MANCHESTER, N.H. - Hanover boys soccer did almost everything it came to Manchester to do on Wednesday. The Bears crowded the middle of the field, slowed Bedford’s attack and held the second-seeded Bulldogs to a single shot on goal. That one shot was enough.

Junior midfielder Devyn Lafferty scored in the 71st minute, and Bedford beat third-seeded Hanover 1-0 in the semifinals at Chabot-McDonough Field at Manchester Memorial. The loss ends the Bears’ season.

For 70 minutes, neither side could find much. Hanover packed the midfield and kept multiple players around Caden Santerre, Bedford’s senior star striker, all night. Bedford coach Stu Pepper said afterward that no team had done a better job of slowing his side down all season.

The Bears had the best look of the night first. In the 67th minute, John Thapa slipped a through ball to Rex Chanyi inside the penalty box, but Chanyi’s shot went wide left.

Four minutes later, Bedford broke through. Santerre won a header, Lafferty collected the ball inside the box and drove a low shot home. It was Bedford’s only shot on goal of the game. Lafferty, who missed the first half of the season with hip and groin injuries, also scored against Hanover in the teams’ 2-2 draw at Bedford on Oct. 13.

Hanover finished with two shots on goal, and Bedford junior goalkeeper Silas Heiser kept both out for the shutout. Bedford also had all four of the game’s corner kicks.

“They’re good at playing through and we were able to stop them,” Hanover coach Lucas Richardson said. “We work really hard and it’s hard to play that way for 80 minutes and they (the players) did it tonight.”

It was that kind of season for the Bears, who won games with their defense all fall. Hanover finishes 14-3-2, with 13 shutouts and just 10 goals allowed in 19 games. The Bears’ three losses came against Manchester Memorial, unbeaten Nashua South and Bedford.

The playoff run included a 1-0 home win over Concord in the opening round and a 3-1 home win over Londonderry in the quarterfinals. A year ago, Hanover’s season ended in the quarterfinals on penalty kicks against Bishop Guertin. This group went one round further and came within a goal of playing for the title.

Bedford will meet top-seeded Nashua South in the final on Saturday, November 7, at 5:15 p.m. back at Memorial High. The Bulldogs won the title the last time they reached the final, in 2023.

Hanover’s fall isn’t over yet. Bears football plays a quarterfinal at Merrimack Valley on Friday night, and Hanover cross country runs at the Meet of Champions on Saturday.

Other relevant play on Wednesday, November 4:

Exeter 3 at Nashua South 4 Top-seeded Nashua South, which beat Hanover 2-0 on Oct. 22, edged Exeter in the other semifinal to set up Saturday’s final against Bedford.

That wraps up the day for Hanover High School sports. We’ll see you next time!

HANOVER, N.H. - Londonderry came to Hanover on Saturday afternoon built on defense. The sixth-seeded Lancers had posted eight shutouts this fall and had just won a 1-0 double-overtime grinder over Pinkerton three days earlier. The third-seeded Bears scored three times anyway.

Hanover beat Londonderry 3-1 on its home turf in the quarterfinals of the tournament and is now one of the last four teams standing in its division.

It was the 14th win of a dominant fall for the Bears, who improve to 14-2-2. Hanover has outscored its opponents 53-9 in 18 games and has kept 13 clean sheets, including a 1-0 win over Concord in Wednesday’s opening round, a rematch of a 0-0 draw at Concord in September.

The Bears’ only two losses came against Manchester Memorial, 3-1 on Oct. 1, and unbeaten Nashua South, 2-0 in Hanover on Oct. 22. Hanover answered both times, winning its next two games after the Memorial loss by a combined 8-0 and following the Nashua South loss with two straight tournament wins.

Londonderry, which outscored its last four regular-season opponents 18-3, finishes 11-4-3.

Next up is a semifinal against second-seeded Bedford, which beat Merrimack 3-1 on Saturday and matches Hanover at 14-2-2. The teams have already played one tight game this fall, a 2-2 draw at Bedford on Oct. 13, when Nate McFetridge and Braeden Friedman scored for the Bears and Ibrahim Jusufovic and Devyn Lafferty answered for Bedford.

The other semifinal pairs Nashua South and Exeter, with the winners meeting for the title.

Hanover boys soccer is next against Bedford in the semifinals at Manchester Memorial on Wednesday, November 4, at 4 p.m.

Other relevant play on Saturday, October 31:

Merrimack 1 at Bedford 3 Bedford, Hanover’s semifinal opponent, beat Merrimack, which the Bears edged 1-0 on Sept. 15.

Winnacunnet 0 at Nashua South 6 Nashua South, which beat Hanover 2-0 on Oct. 22, stayed unbeaten at 16-0-1.

Manchester Memorial 0 at Exeter 2 Exeter shut out Manchester Memorial, which beat the Bears 3-1 on Oct. 1.

Hanover at the division championships in Manchester | Saturday, October 31

Hanover cross country left Derryfield Park in Manchester with two more trophies on Saturday. The Bears won both the boys and girls team titles at the division championships, and senior Ben Groves won the boys individual race.

Groves covered the 5-kilometer course in 15:58.5, 26.6 seconds ahead of teammate Dylan Faris, a sophomore who was second in 16:25.1. Junior Isaac McNaughton was fourth in 16:31.9 and freshman Teddy White was seventh in 16:36.9, with junior Alexander Collins 15th to complete the scoring. Oliver Collins (23rd) and Rohan Novosad (24th) were right behind. Hanover scored 29 points to beat Coe-Brown (45) and Oyster River (64) in a 15-team field, and it is the boys’ fourth straight division title.

The girls made it three titles in a row. Hanover scored 32 points, well clear of Oyster River (59) and neighbor Lebanon (76). Senior Aria Deeb led the Bears in second place in 19:17.5, followed by senior Alice Bell (fourth, 19:54.0), freshman Edie Rojansky (seventh, 20:27.1), junior Mia Sverrild (ninth, 20:27.5) and senior Ari Hirschler (10th, 20:40.5). Grace Stewart (13th) and Olive Hanissian (14th) gave Hanover seven runners in the top 14.

Saturday’s sweep came on the same course where both teams raced the Manchester Invitational in September, when Groves was second and McNaughton fifth in the large-school boys race and the boys placed second as a team. The girls also won their league championship meet in Norwich, Vt., this fall with 26 points.

Hanover cross country is next at the Meet of Champions on Saturday, November 7, at Hopkinton State Fairgrounds, with the girls racing at 2:30 p.m. and the boys at 3:10 p.m.

That wraps up the day for Hanover High School sports. We’ll see you next time!

MANCHESTER, N.H. - Hanover football went to Manchester West on Friday night riding a three-game winning streak, with a better playoff seed within reach. West made sure the Bears went home with neither.

West beat Hanover 20-7 on its home field in the regular-season finale. The hosts led 14-7 after three quarters and added six more points in the fourth to put it away.

The loss ended a strong October run. Hanover had won three straight, starting with a 20-3 win at John Stark on Oct. 10, then edging Kingswood 9-6 on the road and rolling past Hollis Brookline 42-8 on senior night, its highest point total of the fall.

Defense carried the Bears for much of that stretch. Before Friday, Hanover had allowed 17 points combined over three games, and no opponent had scored more than 22 against the Bears all season.

Hanover finishes the regular season 5-4 overall and 3-2 in its division. The Bears opened 0-2 with losses to Plymouth and Milford, then won five of their next six games before Friday. West has won six of its last seven games on its home field.

