Spiders stare down Alpha Sled Dog to a tie game

Nov. 18, 2009

The billing was posted as the battle for first place in the division. Both teams were a bit confused because of the reduced size of the Augsburg B rink. Mid-way through the first period, the Sled Dogs were able to slip two seeing-eye dog goals by Dow. After the second goal, the Spiders began their comeback.

Following the inspirational speech of Captain Dave during the first intermission, the pressure on the Sled Dog defense increased to a level that has never been seen from the Spider team previously. Only a total of three minutes of the remaining 34 were spent in the Spiders defensive end. Despite this unprecedented pressure, a power play goal was notched by the Dogs to increase their lead to 3-0. Finally, with one minute remaining in the second period, Tromiczak’s blast from Bortnem’s pass resulted in a rebound that the Sled Dog goalie could not handle. Gustafson was positioned in the slot to stuff it in past the sprawling netminder.

With the third period underway, a loud audible sound could be heard from Dow as he was snoring during the immense pressure the Spiders were applying on the offensive end. Four minutes into the period, Maietta made an inside move from the leftwing and buried it in the right side of the net to cut the deficit to one. For the next thirteen minutes the Sled Dogs recorded three shots on goal while many opportunities were eluding the Spiders

The comeback attempt was coming to an end when a six on four allowed Bortnem to acquire his second point for the night. With Dow on the bench nursing his frostbite and all of his line changing behind him, Mark took the pass from Tim Staples and carried it in deep. It was presumed that he was looking for an oxygen tank in the corner when he found Chris Staples breaking up the middle. Chris blasted the puck on the ice and beat the goaltender with a mere nine seconds remaining.

The opportunities for the Spiders to blow open the scoring countless. Pucks slipped off of sticks, shots missed the open corners, and still others were snatched from the air by the Sled Dog goalie. When the overtime period was over, the Spiders had outshot the Sled Dogs 54-19 and were left with a tie game. Grateful to have come out of their 3-0 deficit with a tie, Assistant Captain Josh Cagle was quoted as saying, “This could be the game we look back on that got away.”

The Spiders have ten days off to focus on their dry land eating and will face the Eagles for the second family night of the season.

Attendance: 1

Guest Columnist Brian Dow