Hockey: Hanover wins bruising battle with Manchester, 4-2

MANCHESTER, NH – A power play is supposed to give a hockey team an advantage and generate increased scoring chances.

For Manchester unified, having an extra skater (or two) this season has proven to be anything but advantageous and the only thing it has generated is frustration. Such was the case, once again, in the 4-2 loss to Hanover High, Saturday at the JFK Arena.

The win was the fourth straight for Hanover (5-4-0). Manchester (4-6-0) has now dropped four in a row.

It was a brutal, old-school game, with the teams combining for 45 minutes in penalties. Manchester enjoyed nine power plays, including two 5-on-3s and a five-minute man advantage for a major penalty.

The Kings came up empty on their first eight power play opportunities.

“I was happy with the way the kids played, with the exception of the power play,” said Manchester Head Coach Jeremy Baker. “That continues to be a problem for us. When you get a 5-on-3, and I think we had two of them, you gotta capitalize on that. That can be a big swing in the game. It could make it 2-1 or 3-1 and then the game changes.”

Manchester’s lone power-play goal came off the stick of Jake Lessard with 1:10 to play, cutting Hanover’s lead to 3-2. Tyler Cantin led a rush and managed to put a backhand shot on goal, after having been knocked to the ice. Hanover goalie JoJo Drent made the save but lock track of the rebound, Lessard swooped in from the circle and poked it home.

With goalie Cam Velez pulled for an extra skater, Manchester tried to get the tying goal but Hanover’s Ryder Wilson managed to fire the puck nearly the length of the ice into the open net with 28 seconds remaining to seal the win.

Manchester came out strong, looking to rid their mouths of the bitter taste of Friday night’s 8-4 loss to Exeter. The Kings jumped in front just 2:10 into the game when Joey Velez scored off an assist from Andrue McGlaughlin.

They were handed a golden opportunity build on that lead when Hanover’s Wyatt Sedig was hit was a major penalty for boarding (and a 10-minute misconduct). But the Kings struggled to move the puck on the power play and generate any prime scoring chances.

Hanover finally tied the game 2:21 into the second period, on a goal by Matteo Tromble. Once again, Manchester had multiple power play chances, including a pair of two-man advantages. But Hanover killed them all off.

The score remained tied, 1-1, into the third period, thanks in large part to the play of Kings’ goalie Cam Velez (25 saves). The talented sophomore followed up one of the worst games of his high school career — Friday against Exeter — with one of his best.

“This was a real bounce-back game for Cam,” said Baker. “He has been great for us. He struggled a little bit yesterday. He was a little down on himself and I actually had a conversation with him before the game today. I told him, ‘you’re a goalie, a forgetful memory is what they have.'”

Hanover managed to break the tie about five minutes into the third period, on a goal by Ronan Przydzielski. Velez was able to make the first save on a blast from the point by Ryan Carroll, but he couldn’t secure the rebound and Przydzielski got just enough of his stick on it to find the back of the net.

Six minutes later, Hanover grabbed some much-needed insurance on a goal by Gavin Nartowicz, making it 3-1. Nartowicz snapped off a shot from the blue line, which somehow weaved its way through a crowd of skagters and past the screened Velez.