Now the Bears wait. A win would likely have meant a top-four seed and a home playoff game; with the loss, Hanover could slide as low as sixth. The playoffs begin the weekend of Nov. 6-7.

Other relevant play on Friday, October 30:

Milford 7 at Pelham 38 Pelham, which Hanover edged 12-7 on Sept. 18, rolled past Milford, which beat the Bears 7-0 on Sept. 11.

Souhegan 35 at Hollis Brookline 13 Souhegan, which beat Hanover 18-13 on Oct. 2, won on the road at Hollis Brookline, the team the Bears beat 42-8 a week ago.

Kingswood 13 at Kennett 12 Kingswood, which Hanover edged 9-6 on Oct. 16, won by a point.

Plymouth 36 at St. Thomas 13 Plymouth, which beat Hanover 18-11 in the season opener, rolled on the road.

That wraps up the day for Hanover High School sports. We’ll see you next time!

HANOVER, N.H. - Hanover girls volleyball came into Thursday night riding a five-match winning streak and playing in front of its home crowd. Gilford, which had been on a roll of its own, brought both runs to an end.

The Golden Eagles beat the Bears 3-1 in the quarterfinals of the tournament at the Hanover High School gym, ending Hanover’s season at 13-3 and sending Gilford to the semifinals.

It was a meeting of two teams on winning streaks. Hanover had not lost since a 0-3 setback against Oyster River on Oct. 9, and it had dropped only four sets during its five-match streak, which included a 3-1 road win at Hollis Brookline on Oct. 14, a 3-0 sweep of Fall Mountain on Oct. 19 and a 3-1 win over Merrimack Valley to close the regular season on Oct. 23. Thursday’s loss also ended a three-match home winning streak.

The Bears opened the tournament with a 3-1 home win over Milford on Tuesday, their second win over Milford this fall after a 3-2 decision on Oct. 6. Sage Farger ran the offense with 29 assists and added 16 digs in that match, and Casey Wilkinson anchored the back row with 19 digs and two aces.

Defense was the plan from the start. With several experienced front-row players gone from last year’s team, coach Avery Kretschmar said before the season that this group would have to win with defense. “Focusing on being scrappy, aggressive serves and strategic plays will be key for our success. We are focusing on making the smart play, not the most flashy one, to earn points and win matches,” Kretschmar said.

It worked for most of the fall. Hanover’s only losses before Thursday came in straight sets against Somersworth on Sept. 28 and Oyster River on Oct. 9, and the Bears finished with one more win than last year’s 12-5 team, which also saw its season end in the quarterfinals.

The result flips last season’s script against Gilford. Hanover beat the Golden Eagles twice in 2025, 3-0 on Sept. 26 and 3-1 on Oct. 24, but the two teams did not meet in the 2026 regular season until Thursday.

Gilford improves to 13-3 and has won four straight, including a 3-0 sweep of Coe-Brown in Tuesday’s opening round. The Golden Eagles, who also swept Oyster River on Oct. 14, play in the semifinals on Wednesday, Nov. 4, at 6 p.m. against the winner of Friday’s Somersworth-Kingswood quarterfinal. Somersworth handed Hanover one of its three losses this fall.

Other relevant play on Thursday, October 29:

Laconia 0 at Oyster River 3 Oyster River, the defending champion and one of the teams that beat Hanover this fall, swept Laconia and meets Hollis Brookline in the semifinals on Wednesday, Nov. 4.

Hollis Brookline 3 at Souhegan 1 Hollis Brookline, which Hanover beat 3-1 on Oct. 14, won on the road to reach the semifinals against Oyster River.

That wraps up the day for Hanover High School sports. We’ll see you next time!

HANOVER, N.H. - Hanover boys soccer opened its tournament run the same way it has won all season: one goal at one end, nothing allowed at the other. The Bears beat Concord 1-0 at home Wednesday evening in the opening round of the tournament.

It was Hanover’s 13th shutout of the fall, and it settled some unfinished business. The two teams played to a 0-0 draw at Concord on Sept. 8, one of only two games all season in which the Bears were held without a goal. This time Hanover found the one goal it needed and let its defense do the rest.

Concord was the last team into the field. The Crimson Tide clinched a spot on the final night of the regular season with a 1-0 win at Keene, and their season ends at 5-8-4.

Hanover improves to 13-2-2 and bounces back from a 0-2 loss to unbeaten Nashua South in its regular-season finale on Oct. 22. The Bears have allowed just eight goals in 17 games, and their only other loss came at Manchester Memorial on Oct. 1.

Up next is a quarterfinal at home against Londonderry, which edged Pinkerton 1-0 on Wednesday. Hanover beat Pinkerton by the same score on Oct. 8. The quarterfinals are where the Bears’ season ended a year ago, on penalty kicks against Bishop Guertin, so Saturday is a chance for this group to go further.

Coach Lucas Richardson set the target before the season. “If we stay committed to improving daily, remain resilient and positive while working out the kinks and establish our ability to both press the opposition and maintain possession once we win the ball, we will be in a great position in October,” he said. It is the last week of October, and the Bears are still playing.

Hanover boys soccer is next at home against Londonderry in the quarterfinals on Saturday, October 31, at 3 p.m.

Other relevant play on Wednesday, October 28:

Pinkerton 0 at Londonderry 1 Londonderry, Hanover’s quarterfinal opponent, edged Pinkerton, which the Bears beat 1-0 on Oct. 8.

Goffstown 1 at Manchester Memorial 3 Memorial, which handed Hanover one of its two losses, moved on.

Dover 0 at Bedford 7 Bedford, which tied Hanover 2-2 on Oct. 13, rolled at home.

Bishop Guertin 1 at Exeter 5 Exeter ended the season of Bishop Guertin, which Hanover beat 5-0 on Oct. 20.

Salem 2 at Merrimack 3 Merrimack, which Hanover beat 1-0 on Sept. 15, edged Salem.

Winnacunnet 2 at Windham 0 Winnacunnet won on the road.

That wraps up the day for Hanover High School sports. We’ll see you next time!

NASHUA, N.H. - Down two goals with about nine minutes to play, Hanover girls soccer won a free kick 30 yards from goal. Senior Sami Daigle stepped up and powered it straight into the back of the net, and suddenly the Bears had a one-goal game and a real chance.

Bishop Guertin held on. The eighth-seeded Cardinals beat ninth-seeded Hanover 2-1 at Stellos Stadium on Tuesday afternoon in the opening round of the tournament, ending the Bears’ season.

Both teams had chances in a scoreless first half. Freshman Tess Palm forced a turnover in Bishop Guertin’s end and sent senior Maeve Bradley in behind the defense, but Bradley’s shot was saved by sophomore goalie Ella Calder. Three minutes later, sophomore Alienor Baertschiger slipped a through ball to senior Cassidy Loughman, who used her speed to get past her defender before mishitting her shot. At the other end, Hanover goalie Beya Kelley tipped a long-range try from Zoe Horton-Sousa over the crossbar to keep it 0-0.

The Cardinals broke through with 30 minutes left. After a blocked shot, the ball rolled back to junior Kareena Sondhi, who rocketed it into the net for a 1-0 lead. Sondhi started the second goal too, sending in a low cross that led to a handball in the box, and senior Emerson Brown converted the penalty kick with a little more than 12 minutes to go.

Daigle’s strike gave Hanover life, but Bishop Guertin kept the Bears from finding another quality chance at the equalizer.

“It was a good game,” Hanover coach Doug Kennedy said. “We came in with a plan in the first half and we made that work. We felt good going into the second half and I think we had a couple of passes that didn’t quite go where we wanted, which wasn’t enough against a good team like Bishop Guertin.”

