to regain equilibrium, return to playing two-way soccer, and focus on the matter at hand.  Pinkerton Academy is coming to town Thursday, and presents a significant challenge.  A good result on Thursday will mean a high playoff seed for Hanover.  More importantly, playing well is a critical and attainable goal in the season's final regular season game at 4:00 on the turf. The pieces are all there.  If the Bears can fully reassemble themselves for the finale and ensuing playoff run, their will realize their fondest dreams.



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