Spiders hand one to the Diablos

March 7, 2010

With the sixth-place Spiders 2009–10 playoff chances hanging in the balance, a matchup with the fourth-place Diablos, just two games ahead in the standings but at the post-season cutoff, would mean the Spiders could solidify their legitimacy or return back to the middle of the pack.

Well, apparently the Spider squad that showed up to the packed New Hope arena likes the comfort of the middle of the pack.

Although the Spiders got out to an early lead thanks to Christian Heitzman’s dinger on assist from Paul LaCosse, a not-so-incidental body check by Chris Flannery put the Spiders on an early PK. Too early for the PK to get its legs moving, tie game. And that’s where it would stay for almost two minutes, as the Diablos’ Eckman sniped a screened Obermoller. By the 6:36 mark, when Moyer made it 3–1 Diablos, the Spiders appeared ready to pack it in. But, the Bedessem/Flannery/Baker line rallied the troops with a goal at 2:21 to pull within one. It would take just 20 seconds for the Spiders to lose the momentum, going back on the PK thanks to John Pellicci’s stickwork. Captain Brad Caron would join the fun, giving the Diablos 12 seconds of 5-on-3. Fortunately by this time, the PK unit was awake.

Awake enough to make it interesting in the second. Just 49 seconds into the period, and still shorthanded, Baker would find Bedessem to tie it up at 3 apiece.

At 13:26, the first giveaway-for-goal of many on the night led to an unassisted Fricke goal and a Diablo lead. It also began the Diablos’ “parade to the scoresheet,” with three more unanswered, capped by a Moyer Power Play goal for a Hat Trick, which took all of 10 seconds following Nick Ungaro’s tripping call at 3:59. Diablos 7–3 after two.

At 13:25 of the third, the Spiders would try for a comeback, following a series of faceoff wins and shots on Latterner’s net, with the final win an Ungaro to Bedessem to Baker goal to make it 7–4. At 9:38, Ungaro was back in the box for a less-not-so-incidental body check though the PK unit did its duty here. The sluggish backcheck would let in a couple more, including the final one at 1:43, which gave the Diablos’ top scorer Fricke the Hat Trick on a crease-front takedown goal that would make Ovechkin proud. An uneventful Power Play at 4:19, and the final minute were the remaining chances for the Spiders.

Final 9–4.

The Spiders had plenty of chances to turn this game around, with an unofficial 29 of 51 minutes spent in the offensive zone. But Latterner had an answer for all of them, supported by plenty of defense, backchecking and textbook breakouts. With all that time in the zone, the Spiders were vulnerable to the floater. Especially following a series of ill-advised poke checks spread equally among the D corps. And it showed, with odd-man rush after odd-man rush back toward Obermoller. The 3-on-1 goal wasn’t uncommon among the nine. Total shots against were 27 (11, 9, 7). The Spiders put 24 on (15, 4, 5).

Plus, those nine goals for the Diablos is the high-water mark in goals against this season, and the most since the March 15, 2008, season-ending shutout against the Royals.

The loss will mean the Spiders are facing a five-point gap in the standings for post-season chances. At 7–8, they fall below .500 again, still with 14 points, still in sixth, essentially a three-way tie for fifth with the Wingmen and Maroons. The Wingmen, whom the Spiders face next, played the again-in-first-place Chaos at the same time as the Spiders’ game.

The Diablos jump to third (10–6; 20 points) ahead of the Fighting Ice Fish, who will slip to fourth with 19 points (9–5–1).

The Diablos close the season series with both wins, including the 5–2 loss in December. Lifetime against the Diablos, the Spiders are 3–2–1.

Coming up for the Spiders, it’s the always dangerous Wingmen, next Saturday at 8:30 p.m. at Richfield. The previous walloping at the hands and sticks of the Wingmen ended in an 8-3 loss for the Spiders.

Game media

Game photos courtesy Vandenberghe Media Partners LLC

Faceoff late in the second.

Coach Hilden presides over the bench during third-period faceoff.

Spiders a little late on the draw, vs. former Spider Dave Schaefer and the Diablos.

Flannery (12) and Schlais (88) get to know Latterner a little better.

Final 7–4.

For all game photos, see the Spiders Photo Gallery.