It was the second time in eight days the Cardinals got the better of Hanover in Nashua. Bishop Guertin won the regular-season meeting 2-0 on Oct. 20. Tuesday’s win was the Cardinals’ sixth straight, and they move on to face top-seeded Pinkerton, which beat Hanover 3-0 this fall, on Friday.

Hanover finishes 7-6-2. Before the season, Kennedy said the senior class would decide how far this team could go. “Our seniors will be the key to our performance; if they fully commit themselves to all aspects of play, we will do well,” he said.

After Tuesday’s game, he talked about what that class became. “It was an interesting group,” Kennedy said. “We had a group of 12 seniors and they were all very different people. They came together and were able to coalesce and put together this effort tonight. They weren’t necessarily all from the same friend group to begin with, but they found out how to be a team.”

Other relevant play on Tuesday, October 27:

Timberlane 1 at Exeter 8 Exeter rolled into the quarterfinals.

Merrimack 0 at Winnacunnet 6 Winnacunnet cruised at home.

Londonderry 1 at Dover 0 Londonderry won a one-goal game at Dover, which played Hanover to a 0-0 draw this fall.

Concord 0 at Goffstown 6 Goffstown rolled at home.

Windham 1 at Portsmouth 2 Portsmouth edged Windham to move on.

Hanover vs. Milford | Tuesday, October 27

Hanover girls volleyball’s tournament run is off and rolling. The Bears beat Milford 3-1 at home Tuesday night in the opening round of the tournament for their fifth straight win.

Hanover improves to 13-2 and has not lost since a 0-3 setback against Oyster River on Oct. 9. The Bears have dropped only four sets during the five-match streak. Milford, which came in at 3-10, finishes 3-11.

Next up is Gilford, which swept Coe-Brown on Tuesday to set up a quarterfinal in Hanover. A year ago the Bears’ season ended in the quarterfinals, so Thursday night is a chance for this group to go one step further.

Coach Avery Kretschmar built this team around defense and smart play. “We are focusing on making the smart play, not the most flashy one, to earn points and win matches,” Kretschmar said before the season.

Hanover girls volleyball is next at home against Gilford in the quarterfinals on Thursday, October 29, at 6 p.m.

Other relevant play on Tuesday, October 27:

Coe-Brown 0 at Gilford 3 Gilford, Hanover’s quarterfinal opponent, swept Coe-Brown.

Plymouth 0 at Oyster River 3 Defending champion Oyster River, one of two teams to beat Hanover this fall, swept Plymouth.

Fall Mountain 1 at Laconia 3 Laconia moves on to face Oyster River.

ConVal 1 at Kingswood 3 Kingswood won at home.

Manchester West 0 at Souhegan 3 Souhegan swept Manchester West.

Hollis Brookline 3 at Campbell 2 Hollis Brookline won in five sets on the road.

Hanover vs. Bow at Bill Ball Stadium in Exeter | Tuesday, October 27

Hanover field hockey’s season ended one step short of the final. Second-seeded Bow beat the third-seeded Bears 3-1 in the semifinals Tuesday evening at Bill Ball Stadium in Exeter.

These two teams knew each other well. Bow edged Hanover 5-4 on Sept. 3, and Bow coach Sarah Vaughn expected Hanover’s quick-passing midfield to give her team trouble in the rematch. “Our defense needs to be on. That’s always been our focus: defense. Our offense takes care of the job lately,” Vaughn said before the game. Her defense delivered, holding a Hanover attack that had scored 87 goals in its first 16 games to a single goal.

The Bears came in at 13-2-1 on an eight-game winning streak, including a 5-0 quarterfinal win over Lebanon on Friday that was their fourth straight shutout. Their only losses this fall came against Bow, twice, and Pinkerton.

It was still a step forward. Hanover lost in the quarterfinals a year ago, and with nearly the same core back this fall, coach Mallory MacKenzie said before the season the team was “hoping for a big playoff run this year.” The Bears got to the final four.

Bow, playing in its fourth straight semifinal, moves on to face top-seeded and unbeaten Souhegan in the final on Saturday at 7 p.m. at Bedford High School. Souhegan, which tied Hanover 1-1 on Sept. 10, beat Bow in last year’s final.

Other relevant play on Tuesday, October 27:

St. Thomas Aquinas 1 at Souhegan 4 Top-seeded Souhegan stayed unbeaten and meets Bow in the final.

That wraps up the day for Hanover High School sports. We’ll see you next time!

HANOVER — For most of this season, Hanover football has won with its defense and waited on its offense. On Friday night, both showed up at full strength.

Hanover routed Hollis-Brookline 42-8, the Bears’ highest-scoring game of the season and their third straight win. Junior running back Jack Richardson led the way with four touchdowns. Quarterback EJ Frechette ran for one score and threw a touchdown pass to “Do-it-all” Dima Petrov as Hanover improved to 5-3.

The offense was balanced and lethal. Hanover hurt the Cavaliers on the ground with Richardson and through the air with Frechette, and it didn’t need many chances to turn drives into points. This was a team that had scored 20 or fewer points in six of its first seven games. That included a 9-6 win at Kingswood the week before, in which points were hard to come by.

The defense was strong as usual. The only points Hollis-Brookline managed were one score, well into the second half with the game already decided. Through eight games, Hanover has allowed just 89 points, about 11 per game, one of the best marks in Division II. Its three losses, to Plymouth, Milford and Souhegan, came by a combined 19 points.

The Cavaliers, now 1-7, are among the weakest teams in the division this year, so the score should be read with some caution. But the result was exactly what a playoff team should produce against an overmatched opponent. It also came at the right time.

Where the playoff picture stands

Hanover enters the final week as the No. 3 team in our Division II power rankings, with a rating of 80.4 out of 100. The ranking combines scoring margin adjusted for opponents, NHIAA-style point rating, record, matchup quality and strength of schedule. Unbeaten Souhegan (94.7) and Plymouth (93.5) are in a tier of their own.

Hanover and Pelham’s schedules rank as the toughest in Division II. Pelham’s composite power rating is slightly higher at 82.6, but Hanover ranks ahead of the Pythons because the two are statistically very close and the Bears beat the Pythons 12-7 on Sept. 18. Merrimack Valley (78.4), on the other hand, is fifth despite a 7-1 record, largely because it has of one of the division’s softest schedules.

Friday’s weekend helped Hanover beyond its own victory. Pelham lost 21-7 at Souhegan, and Milford fell 36-35 to ConVal. That left Hanover and Pelham tied in the NHIAA-style point rating, with Hanover holding the head-to-head tiebreaker.

Our playoff simulation, which calculated all 256 possible outcomes of the eight remaining Division II games, gives Hanover a 100% chance of making the eight-team field. The real question is where the Bears will be seeded, and that is now almost entirely in their own hands.

Plymouth and Souhegan are virtually locked into the top two seeds, and Merrimack Valley is the No. 3 seed in more than 99% of outcomes. Behind them, the last two playoff spots are wide open. John Stark, Kingswood, Milford and Kennett each have somewhere between a 40% and 62% chance. Kingswood and Kennett play each other Friday in what amounts to an elimination game.

Everything rides on Manchester West

Hanover closes the regular season Friday night at Manchester West, and the outcome will decide its seed.

The Blue Knights are 5-3 and come off a 17-14 loss at John Stark. They are also the most direct comparison Hanover has faced all year. Both teams lost to Souhegan, and both beat ConVal and John Stark. Against the other common opponents, the results split in opposite directions. Hanover beat Pelham 12-7 while West lost to the Pythons 35-24. Hanover was shut out 7-0 by Milford, while West beat the Spartans 27-16.

