Spiders defense keys 3-1 win over Spitfires White

April 5, 2018

If it were a soccer game one would say the Spiders, “played on the counter” on Thursday night against the Spitfires White. But regardless of what you call it the Spitfires had more possession, but the Spiders limited their shots and scoring opportunities to come away with a 3-1 win.

Brent Murray opened the scoring off the face off following a Spitfires penalty midway through the first period. The Spitfires leveled the game in the second period before Christian Peterson regained the lead with a great individual effort. On the forecheck Peterson stripped the puck off a Spitfire defenseman and put home his own rebound after the goalie made the initial save.

Much of the second period was played in the neutral zone as both teams limited space for breakouts through the middle of the ice. Spider sub netminder Mike Speakman turned away two breakaways resulting from defensive turnovers.

The Spiders added an insurance goal late in the third. Matt Adelman cycled the puck to the point for Hank Long to send on the net. A deflected puck dropped to Paul Fitch who knocked it home for a 3-1 lead. A late Spiders penalty gave the Spitfires hope but they never controlled the puck and barely even got their goalie pulled as the Spiders took the 3-1 win.

In the later game the Wild blanked the Saints 3-0. This sets up a winner-takes-all showdown with the Wild for the pool championship and a spot in the B3 championship game. The Wild are also 2-0 and have been dominant with 8-2 and 3-0 wins. Game time is at 1:30 on Saturday on the Olympic sheet at BIG 3.

Meanwhile the Spitfires Green are walking through the other pool with 10-3 and 9-2 wins and are on track for the championship game. The only scenario that keeps the Spitfires Green out of the title game is a loss to the Battle Cats coupled with a Landsharks victory over the Lumberjacks. The dominance of the B3 East continued in the second round of the playoffs bringing the East to 7-1 against the West.