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# Merrimack girls lacrosse hangs on for another close win over Hanover
- URL: https://www.nh-highschoolsports.com/merrimack-girls-lacrosse-hangs-on-for-another-close-win-over-hanover/
- Published: 2025-05-17T23:30:11.000Z
- Updated: 2025-05-17T23:30:11.000Z
- Description: MERRIMACK - Before this season, it had been more than 10 years since the girls lacrosse teams from Merrimack and Hanover high school had played a regular-season game. After the two they've played this season, they might not want to wait that long again. In the first game of the 2025 season, the To
- Author: Joe Marchilena
- Tags: Division II, girls lacrosse, Hanover, Merrimack, slider, #wp, #wp-post, #Import 2026-08-18 04:44

MERRIMACK - Before this season, it had been more than 10 years since the girls lacrosse teams from Merrimack and Hanover high school had played a regular-season game.

After the two they've played this season, they might not want to wait that long again.

In the first game of the 2025 season, the Tomahawks went on the road and staged a big second-half come back before getting a one-goal win in overtime over the Bears.

On Friday, Merrimack came back a little earlier, going on a 6-0 run over the second and third quarters to take a three-goal lead into the fourth. Hanover had a rally of its own, getting within one in the final minute before having a chance to tie.

But the Tomahawks' defense held and the Bears ran out of time, as Merrimack held on for another one-goal win, 12-11, over Hanover.

"I think it’s developing into a fun rivalry," Hanover coach Sarah Martin said. "I thought my team played hard. We made a lot of silly mistakes, some unforced turnovers, that we definitely need to clean up. I’m not a hundred percent excited about that.

"I’d like some of those shots back, some of those groundballs back, some of those draw controls. Normally, my team does a really nice job with that. I don’t think we were playing at our best. Give a lot of credit to Merrimack, they’re a good team, and we’ve now had two one-goal games."

Being the team trying to hold the lead proved to be a little more stressful for Merrimack coach Katie Todd.

"I think it was a little too close for comfort in the last few seconds," she said. "I think we held our own, I think we showed up and showed them we’re the same strong team, if not even better (from the start of the season."

The Tomahawks (11-0, No. 8 in the MerchSquared.com/NHHSSports Coaches Poll) got four goals and three assists from Jackie Hayes, as the junior scored what proved to be the game-winner with 8:01 remaining in the fourth.

Ava Martin added three goals and an assist while Payton Trepaney had two goals and three assists and Riley Taylor had two goals and two assists. Ava Woods also scored for Merrimack and Sophia Richards had six saves, including one in the final minute.

Hanover (8-5) got three goals and an assist from Cassidy Loughman while Casey Wilkinson (one assist) and Nora Bradley each had two goals. Katherine Mosley (one assist), Joia Collins, Sage Fargher and Maeve Bradley added a goal apiece while Charlotte Robinson finished with 16 saves.

"Charlotte did a really nice job," Martin said. "She is tough and she has developed into a really great keeper. She has worked hard, she’s a great leader, and she has bailed us out. In some ways, we got kind of lucky."

Some of Robinson's biggest stops came in the third quarter. Although Merrimack was able to build up its lead, for the amount of time the Tomahawks had possession, only being down three goals after three felt big.

After going into halftime tied 7-7, Trepaney scored 3:05 into the half to give Merrimack the lead. The Bears were able to kill off a yellow card and Robinson made three saves before Hayes scored with 3:18 remaining in the quarter to make it 9-7.

"I think our girls started to figure out what was working," Todd said of her team's scoring run. "At the beginning of the game, we weren’t communicating as much on defense, we weren’t communicating on the field at all.

"We were kind of taking it upon ourselves and what switched was we started utilizing each other. We realized passing was quicker than running it up the field ourselves. We saw that if we did a pick-and-roll on their defense, we could draw and dump the ball and get a goal from that. We had those small little tweaks and went from there."

Martin and Hayes then scored back-to-back goals just 54 seconds apart to make it 11-7, but after Hanover won the draw, Loughman scored on a free position with 1.8 seconds left to make it 11-8.

Hayes made it 12-8 with her fourth goal with just over eight minutes left, but Hanover was able to win the draw and keep Merrimack in its own end. Richards made three saves, two on free positions, during that stretch, but the Tomahawks failed to clear each time.

Fargher finally broke through on a free position with 4:30 left, and 20 seconds later, Maeve Bradley scored to make it 12-10.

The Bears got another draw control and were able to keep possession for another long stretch, but turned it over, and this time, the Tomahawks were able to clear. Merrimack was able to run some time off the clock, but Hanover got the ball back and Wilkinson scored with 55.1 seconds remaining to make it a one-goal game.

Martin called a timeout before the draw.

"For that last timeout, I told them they needed to give me everything they had for that last 55 seconds, and not let them win that draw," Todd said. "Yeah, (Hanover) won it but our girls stuck together and realized they needed to play their best defense. I told them if they’re the adjacent or next to somebody who has the ball, they need to be ready to help collapse. They slowed the ball down for our goalie to be able to stop it."

The Bears were able to get a shot off, but Richards came up with a save. Hanover got the groundball, but ran out of time before it could get another shot.

"Super proud of that," Martin said of the comeback. "We didn’t run the play the way we should have, but we absolutely had a chance to. That’s the thing about Hanover kids, they’re always going to fight, they have great determination."