PEMBROKE — Hanover boys hockey head coach Johnny Abban isn’t on the lookout for his workforce to be taking part in its finest hockey at this stage of the season.
However coming off an time beyond regulation loss to defending Div. 3 state champion No. 19 Nauset final week, and a tie towards Quincy/North Quincy, Saturday’s 3-1 Patriot League win over fellow Div. 3 menace Scituate was a optimistic step within the No. 22 Hawks’ (9-1-1) course as a title contender.
Three completely different scorers gave Hanover an enormous lead after two intervals, whereas Ryan McArdle (26 saves) and a sound defensive efficiency disrupted a lot of what the potent Sailors (6-4-2) threw at them.
As of Friday, the Hawks ranked No. 1 within the newest MIAA Div. 3 energy rankings. Scituate, who’s now 7-4-1 towards Hanover since 2021, ranked No. 5.
“We’ve had some unbelievable, epic video games through the years towards Scituate, so any time you’ll be able to beat them, you’re taking that,” Abban mentioned. “Day-after-day is completely different. However I just like the management we have now, I like (that) we’re doing plenty of the little issues proper. And that’s vital. I at all times preach to the youngsters, this can be a gown rehearsal. … So, hopefully, we’re trending in the appropriate course.”
Hanover’s scoring depth was on full show towards Scituate.
Photographs have been even at 9-9 in a high-flying and bodily opening interval, however the Hawks headed into the second main 2-0. Jack Doherty’s shot from the purpose slid by way of site visitors previous the kick from Scituate goalie Mark Francis (22 saves) simply 1:43 into the sport. Groups traded high quality seems to be to no avail, up till Henry Phillips completed off a savvy feed from Ryan Kisiel on the backdoor with 59 seconds left within the body.
Kisiel’s tip on Shane Fanning’s shot from the purpose solely 39 seconds into the second interval rounded out a 3-0 lead.
“We’ve got three actually strong traces, particularly for protection too,” Hanover junior defenseman Luke Munroe mentioned. “We simply all actually work nicely collectively. Transfer the puck, (we have now) good shooters.”
“Everybody’s pitching in,” Abban added. “These youngsters have purchased in. They’ve been round. It’s good to see as a coach. … Even our protection is chipping in on the offense.”
Maybe the distinction within the recreation was Phillips’ end on the finish of the primary, which swung momentum.
The Hawks rolled that into an early strike within the second for the 3-0 lead, and so they carried play for a lot of the body from there to out-shoot Scituate, 9-6.
“That was an enormous purpose,” Abban mentioned. “Offers us somewhat respiratory room. It’s simply, they discovered alternatives and (made) probably the most of them. A recreation like this, you must and so they did.”
Scituate shortly rediscovered the stress it utilized within the first with a powerful third interval, almost matching its 15 pictures between the primary two intervals with 12 within the final. Thomas McGuiggin sniped the highest far nook after a race to the sting on the left circle for Scituate, chopping the deficit to 3-1 with 12:28 to go.
However that’s all of the Sailors might get previous McArdle in a powerful outing, whereas the protection did nicely to spoil a handful of different promising rushes.
“(We) block pictures, get the puck out, pinch on the blue line, hold pucks out – that’s about it,” Munroe mentioned. “It’s onerous work. Simply gritty, gritty hockey.”
Main that defensive effort have been Munroe and Fanning, who’ve been large for the Hawks.
“They take away time and house,” Abban mentioned. “They each have hockey IQs. … And so they simply put on you down. They’ve the IQ, and so they make all of the small performs.”