West has shown more scoring ability over the course of the season. Hanover has relied on its defense. Friday will test whether the Bears’ offensive breakout against Hollis-Brookline can carry over against a much stronger opponent.

The scenarios are clear:

If Hanover wins, it is the No. 4 seed in 99.6% of simulated outcomes. That means the Bears would host a quarterfinal, most likely a rematch with No. 5 Pelham. A win over a five-win West team would raise Hanover’s point rating to about 11.56. Pelham could reach only about 11.33 even with a win over Milford.

If Hanover loses, it drops to the No. 6 seed in every simulated outcome and would travel to No. 3 Merrimack Valley. A West win would not just add a loss to Hanover’s record. It would also lift both West and Pelham past the Bears in the point rating, because Pelham earns credit for having beaten West earlier.

The simulation gives Hanover about a 60% chance of winning Friday. That puts the overall odds at roughly 60% for the No. 4 seed and 40% for No. 6.

A month ago, after a 2-3 start, the question was whether Hanover would get into the playoffs at all. The defense answered that. Friday’s 42-point performance was the strongest sign yet that the offense can make Hanover more than just a playoff team.

A win at Manchester West would mean a home playoff game and a four-game winning streak heading into November.

HANOVER, N.H. - Hanover field hockey is headed to the semifinals. The third-seeded Bears beat sixth-seeded Lebanon 5-0 at home Friday afternoon in the quarterfinals of the playoffs, completing a season sweep of their Upper Valley neighbors.

It was the second time this fall Hanover kept Lebanon off the scoreboard. The Bears won the first meeting 8-0 on Sept. 1, when Sophia Mancini scored three times and Anya Nyhan, Grace Healey, Joia Collins, Anna Farrell and Chloe Dalle each added a goal. Across the two games, Hanover outscored the Raiders 13-0.

Lebanon came in with momentum after a 1-0 win over Merrimack Valley in Tuesday’s opening round, decided by a goal with a minute left in regulation. Hanover, which had a first-round bye, never let the Raiders find that kind of moment on Friday.

The Bears improve to 13-2-1. Friday was their 11th shutout of the season and their fourth in a row, and they have won eight straight since a 1-3 loss at Pinkerton on Sept. 19. Hanover has scored 87 goals in 16 games and allowed just 11.

Next up is a rematch with one of the two teams that has beaten Hanover. Second-seeded Bow (15-1) edged the Bears 5-4 on Sept. 3, and Bow rolled past Oyster River 5-0 in its own quarterfinal Friday.

Hanover lost in the quarterfinals last season, and coach Mallory MacKenzie made this group’s goal clear before the season. “We only graduated one senior (goalkeeper) last year, so we’re essentially the same core group, just working on fine-tuning this year. Hoping for a big playoff run this year,” MacKenzie said.

Top-seeded and unbeaten Souhegan, which Hanover tied 1-1 on Sept. 10, meets fourth-seeded St. Thomas in the other semifinal.

Hanover field hockey is next against Bow in the semifinals on Tuesday, October 27, at 5 p.m. at Bill Ball Stadium in Exeter.

Other relevant play on Friday, October 23:

Kingswood (9-8-1) 2 at Souhegan (15-0-2) 3 Top-seeded Souhegan stayed unbeaten with a one-goal win over Kingswood, which Hanover beat 7-1.

Plymouth (8-7-1) 1 at St. Thomas (10-5) 2 Fourth-seeded St. Thomas edged Plymouth, which Hanover beat 3-1, to reach the semifinals.

Oyster River (8-8-1) 0 at Bow (15-1) 5 Bow, Hanover’s semifinal opponent, cruised past Oyster River, which the Bears beat 6-0.

Hanover vs. Hollis Brookline | Friday, October 23

Hanover football’s offense picked a good night to break out. The Bears rolled past Hollis Brookline 42-8 on senior night at home, their highest point total of the season.

Points had been the question coming in. Hanover scored 20 at John Stark and nine against Kingswood in its previous two wins, leaning on its defense. The Bears’ previous season high was 34 in a win at ConVal.

The defense held up its end again. Hanover has allowed 17 points combined over its last three games, and no opponent has scored more than 22 against the Bears all season.

Hanover has won three straight and five of six after an 0-2 start, moving to 5-3. Hollis Brookline drops to 1-7. Up next is a road trip to Manchester West, which is 5-2.

Hanover football is next at Manchester West on Friday, October 30, at 7 p.m.

Other relevant play on Friday, October 23:

Pelham (5-3) 7 at Souhegan (8-0) 21 Souhegan, which beat Hanover 18-13, stayed unbeaten.

ConVal (3-5) 36 at Milford (4-4) 35 ConVal, which Hanover beat 34-22, won by a point at Milford, which shut out the Bears 7-0.

St. Thomas (2-6) 20 at Kingswood (4-4) 34 Kingswood, which Hanover edged 9-6 last week, won at home.

Hanover vs. Merrimack Valley | Friday, October 23

Hanover girls volleyball closed its regular season the way it spent most of the fall, with a win. The Bears beat Merrimack Valley 3-1 at home Friday night.

Hanover finishes the regular season 14-2, two more wins than last year’s 12-5 team that fell in the quarterfinals. The Bears have won four straight since a 0-3 loss to Oyster River on Oct. 9, and their only other loss came against Somersworth on Sept. 28. Merrimack Valley drops to 3-13.

Coach Avery Kretschmar expected a defense-first team before the season. “With the matriculation of seasoned front-row players last season, we will have to be a heavy defense-focused team. Focusing on being scrappy, aggressive serves and strategic plays will be key for our success. We are focusing on making the smart play, not the most flashy one, to earn points and win matches,” Kretschmar said.

The Bears now wait for their tournament seeding.

Other relevant play on Friday, October 23:

Hollis Brookline (8-8) 1 at Somersworth (16-1) 3 Somersworth, one of only two teams to beat Hanover, won again at home.

Coe-Brown (8-8) 3 at Oyster River (14-2) 2 Oyster River, which handed Hanover its other loss, fell at home to Coe-Brown.

That wraps up the day for Hanover High School sports. We’ll see you next time!

Hollis-Brookline at Hanover | Friday, Oct. 23 | 7 p.m.

After two weeks on the road, Hanover High football returns home Friday night with two more victories, a winning record and a defense that has increasingly established what the Bears can count on.

The bigger question is on the other side of the ball.

Hanover hosts Hollis-Brookline at 7 p.m. Friday after beating John Stark 20-3 and Kingswood 9-6 on consecutive road trips. The wins have improved Hanover to 4-3 overall and 3-2 in Division II after an 0-2 start. Hollis-Brookline enters the game 1-6 overall and 0-5 in division play.

At this point, Hanover’s defense has become the team’s constant. The offense remains inconsistent at best, capable of moving the football effectively, even explosively at times, but too often unable to sustain long drives.

Developing a more consistent running game, getting steadier production through the air and winning individual battles are things that come through hard work, grit and fierce competition. There is, however, some low-hanging fruit: Hanover needs to stop neutralizing its own big plays with penalties.

Flags have repeatedly erased some of the Bears’ best offensive plays this season. For an offense that hasn’t consistently generated points, those mistakes are particularly costly. Rather than turning a big play into momentum, Hanover too often finds itself moving backward and again asking its defense to protect a narrow margin.

The Bears’ last two games illustrated both sides of that equation.

