Special teams lead the way as Hanover boys hockey knocks off Nashua South-Pelham (video)

NASHUA - The Hanover High School boys hockey team has played pretty well all around through three games this season.

But where the Marauders have been really special has been on their, well, special teams.

That was the case Wednesday against Nashua South-Pelham, as Hanover scored on all three of its power plays and killed off three penalties in an 8-1 win over the Kings at Conway Arena.

Sylas Oberting had a goal and four assists while Maddy Gardner (assist) and Charley Plottner had two goals each to lead the Marauders (3-0), who have scored 26 goals this season, the most in Division I.

Patrick Daley also had a goal and two assists while Cameron Woods (assist) and Curtis Rice added a goal each, with Woods, Oberting and Plottner all scoring power play goals.

"It’s really good," Hanover coach Dick Dodds said of the Hanover power play. "It’s not just the power play, it’s the special teams. We got three power play goals, and we were shorthanded a lot.

"That’s the way it’s been so far this year. We haven’t given up any goals when we’ve been shorthanded and we’ve been shorthanded more than I think we were last year. Our special teams have been good."

The power play helped the Marauders get the lead just before the end of the first period.

South-Pelham (2-1) got on the board first, despite Hanover controlling play early on, when Jake Gurriero found RIley Nutter in front of the net to give the Kings a 1-0 lead with 5:20 left in the opening period.

But with 3:22 to go until intermission, South-Pelham's Camden Cole was called for a cross check, and with 28 seconds left on the penalty, goalie Nate Serrentino got a high-sticking penalty.

Hanover tied the game on a deflection by Plottner with 14 remaining on the two-man advantage, and Oberting made it 2-1 when knocked in a rebound with 5.3 seconds left in the period.

"It did (swing momentum), I think especially since there wasn’t a lot of time left in the period," Dodds said. "Everybody was pretty excited about that. It was a pretty goal. They executed. That was a real turning point for us."

Daley made it 3-1 4:18 into the second period, and after another South-Pelham penalty, the Marauders needed a minute of the power play to get a goal from Woods to go up 4-1.

"I think we looked great in the first and then we kind of fell apart," South-Pelham coach Shawn Connors said. "We’re still trying to figure things out. We’re still a young team and Hanover is pretty solid."

Hanover chased Serrentino late in the period, as Gardner scored two goals 1:12 apart to make it 6-1 going into the third. Plottner got his second of the game with 10:42 left to make it 7-1 and start the running clock.