Spiders struggle early but rally for 4-3 win over Warriors

Jan. 27, 2013

With last week’s game against the Royals (6-4-0-0 record) and next week’s showdown with the Beavers (7-3-2-0), the Spiders were ripe for a letdown against the Warriors (4-5-2-0). And as history has shown over and over and over, the Warriors aren’t intimidated when the Spiders take the ice with a sterling win-loss record.

The Spiders got on the board first as Jim Maietta scored his 6th goal of the year just minutes into the game. The Warriors tied the game late in the period on a nice deflection.

Maietta added his second goal of the contest early in the second, extending the lead to 2-1. The Warriors controlled play for long stretches of the second period, keeping the Spiders from getting out of their own end or controlling the puck through the neutral zone. This pressure resulted in two quick Warrior goals late in the second period, putting the Spiders in a 3-2 hole.

Captain Dave Schliesman urged the troops on between periods and the pep talk had the desired effect. The Spiders dominated play through the third period with Schliesman finally tying the game with a sick one-timer. Aaron Bedessem tallied the game winner with less than four minutes left as a shot that deflected off a Warrior stick fluttered past the goalie.

After beating the Warriors 6-1 earlier in the season, the 4-3 skin-of-the-teeth win may be a wake up call with a brutal stretch of games coming up against the 4th place Beavers, 3rd place Sled Dogs, and 2nd place Sled Dogs.

Up next for the Spiders is the first annual food drive/family night game against the Beavers on Saturday, February 2nd. The game starts at 6:15pm at St. Louis Park East.