Two road wins, two different offensive performances

At John Stark, Hanover generated most of its offense through the passing game while getting relatively little from its rushing attack. It was enough because the defense left plenty of margin for error. Hanover held John Stark to just three points and came away with a convincing 20-3 victory, an important response following an 18-13 loss to Souhegan the previous week.

A week later at Kingswood, the equation flipped. Hanover ran the football considerably better, but the passing game was lackluster and the Bears generated just 123 yards of total offense. By contrast, Kingswood finished with 313 yards and yet Hanover somehow found a way to leave Wolfeboro with a 9-6 victory.

Kingswood running back Dean Porter carried 37 times for 207 yards, accounting for substantially more yardage by himself than Hanover produced as an entire offense. But the Bears forced four turnovers, repeatedly preventing Kingswood from converting its advantage in yardage into points.

When Porter’s success on the ground became an increasingly serious problem, Hanover defensive coordinator Mike Ivanoski made a critical halftime adjustment. Ivanoski shifted the Bears into a five-man front for the second half, putting another defender at the line of scrimmage and significantly limiting Porter’s effectiveness after the change, forcing Kingswood to rely on throwing the football. Hanover’s players executed the adjustment by containing Porter, pressuring the quarterback and continuing to create turnovers to protect a three-point lead.

Defense has given Hanover a chance every week

The Kingswood performance was hardly an aberration. Hanover has surrendered only 81 points through seven games, and no opponent has scored more than 22. John Stark and Kingswood combined for just nine points over the last two weeks, which has allowed the Bears to weather considerable inconsistency on offense.

Hanover’s 34-point performance at ConVal demonstrated what Hanover’s offense is capable of when everything clicks, with quarterback EJ Frechette and Peak Temple connecting for several big plays. But subsequent games have made that performance look more like an example of the offense’s potential than the emergence of a consistently explosive attack.

Even during the current winning streak, each part of the offense seems to take turns working. At John Stark, the passing game carried most of the load while the running game struggled. At Kingswood, the running game improved while the passing game struggled. What Hanover hasn’t done consistently is put the pieces together.

The low-hanging fruit is discipline

There isn’t necessarily a schematic change that suddenly turns Hanover into a high-scoring offense.

The beautiful thing about football is that it almost never rests on individual performances alone. A more dependable running game requires a team effort that has to be earned by every man on the field, starting with grit and competition in the trenches and ending downfield as effort and blocks are sustained through the whistle. A more consistent passing game requires complex coordination. Blocking, route-running, reads and execution all have to come together to find success. Those gains require hard work and a lot of practice.

Penalties are different.

If there has been one particularly frustrating constant in an otherwise inconsistent offense, it has been the Bears’ ability to wipe out some of their own best plays with flags.

For a team playing the type of games Hanover has played, the consequences are magnified. A big gain erased by a penalty can turn a promising drive into a punt. A touchdown called back can be the difference between playing from ahead and once again asking the defense to preserve a one-score game.

The lesson should be straightforward: Make the opponent stop you. Don’t do it for them.

The Kingswood game provides the most extreme example of why that matters. Hanover found a way to win despite being outgained 313-123. Its defense compensated for that disparity by producing four turnovers. That is a tremendous defensive effort. It may not be a winning formula the Bears can depend upon against the best teams in the state.

Hollis-Brookline offers an opportunity

Friday night could provide an opportunity for the offense to take a step forward.

On paper, Hanover should be favored. Hollis-Brookline is 1-6 overall and 0-5 in Division II, while Hanover is 4-3. Against five common opponents - Milford, Pelham, ConVal, John Stark and Souhegan - Hanover went 3-2 while Hollis-Brookline went 0-5.

Hanover has surrendered 81 points. Hollis-Brookline has allowed 261. Interestingly, however, Hollis-Brookline has actually scored more points than Hanover, 126 to 99. That should be enough to get Hanover’s attention.

The Bears don’t necessarily need an offensive explosion Friday night. Their defense has repeatedly demonstrated its ability to keep games manageable. What Hanover needs is something simpler: a cleaner and more complete offensive performance.

Can the Bears establish the running game without becoming one-dimensional? Can the passing attack produce consistently enough to prevent Hollis-Brookline from loading up against the run? Can Hanover sustain drives and finish them? And perhaps most importantly, can the Bears stop erasing their own successful plays?

From 0-2 to an important final stretch

Those questions shouldn’t obscure how much Hanover has accomplished since the beginning of the season. The Bears were 0-2 following the loss at Milford and had scored just 11 points. Since then, they are 4-1. In that time, they have learned how to win close games. They have responded well to some tough losses. Their defense has shown an ability not only to execute a game plan, but to adjust when an opponent finds something that works. The Kingswood victory might be the best demonstration of that grit yet.

For the Bears to become playoff contenders, the offense needs to show similar growth. Some of that improvement will require exactly what improvement in football usually requires: hard work, grit and fierce competition. There are no shortcuts to becoming more physical, more consistent or better at executing.

Hanover has shown that it can play with the elite teams in the division. But the Bears can stop erasing their own good plays, make the opponent earn its stops, and in doing so give a very good defense a little more help. If Hanover can begin doing that Friday night, the Bears may enter the final week of the regular season not simply with another victory, but looking considerably more like the complete football team they have occasionally shown they can become. If they can accomplish that over the next two weeks, the Bears have a real chance at chasing a title.

HANOVER, N.H. - Hanover boys soccer ran into an unbeaten buzzsaw on Thursday afternoon. Nashua South beat the Bears 2-0 in Hanover, ending Hanover’s 13-game home winning streak, a run that dated back to last season.

It was the Bears’ first home loss of the fall. The Panthers came in rolling, fresh off an 8-1 win at Manchester Central on Tuesday, and Thursday was their fifth straight win. Nashua South (15-0-1) has now won seven of its last eight games on the road and scored 33 goals over that stretch.

Hanover moves to 12-2-2. Even with the loss, defense has carried the Bears all fall. They have posted 12 shutouts in 16 games and allowed just eight goals all season while scoring 49. Thursday was only the second time Hanover was held without a goal; the other was a 0-0 draw at Concord on Sept. 8.

Both of Hanover’s losses have come against strong teams. The other was a 1-3 result at Manchester Memorial on Oct. 1, and the Bears also tied Bedford 2-2 on Oct. 13. Two days before Thursday’s game, Hanover rolled past Bishop Guertin 5-0, the team that knocked the Bears out of last year’s quarterfinals on penalty kicks.

Coach Lucas Richardson talked about resilience before the season. “Patience and positivity are key for us to have a successful season. This team knows how to work hard. If we stay committed to improving daily, remain resilient and positive while working out the kinks and establish our ability to both press the opposition and maintain possession once we win the ball, we will be in a great position in October,” he said.

Thursday was Hanover’s regular-season finale, and October is here. The Bears head into the tournament with one of the best records in their division.

Other relevant play on Thursday, October 22:

Winnacunnet (7-5-4) 2 at Bishop Guertin (5-7-4) 0 Bishop Guertin, which Hanover beat 5-0 on Tuesday, fell at home.

Bedford (12-2-2) 1 at Manchester Memorial (10-3-3) 0 Bedford, which tied Hanover 2-2 on Oct. 13, won at Memorial, which handed the Bears their other loss.

Hanover at Nashua South | Thursday, October 22

Hanover girls soccer bounced back in a big way Thursday night, winning 3-0 at Nashua South at Stellos Stadium in Nashua.

