Spiders get pair of Hat Tricks for Valentine’s Day

Feb. 14, 2010

The Red & White were in a festive mood for Valentine’s Day matinee at West Side.

Returning from a three-week hiatus, the Spiders (4–7) faced off against the Nighthawks (3–9), a team only a game behind the Spiders in the standings. The previous meeting of the two teams the second week of the season saw the Spiders come out on top 7–1, with a sub goalie in net for the Nighthawks. This time, Jenn Colling would be back in the crease. The three-week hiatus, however, wrought havoc on the Spiders’ bench. Team medical staff reported that D Paul LaCosse suffered a cracked rib in the Chaos game. And Bucs’ team medical staff reported that D Chris Pettengill would also be unavailable due to contract violations. C Pellicci and RW Ungaro were also scratched, though LW Armel, against the orders of the team medical staff, dressed and played.

The Spiders got on the board early, with LW Luke Baker opening up 48 seconds in. Five minutes later, C Mike Johnson beat the netminder five-hole, only to have the puck bounce clean off the rear pipe and back out the hole it came in, promptly covered by Colling. AHA video review from Toronto indisputably showed the ref was out of position. Setting a precedent, those same refs would also be out of position for a later goal shot by LW Eric Schlais.

Despite the setback, the Spiders kept the tide moving their way, and beginning at the 3:53 mark, C Chris Flannery put on a one-man offensive clinic. By the 32-second mark, he had his second trick of the season, as well as the Spiders’ franchise second AHA Natural Hat Trick (the first coming way back in 2006 by now-C2er Dave Schliesman vs the Bruins)!

Not to be outdone, Flannery’s linemate LW Baker would tally a Hat Trick as well, with a marker in each period, as well as a trio of assists, to rack up six points on the afternoon.

And to wrap things up, on a penalty kill created by D Jeremy Litton for interference on a breaking (and falling) Nighthawk, Flannery would cap the Spiders’ scoring — and put a Nighthawk feather in his Hat Trick — with a shorthanded tally at 12:39 of the third.

With all that offense, the Nighthawks couldn’t get anything started in the first, putting just three shots on G Amber Obermoller, who, along with her netminding husband, spent her Valentine’s Day just the way she prefers. Just a half minute into the second though, the Nighthawks sent a fluttering puck from the slot that skipped Obermoller’s shoulder and fell in. They’d make it interesting, putting up three more in the third, including a shot blocked by D Litton that ended up airborne over Obermoller and, like a hawk, landed perfectly just inside the goalline.

Total shots by the Nighthawks ended up at 30 (3, 13, 14), and the Spiders had 38 (14, 14, 10).

The only other penalty of the game came at 3:39 remaining in the third, when C Eric Ackermann took issue with a slash, and went off for roughing along with his dancing partner.

Final score: 7–4.

With this third win of 2010, the Spiders again climb, at least temporarily, to the clogged middle of the pack of D1 West, tied with the Wingmen and Maroons (who faced off at West Side following the Spiders game). The Spiders 10 points and a 5–7 record will meet up with the fifth-place Lakers (6–5–1; 13 points). The previous meeting was a nailbiter that had the Lakers on top 5–4 when it was over. Puck drops at 7:45 at the State Fair Coliseum. Good seats — and Pronto Pups — always available.