SCITUATE – Since practices first resumed in the summertime, native soccer pundits have been pegging Hanover as one among, if not the staff to beat, within the vaunted Patriot League.
Those who made that prediction have been confirmed proper to this point, and the Hawks continued their torrid run Friday evening.
Senior quarterback Ben Scalzi competed 16-of-22 passes for 325 yards and a whopping 5 touchdowns, as Hanover (5-0) remained undefeated with a wild 42-28 victory over league rival Scituate.
“It’s just a credit to the kids,” stated Hanover coach Brian Kelliher. “Honestly, Scituate’s a great team, great program. They do a great job, and our kids just came in and competed. We made some plays when we had to, and fortunately for us we did because they weren’t giving up … I’m proud of our kids and the way they competed. It was just a great game.”
For nearly all of the opening half, nonetheless, the Hawks discovered themselves being baited into Scituate’s recreation. The Sailors relied closely on a ground-and-pound assault, seeking to maintain Hanover’s high-octane offense sitting idly on the opposing sideline. They succeeded for probably the most half within the preliminary phases, as junior Willy Robinson scampered for a five-yard landing rush to supply Scituate a 6-0 lead within the opening body.
Then Hanover discovered its rhythm, as Scalzi linked with senior captain Mehki Bryan for a pair of landing passes within the second quarter, the latter of which got here on a 15-yard strike to supply the Hawks a 14-6 edge on the break.
Yet, each time it felt just like the Hawks have been on the verge of making some separation, Scituate had a solution. After Scalzi helped Hanover take the lead as soon as once more with a 23-yard landing cross to John McDonald, Sailors quarterback Jackson Belsan heaved a 23-yard landing strike of his personal to Lawson Foley, tying the rating at 21-all with 5 seconds left within the third body.
“It’s huge to have to compete against these teams,” stated Kelliher. “Duxbury was a great one to start, these guys were a great one, and it’s preparing for hopefully later on in the season. You have to be able to fight at the end in the fourth quarter, and compete. That’s what these kids did.”
When the stress was at its highest, the Hawks seemingly flipped a swap and turned the sport on its head. During the fourth quarter, Hanover would outscore Scituate 21-7. The dagger would include 7:05 left in regulation, when Scalzi discovered Brandon Errico in the long run zone for a 22-yard landing cross to seal issues at 42-21.
Bryan completed with 4 receptions for 103 yards and a pair of touchdowns within the effort for Hanover, whereas Owen Cross added three catches for 108 yards and a rating.
Foley completed with 112 yards receiving and a landing to energy Scituate.
“We haven’t had a game like that since Duxbury,” Scalzi stated. “It was a good eye-opener for us. We realize that we can’t just blow out teams anymore. We have to keep it going.”
Source: www.bostonherald.com