The win snapped a four-game winless stretch for the Bears, who had gone 0-3-1 and scored just one goal in that span, including a 0-2 loss at Bishop Guertin on Tuesday. On Thursday they scored three times and kept a clean sheet.

Hanover moves to 8-6-2, already one more win than last season’s 7-8-2 team. It was the Bears’ fourth shutout win of the fall, joining 4-0 wins over Nashua North and Salem and a 7-0 win over Keene. Nashua South, playing its season finale, drops to 4-8-4 with back-to-back losses.

Coach Doug Kennedy put the season on his senior class before it started. “We have the athleticism and experience to produce a strong team this fall. Our seniors will be the key to our performance; if they fully commit themselves to all aspects of play, we will do well,” he said.

Other relevant play on Thursday, October 22:

Bishop Guertin (9-7) 1 at Winnacunnet (13-2-1) 0 Bishop Guertin, which beat Hanover 2-0 on Tuesday, won on the road for its fourth straight win.

Merrimack (7-8-1) 2 at Goffstown (13-1-2) 9 Goffstown, which beat Hanover 4-0 on Sept. 19, poured it on at home.

That wraps up the day for Hanover High School sports. We’ll see you next time!

HANOVER — When Hanover and Lebanon met on Sept. 1, the result left little doubt. Hanover scored early and often on its way to an 8-0 victory, one of the first indications that the Bears might be poised for a special season. Sophia Mancini scored three times, while Anya Nyhan, Grace Healey, Joia Collins, Anna Farrell and Chloe Dalle each added a goal.

Nearly two months later, the stakes and circumstances will be considerably different. Third-seeded Hanover hosts No. 6 Lebanon at 3 p.m. Friday in the NHIAA Division II quarterfinals, with the winner advancing to Tuesday’s state semifinals at Bill Ball Stadium in Exeter. Lebanon earned the rematch by surviving Merrimack Valley 1-0 in Tuesday’s preliminary round, while Hanover received a first-round bye.

The early-season score makes Hanover the obvious favorite, but it would be a mistake to assume Friday will simply be a repeat of September. Lebanon has shown consistent improvement over the course of the season and arrives in Hanover having already won an elimination game. The Raiders’ 1-0 win Tuesday was a long way from the type of game Hanover encountered in the first meeting, and Friday gives Lebanon an opportunity to measure how far it has come against the team that handed it its most lopsided early-season result.

For Hanover, meanwhile, the quarterfinal begins what the Bears hope will be a much longer postseason run.

A season that changed expectations

Hanover has developed from a Division II contender into one of the state’s better teams regardless of classification. The Bears enter the tournament ranked No. 8 in the statewide coaches poll across all three NHIAA divisions, an important distinction for a Division II program competing for recognition with the state’s largest schools.

Hanover’s résumé backs up the recognition. The Bears lost only twice during the regular season, and their performances against elite opposition showed that they are capable of playing with virtually anyone they might encounter in the tournament.

Perhaps the best example came against unbeaten Souhegan (No. 2 statewide). Hanover went on the road and played the eventual No. 1 seed in Division II to a 1-1 tie, taking the lead on an Anna Farrell goal before Souhegan finally equalized in the fourth quarter. Hanover’s other critical test against a Division II championship contender came at Bow, where the Bears fell just short in a 5-4 loss. Bow (No. 5 statewide) finished 14-1 and secured the No. 2 seed.

Hanover’s other loss came against Pinkerton (No. 3), which finished 13-1-2 and earned the No. 2 seed in Division I. Taken together, those games helped establish Hanover as something more than a team that piled up wins against lesser competition. The Bears have been tested against the state’s best teams and have competed well in each match.

That is a significant change from a year ago, when Hanover finished 11-6 and saw its season end in the Division II quarterfinals. This year’s team enters the same round with substantially greater expectations.

Plenty of offense, but more than one scorer

The Bears have shown an ability to overwhelm opponents offensively. They scored nine against ConVal, eight against Lebanon and Pembroke, seven against Kingswood, six against Oyster River and five against both Milford and John Stark during the regular season.

Mancini has been the most dangerous individual piece of that attack. In addition to her hat trick against Lebanon, she scored twice in Hanover’s season-opening 4-0 win over Hollis Brookline and erupted for five goals in a 7-1 victory over Kingswood. But Hanover’s offense has also shown considerable balance. Five players other than Mancini scored in the first Lebanon game alone, which presents a more difficult challenge than simply trying to contain Hanover’s leading scoring threat.

There is a defensive component to Hanover’s success as well. The Bears opened the year by shutting out Hollis Brookline, and coach Mallory MacKenzie pointed afterward to the team’s preseason emphasis on defense and transferring the ball from one side of the field to the other. That foundation has complemented the scoring production throughout the fall.

Lebanon gets another shot

Friday’s most intriguing question may be how much can be learned from the first Hanover-Lebanon game. Hanover should take confidence from it. An 8-0 result is too decisive to dismiss, especially when six different Bears scored. But Lebanon’s season did not stop on Sept. 1, and the team coming to Hanover Friday has had most of the fall to develop since that meeting.

The Raiders also now have something Hanover does not: a 2026 playoff game under their belts. Tuesday’s 1-0 victory over Merrimack Valley wasn’t flashy, but style points become irrelevant this time of year. Lebanon did what postseason teams have to do. It found a way to advance.

That makes the matchup more compelling than the regular-season score might suggest. Hanover has the better résumé, the higher seed, home-field advantage and the confidence that comes from having already beaten Lebanon. The Raiders counter with the familiarity of a local rival, steady improvement since the teams last met and the momentum of a playoff victory.

For Hanover, there is another challenge as well: looking no further than Friday. The bracket makes it tempting. Should Hanover advance and No. 2 Bow win its quarterfinal, the Bears would get another shot at the team that beat them 5-4 during the regular season in Tuesday’s state semifinal. Unbeaten No. 1 Souhegan is on the opposite side of the bracket, meaning the Bears couldn’t face the Sabers again until the championship game.

Those possibilities help explain why there is legitimate excitement surrounding this Hanover team. The Bears aren’t simply the No. 3 seed in Division II. They are ranked among the top 10 field hockey teams in New Hampshire across all divisions, and they have already demonstrated that they can go toe-to-toe with the two teams seeded ahead of them.

But none of those possibilities matter without Friday.

Hanover has championship aspirations. Lebanon has an opportunity to show just how far it has come. And this time, the Upper Valley rivals will meet with one team’s season ending when the game is over.

HANOVER, N.H. - Hanover boys soccer rolled past Bishop Guertin 5-0 at home Tuesday night, a statement win against the team that ended the Bears’ season a year ago.

Bishop Guertin knocked Hanover out of last fall’s quarterfinals on penalty kicks, and coach Lucas Richardson pointed to that game before this season began. “With 10 juniors returning and a core group that has been playing together for years, we have an experienced team that is eager to improve on last year’s quarterfinal PK loss to Bishop Guertin,” he said.

The Bears improve to 12-1-2, while Bishop Guertin falls to 5-6-4. Hanover is unbeaten in five games since its only loss of the fall, a 1-3 result at Manchester Memorial on Oct. 1, and it is perfect at home this season. The win extended a home winning streak that dates back to last season to 13 games.

The defense has been the story all fall. Tuesday was Hanover’s 12th shutout in 15 games, and the Bears have allowed just six goals all season while scoring 49. Hanover has already locked up a playoff berth.

Hanover boys soccer is next at home against unbeaten Nashua South on Thursday, October 22, at 4 p.m.

