HANOVER — The “thunk” created by Greta Mancini’s overtime shot hitting the wooden back of the goal Monday reverberated across Hanover High’s Merriman-Branch Field. The freshman’s low, accurate laser inside the left post lifted the Bears to a 2-1 defeat of Mascoma in a cross-divisional NHIAA contest.

The victory came during Hanover coach Mallory Hillman’s first game at the Division II Bears’ helm. The onetime Lebanon junior varsity boss and current physical therapist took last season off before stepping in for longtime Hanover coach Jean Essex this summer.

“The players are all new to me, and a lot of them are new to each other,” Hillman said, noting that at least a half-dozen of her 10 freshmen saw action Monday. “We’re all sort of figuring out our relationships and where I want players on the field.

“We started today with fewer players back on defense, but we dropped another after halftime to let (central midfielder Eva Bell) feel more comfortable offensively.”

Greta Mancini, a midfielder, and her twin, Sophia, were noticeable through the afternoon, as was senior midfielder Savannah Walczak. Mascoma, however, owned much of the first half, and the Division III Royals opened the scoring on Bryanna Thurston’s goal from the left side six minutes into the first quarter.

Hanover forged a 1-1 tie 10 minutes before halftime when Bell smoothly converted a penalty stroke past Mascoma backup goaltender Samantha Harkins. After serving as the reserve backstop last season and beating Stevens in her debut, Harkins moved to a field position earlier this month. She was thrust back into the starting role when Gabby Pierce was injured.

Hanover steadily wrested the run of play away from the Royals after Bell’s strike. The fourth quarter was controlled by the Bears, so it wasn’t a shock when Mancini received a Joia Collins pass across the goal’s mouth 1 minute, 32 seconds into overtime and scored from10 yards.

“I think they had fresher legs than we did,” said second-year Mascoma coach Danielle Pushee, whose bench was shortened because of injury and illness. Games played on artificial turf mean the ball moves more quickly, and players have to expend more energy in trying to keep up.

“The stroke took the air out of us a little bit. Our players said they didn’t touch anybody, and the referees didn’t answer my question about what happened.”

Pushee said she tried to condition her team for its opener and that the Royals played in a summer league at Colby-Sawyer College on artificial turf, but Monday’s weather did the visitors no favors.

“It’s been 50 degrees and raining, and suddenly it’s almost 80 and humid,” the coach said, noting that nine of her players use inhalers for various reasons. “We had our opportunities, but we just ran out of gas.”

Hanover (1-1), which lost its opener to Pelham, visits Goffstown (0-0-1) on Wednesday. Mascoma visits Berlin (1-0) on Thursday.

Tris Wykes can be reached at twykes@vnews.com.