Spiders pluck Roadrunners with three third period goals

March 4, 2012

Jim Maietta scored the tiebreaking goal putting in a rebound from a Chris Stalpes blast with 5:58 to play for what proved to be the game winner. Vandenberghe netted his sixth and Butalla scored his fifth on a open net in the frantic final minutes of the Spiders’ 5-2 victory over the Roadrunners Sunday night.

Spiders entered with a rare two-game slide and had two ties in the three games prior to that. In a rare media blackout, the two previous games didn’t even drum up enough energy to produce game recaps. Those losses were marked by disorganization, lack of effort, and weak goaltending. What should have been the time of the season for the team to demonstrate their strength, they showed a rare mid-season slump. They needed a win and a confidence boost.

Tonight had to be different…or so the team hoped. Much like the Aces debacle, the Spiders jumped out to a lead with Adelmann notching his third and Vandenberghe adding his fifth to put the home team up 2-0. The Spiders put 19 shots on goal compared to 3 from the Roadrunners. If not for the quick whistle of an official, it would have been 3-0 and the game would be nearly over.

But then came the second period. The Achilles heel of the Spiders this season has been the second period and tonight would present similar challenges.

Two very strange goals for the Roadrunners found Dow with a bruise in the back of his right leg and a bruise in his ego. The home team was dominant in every statistical category except the score. But with 17 shots on goal in the second, they could not find the back of the net. The found the outside of the back, the side of the net, and maybe even the top, but could not put one in the goal scoring side. The team was playing well (aside for two strange bounces) and unlike prior games, the they would not allow any additional let-downs.

Roadrunners attempted to mount a winning goal-scoring event, but the team was up to the challenge. Dow had 8 saves and the defense had more blocked shots than that. With 5:58 remaining, Maietta (8) buried an open side rebound and that was the game-winning backbreaker. Fewer than two minutes later, Vandenberghe (6) scored again and Butalla added one more in the open net. When it was done, the Spiders never gave up, dominated the game and took care of business.

The night capped off with the team clinching a playoff spot for the fourth year in a row and maintained the one-point shadow behind the Zephyrs. It will take more of the same and then some for the team to continue their winning ways for the rest of the season. The Yellow Jackets and the Warriors are trailing just one point behind and it may come down the last game of the season to determine their playoff position.

Attendance 12