Other relevant play on Tuesday, October 20:

Nashua South (14-0-1) 8 at Manchester Central (1-13-1) 1 Nashua South, Hanover’s next opponent, stayed unbeaten with a big road win.

Bedford (11-2-2) 6 at Keene (4-11) 0 Bedford, which tied Hanover 2-2 on Oct. 13, rolled on the road.

Hanover at Bishop Guertin | Tuesday, October 20

Hanover girls soccer fell 0-2 at Bishop Guertin on Tuesday night in Nashua.

Goals have been hard to come by for the Bears lately. Hanover has scored one goal or fewer in four straight games and has been shut out in three of them, going 0-3-1 in that stretch: 0-3 at Pinkerton, 1-2 against Bedford, 0-0 against Dover and Tuesday’s loss.

The Bears move to 7-6-2, while Bishop Guertin improves to 8-7 with its third straight win.

Hanover girls soccer is next at Nashua South on Thursday, October 22, at 6 p.m.

Other relevant play on Tuesday, October 20:

Manchester Central-West (0-15) 0 at Nashua South (4-7-4) 4 Nashua South, Hanover’s next opponent, won at home.

Pinkerton (14-0-1) 5 at Windham (6-6-3) 0 Pinkerton, which beat Hanover 3-0 on Oct. 8, stayed unbeaten on the road.

That wraps up the day for Hanover High School sports. We’ll see you next time!

HANOVER, N.H. - Hanover volleyball swept Fall Mountain 3-0 at home Monday night for its third straight win.

Senior Bella Poisson led the Bears with 15 kills, six digs and five aces. Senior Sage Farger added 20 assists, seven digs and four aces, Amelia McGinnis had 10 digs and two aces, and M. Walters hit .800 with four kills and a block. As a team, Hanover finished with 28 kills and 18 aces.

The Bears improve to 13-2, while Fall Mountain falls to 8-7 after its third straight loss. Hanover’s only losses this season have come against Somersworth and Oyster River, and the Bears have won three in a row since the Oct. 9 home loss to Oyster River.

Hanover volleyball is next at home against Merrimack Valley on Friday, October 23, at 6 p.m.

Other relevant play on Monday, October 19:

Oyster River (14-1) 3 at Pelham (2-13) 0 Oyster River, one of two teams to beat Hanover this season, swept on the road in their division.

Somersworth (14-1) 3 at ConVal (8-7) 2 Somersworth, the other team to beat Hanover, won a five-set match on the road against a ConVal team the Bears swept on Sept. 21.

Plymouth (5-10) 0 at Manchester Central (8-6) 3 Manchester Central, which Hanover beat on Friday, swept a Plymouth team the Bears also beat in September.

That wraps up the day for Hanover High School sports. We’ll see you next time!

WOLFEBORO, N.H. - Hanover football won a defensive battle on the road Friday night, edging Kingswood 9-6.

The Bears improve to 4-3, while Kingswood falls to 3-4. It was Hanover's second straight win after a 20-3 victory at John Stark last Saturday, and the Bears have won three of their last four games. Hanover's defense has allowed just nine points over the last two weeks, and the win puts the Bears over .500 for the first time this season.

Hanover football is next at home against Hollis-Brookline on Friday, October 23, at 7 p.m.

Other relevant play on Friday, October 16:

Pembroke (1-6) 0 at Hollis-Brookline (1-6) 32 Hollis-Brookline, Hanover's next opponent, picked up its first win of the season.

Trinity (0-7) 8 at Souhegan (7-0) 49 Souhegan, which beat Hanover on Oct. 2, stayed unbeaten.

Hanover hosts conference championship, Norwich | Friday, October 16

Hanover swept the team titles at the conference cross country championship it hosted Friday at Dresden Athletic Fields in Norwich, Vt.

The Hanover boys won with 29 points, ahead of Keene (37), Lebanon (73), and Monadnock (84). Teddy White led the Bears in second place overall in 16:27.2, just behind individual winner Elijah Bodanza of Fall Mountain (16:22.9). Dylan Faris was fourth in 17:13.0, Alexander Collins fifth in 17:23.2, Rohan Novosad 10th in 17:52.0, and Jesse Bardach 13th in 18:07.1.

The Hanover girls won with 26 points, ahead of Lebanon (38) and Keene (66). Aria Deeb was second overall in 19:05.3, Alice Bell fourth in 19:53.2, Ari Hirschler sixth in 20:33.9, Mia Sverrild seventh in 20:34.4, and Edie Rojansky 10th in 20:45.2. Olive Hanissian (12th) and Grace Stewart (13th) also finished near the front for the Bears.

Hanover cross country is next at the state meet at Derryfield Park in Manchester on Saturday, October 31.

Hanover at Manchester Central | Friday, October 16

Hanover volleyball won 3-1 at Manchester Central on Friday, taking the match in four sets.

The Bears improve to 12-2, while Manchester Central falls to 6-6. Hanover has won two straight since a home loss to Oyster River on Oct. 9 and is now 8-0 on the road this fall.

Hanover volleyball is next at home against Fall Mountain on Monday, October 19, at 6 p.m.

Other relevant play on Friday, October 16:

Somersworth (13-1) 1 at Oyster River (13-1) 3 Oyster River handed Somersworth its first loss. They are the only two teams to beat Hanover this season.

Gilford (12-4) 3 at Kingswood (9-5) 1 Gilford won on the road in their division.

Hanover at home vs. Dover | Friday, October 16

Hanover girls soccer played Dover to a 0-0 draw at home Friday night, with neither side able to break through in either half.

The Bears move to 7-5-2, while Dover sits at 8-4-2. The draw stopped a two-game slide after losses to Pinkerton and Bedford, and it was Hanover's second scoreless tie of the season after a 0-0 result at Portsmouth on Sept. 24.

Hanover girls soccer is next at Bishop Guertin on Tuesday, October 20, at 6 p.m.

Other relevant play on Friday, October 16:

Timberlane (6-7-1) 2 at Manchester Central-West (0-14) 0 Timberlane, which Hanover edged 3-2 on Oct. 6, won on the road in their division.

That wraps up the day for Hanover High School sports. We'll see you next time!

HOLLIS, N.H. - Hanover volleyball won on the road Wednesday, beating Hollis-Brookline 3-1.

The Bears improve to 11-2, while Hollis-Brookline falls to 7-6. Hanover is back to winning after a loss to Oyster River and is 7-0 on the road this fall.

Hanover volleyball is next at Manchester Central on Friday, October 16, at 5:30 p.m.

Other relevant play on Wednesday, October 14:

Fall Mountain (8-5) 0 at Manchester Central (6-5) 3 Manchester Central, Hanover’s next opponent, blanked Fall Mountain at home.

Oyster River (12-1) 0 at Gilford (11-4) 3 Gilford upset one of the top teams in their division.

Previous day numbers are finally in: Hanover finished third at its division’s state team golf championship Tuesday at Canterbury Woods Country Club in Canterbury, shooting 41-over 401. Senior Julian Hart carded a 5-over 77 and tied for eighth to qualify for Saturday’s individuals at Beaver Meadow Golf Club in Concord. Ben Ames, Hayden Clapp, and Bruce Johnson each shot 80; Cooper Sobel, Jamie Coughlin, and Michael Anderson shot 84; Thomas Cramer shot 87.

That wraps up the day for Hanover High School sports. We’ll see you next time!

PEMBROKE, N.H. - Hanover field hockey closed out its regular season in style Tuesday, rolling to an 8-0 win at Pembroke. It was the Bears' third straight shutout.

