Spiders extend unbeaten streak in 8-3 win over Spitfires

Jan. 2, 2020

After a rough start to the 2019-20 season, the Spiders are riding an upward trending wave heading into the New Year.

A team that lost its first three games of its inaugural B2 campaign has now won three in a row and is unbeaten over its last four contests - the latest an 8-3 win over the Spitfires on Dec. 21 in St. Louis Park. An offensive explosion in the month of December has put the Spiders (now 3-3-1) firmly in the mix for a playoff spot in the B2 East division.

Despite fielding a lineup of just 10 skaters for yet another Saturday evening game, the Spiders scored the contest’s first seven goals through a period-and-a-half of hockey.

The Spitfires (1-6) found themselves in a big hole, but mounted a mini-comeback with a goal in the final minutes of the second period, and then two scores early in the third. That was before Christian Peterson scored his fourth goal of the game with 11:08 remaining. Linemates Jason Yancey and Matt Adelman assisted on the goal

Peterson’s five-point night started when he wristed an upper right corner shot by the Lakers goaltender just 4 minutes and 33 seconds into the game. The Spiders followed up with a brilliant short-handed goal by Shane Lauinger at 6:02 in the first period. Defenseman Hank Long assisted on the goal, his seventh of the season.

Winger Joe Long found twine just two minutes later, with assists on the goal coming from Peterson and Yancey, who recorded a playmaker in the game. Peterson scored again with one minute remaining in the first period, and just like that, the Spiders were up 4-0.

The second period was mostly dominated by the Spiders controlling the puck methodically in the offensive zone, capped by a few great saves by Lakers goalie J. Adams. But then Spiders defenseman Tim Davis took things into his own hands, as he cut into the offensive zone with a pair of Spitfires skaters hanging on for dear life, and, in a whirl-wind of swashbuckling moves in and around the net, scored on his own rebound at 11:53. Davis then assisted Peterson on a goal 63 seconds later, to put the Spiders up 7-0.

The Spitfires put up a good fight as they scored three goals over the next 10 minutes of game play, but on either side of that offensive splurge they were generally overwhelmed by the Spiders attack through the neutral zone. The Spiders had the advantage 38-27 in shots on net.

December was a good month for the Spiders. After scoring a total of 8 goals in the first four games of the season. The Black-and-Red have tallied 20 goals over the last three games. Will this offensive spark carry over into the month of January? We will find out when the Spiders return to the ice at Sunday, Jan. 5 tilt with the B2 Lakers, a 9 p.m. puck drop at Eden Prairie Community Center.