Spiders hold onto Insect Trophy, sting Yellow Jackets 6–1

Jan. 25, 2009

Following last week’s OT loss to the Wingmen, the Spiders got back on track, shutting down the Yellow Jackets’ D1 East-leading offense, who sported 61 goals coming into tonight’s bedtime matchup at Aldrich.

The Spiders’ biggest question mark was the legs, with only 12 pair to hit the ice, following the unhealthy game-day scratch of Michael Armel, who is the latest to succumb to the Spiders road bus bug, and the post-game GM to Ryan Herman from last week, forcing him to get some sleep tonight instead of skating.

The Spiders’ fan in the cozy Aldrich bleachers also wondered whether the Spiders could keep themselves out of penalty trouble. This time, Rob Droullard wisely advised Jeremy Litton in the pre-game to just keep his mouth shut about penalties after last week’s debacle. Lo and behold, it did the trick, with the Spiders only getting a lone bench minor for too many men.

The Yellow Jackets? Someone must’ve mentioned something about penalties over there once or eight times, as they couldn’t stay out of the box, getting assessed for more stick infractions than you can shake your Sherwood at.

At game time, the Jackets had come ready to play. The first four or five minutes of the first period was all Jackets in the Spiders D zone. The Spiders couldn’t buy a clear. But netminder Amber Obermoller made sure the post-whistle warmup wouldn’t result in a Jacket goal. And by mid-way through the first, the Spiders got the offense on track, with Cory Vandenberghe getting the first marker on assists from Mike Johnson and Eric Ackermann.

In the second, the Spiders must’ve collectively watched the NHL All-Star passing clinic on Versus, as run after run of long possessions capped by a highlight-reel goal, saw the score come to 4–0 by the end of two.

Scoring in the second:

• Brian Armagost (+4 on the night), unassisted, on a coast-to-coast run.
• Nick Ungaro, from Mike Johnson and Brian Armagost.
• Aaron Bedessem, one second after the expiration of the Jackets’ lone second-period penalty, after the puck was cleared down to Amber, who passed to defenseman Jay Hilden, who sent a long pass to Aaron, who found the Jackets in the midst of a post-PK line change, beat the goalie to close out the second with the 4–1 lead. (That’s Amber’s second assist this season, a new season record for Spiders goalkeepers!)

The third period produced three more goals and four more penalties. The Jackets of course had all the penalties, but would they erase the donut that was glaring from the scoreboard?

As with the last game against the Jackets, the Spiders gave up many odd-man rushes back throughout the game, and especially in the third, as the legs turned to jelly. But Amber was up to task, robbing every Jacket breakaway and odd-rush.

At 11:06, Armagost (yes, +4 on the night) ran another coast-to-coaster, to put the Spiders up 5–0, and on the power play at with 3:42 remaining, he almost did it again to get the hat trick, but found a waiting Mike Johnson on the doorstep — well, the loading dock — who nailed it home and brought the score to 6–0. “Easiest goal I ever scored,” Johnson was heard remarking to the waiting press.

With the clock ticking, and the Yellow Jackets’ #4 sitting in the bin, the Spiders power play unit apparently decided to pack up and go. With just over a minute remaining in the game, the Jackets’ #2 Doherty brought a shorthanded 3-on-2 rush back in a last-ditch attempt to wipe out the shutout. The sagging backcheckers were no match, and the Jackets scored their moral victory.

One final run of Eric Ackermann into the back boards with 21 seconds left by the Jackets’ penalty-getting unit to impress the video-toting NHL scout in the audience, and the game was over.

Final score: 6–1.

Amber Obermoller continues her D1 East lead for GAA at 2.23, and saw a total of 14 shots (3, 4, 7) get through, stopping all but one. The Spiders meanwhile put 26 (5, 12, 9) on the Jackets’ Ray Guest, who stopped all but six.

Coming up...

The Spiders head into their Super Bowl bye week with a solid hold on first place, five points ahead of the second-place Diablos, and improving their record to 10–0–2–1.

The Yellow Jackets fall to 6–5–2–0, and sit in 5th place, looking up at the playoff-contending top four.

Their D1 East-leading offense? Now in second place in goals for (62), now behind those pesky Spiders (64). However, they do continue their grip on second-place in Goals Against (60), behind the 0–12 Snowmen.

The Spiders are now 4–0 lifetime against the Yellow Jackets in Spiders franchise history.

Next up for the Spiders, it’s the Royals again (7–5–1), holding onto a tie for third place with the up-and-coming Wingmen, who incidentally beat the Royals Saturday night 2–1. Yes, the same Wingmen who beat the Spiders in OT last week, and lost to the Yellow Jackets the week before.

This season’s previous matchup resulted in a 6–3 victory, sporting two shorthanded goals. Though lifetime against the Royals, the Spiders are now 1–6.

Catch all the action in two weeks, Sunday, Feb. 8, 9:15 p.m. at New Hope.