Hanover finishes the regular season at 12-2-1, while Pembroke falls to 1-12. The Bears have won seven straight since a loss to Pinkerton on Sept. 19, outscoring opponents 36-1 over that stretch, and now turn their attention to the tournament, which begins Tuesday, Oct. 20.

Hanover at Bedford | Tuesday, October 13

Hanover boys soccer went to Bedford for a Tuesday night game between two of the top teams in the state and came away with a 2-2 tie.

The Bears move to 11-1-2 on the season, while Bedford sits at 10-2-2. Hanover is unbeaten in three games since its only loss of the fall, a 1-3 setback at Manchester Memorial on Oct. 1.

Hanover boys soccer is next at home against Bishop Guertin on Tuesday, October 20, at 6 p.m.

Other relevant play on Tuesday, October 13:

Manchester Memorial (9-2-3) 0 at Bishop Guertin (5-4-4) 0 Bishop Guertin, Hanover's next opponent, played to a scoreless tie with the only team to beat the Bears this fall.

Keene (4-9) 1 at Nashua South (12-0-1) 6 Nashua South stayed unbeaten in their division ahead of a trip to Hanover on Oct. 22.

Hanover at home vs. Bedford | Tuesday, October 13

Hanover girls soccer gave Bedford a battle at home Tuesday but fell 1-2. Bedford, one of the top teams in the state, won its 10th straight game.

The Bears move to 7-5-1 on the season, while Bedford improves to 12-1. It was Hanover's second straight loss after a 0-3 setback at unbeaten Pinkerton, and the Bears will look to get back on track at home Friday.

Hanover girls soccer is next at home against Dover on Friday, October 16, at 6 p.m.

Other relevant play on Tuesday, October 13:

Goffstown (11-1-1) 3 at Pinkerton (12-0-1) 3 Two teams that beat Hanover this season played to a tie in their division.

Windham (6-4-4) 0 at Exeter (11-2) 3 Exeter won at home in their division.

That wraps up the day for Hanover High School sports. We'll see you next time!

WEARE, N.H. - Hanover football got a road win Saturday afternoon, beating John Stark 20-3. The Marauders' defense held John Stark to a single field goal.

Hanover evens its record at 3-3 on the season, while John Stark falls to 2-4. The win keeps the Marauders in the mix in their division with the second half of the season underway.

Hanover football is next on the road at Kingswood on Friday, October 16, at 7 p.m.

That wraps up the day for Hanover High School sports. We'll see you next time!

HANOVER, N.H. - Hanover field hockey scored three times at home Friday and shut out Kennett 3-0. The Marauders move to 10-2-1 on the season, while Kennett falls to 3-10-1.

It was Hanover's 10th win of the fall, and the defense kept Kennett off the board all game. The Marauders keep building a strong record as the regular season heads into its final weeks.

Hanover field hockey is next on the road at Pembroke on Tuesday, October 13, at 4:00 p.m.

Other relevant play on Friday, October 9:

Oyster River 2, ConVal 1 Oyster River won a one-goal game at home in their division.

Kingswood 1 at Hollis Brookline 0 Kingswood won a one-goal game on the road in their division.

Newfound 2, Derryfield 2 Newfound and Derryfield played to a tie.

Oyster River at Hanover | Friday, October 9

Hanover volleyball fell 3-0 at home to unbeaten Oyster River on Friday. B. Poisson led the Marauders with 13 kills, and M. Walters added two blocks.

Hanover out-dug Oyster River 37-26, but Oyster River served 14 aces to Hanover's eight, and M. Dewire had nine kills for the visitors. The Marauders drop to 8-2, while Oyster River stays perfect at 12-0.

Hanover volleyball is next on the road at Hollis Brookline on Wednesday, October 14, at 6:30 p.m.

Other relevant play on Friday, October 9:

Plymouth 3, Merrimack Valley 0 Plymouth swept at home in their division.

Kingswood 3 at Coe-Brown 0 Kingswood swept on the road in their division.

John Stark 3, Sanborn 2 John Stark won a five-set match at home.

That wraps up the day for Hanover High School sports. We'll see you next time!

HANOVER, N.H. — Hanover boys soccer found a way to win a tight one at home Thursday, edging Pinkerton 1-0. One goal was all the Marauders needed, and they move to 12-1-1 on the season, while Pinkerton falls to 5-5-2.

It was the second straight home shutout for Hanover, which rolled past Timberlane 7-0 on Tuesday. The Marauders have now won 12 of their first 14 games and keep building one of the best records in the state as the regular season heads into its final weeks.

Hanover boys soccer is next on the road at Bedford on Tuesday, October 13, at 7:00 p.m.

Other relevant play on Thursday, October 8:

Goffstown 4 at Timberlane 1 Goffstown won on the road in their division.

Windham 2, Keene 1 Windham edged Keene in a one-goal game in their division.

Bedford 0 at Salem 0 Bedford, Hanover's next opponent, played to a scoreless tie on the road.

Hanover at Pinkerton | Thursday, October 8

Hanover girls soccer had a tough road test Thursday and fell 3-0 at Pinkerton in Derry. Pinkerton has not lost all season, and the Marauders could not find the net in a non-conference game.

Hanover drops to 6-4-1 on the season and comes home next week looking to get back on track.

Hanover girls soccer is next at home against Bedford on Tuesday, October 13, at 4:00 p.m.

Other relevant play on Thursday, October 8:

Londonderry 1, Nashua South 0 Londonderry won a one-goal game in their division.

Kingswood 3 at St. Thomas Aquinas 2 Kingswood edged St. Thomas Aquinas on the road.

That wraps up the day for Hanover High School sports. We'll see you next time!

HANOVER, N.H. — Hanover boys soccer bounced back in a big way at home Tuesday, rolling past Timberlane 7-0. The Marauders move to 10-1-1, while Timberlane falls to 1-10-1.

The win came after a road loss last Thursday, and it kept a long run going on the home field. It was Hanover's 11th straight home win dating back to last season, and the Marauders have scored 44 goals in that stretch.

Hanover boys soccer is next at home against Pinkerton on Thursday, October 8, at 6:00 p.m.

Other relevant play on Tuesday, October 6:

Salem 3 at Pinkerton 2 Salem won a one-goal road game over Pinkerton, Hanover's next opponent, in their division.

Windham 3 at Portsmouth 2 Windham edged Portsmouth on the road in their division.

Concord 2 at Nashua North 2 Concord and Nashua North played to a tie in their division.

Hanover at Timberlane | Tuesday, October 6

Hanover girls soccer won a close one on the road Tuesday, edging Timberlane 3-2 in Plaistow. The Marauders snapped Timberlane's three-game home winning streak and moved to 7-3-1, while Timberlane drops to 5-6.

Hanover girls soccer is next on the road at Pinkerton on Thursday, October 8, at 4:00 p.m.

Other relevant play on Tuesday, October 6:

Pinkerton 3 at Salem 0 Pinkerton, Hanover's next opponent, took a road shutout in their division.

Goffstown 4 at Nashua South 0 Goffstown rolled on the road in their division.

Hanover at Milford | Tuesday, October 6

Hanover volleyball went the distance on the road Tuesday and beat Milford 3-2 in five sets. The Marauders move to 10-1 and have now won six straight road matches dating back to last season. Milford falls to 1-7 and has lost seven in a row.

Hanover volleyball is next at home against Oyster River on Friday, October 9, at 6:00 p.m.

Other relevant play on Tuesday, October 6:

Sanborn 3 at Pelham 2 Sanborn won in five sets on the road in their division.

That wraps up the day for Hanover High School sports. We'll see you next time!