Spiders freeze Ice Gators, 5–2

Jan. 9, 2011

Spiders narrowly avoid customary third-period meltdown on the wide Eden Prairie ice.

The Spiders ignored their New Year’s resolution of playing three full periods of D1-brand hockey for the second week in a row, giving up quick goals and puck possession throughout the game. With the Gators setting the tone early and scoring first, taking advantage of the Olympic-sized ice sheet at Eden Prairie to control the zone, the Spiders finally found their legs midway through the first and closed the period up by one. The Spiders continued the trend in the second, putting up another pair, to hit the second intermission up by three.

Having already suffered a case of the third-period doldrums last week, the Spider crowd thought they were in for another helping of the same, via a quick Gator goal on a defensive screen in the third, followed by the Gators continuing to generate a ton of chances. The wide ice did the Spiders no favors, as the Gators had their way in possession throughout the Spider defensive zone throughout the third. But Spider netminder Travis Fransen, stood tall, crouched low, and stepped up, stopping the remainder of the Gator chances (and bounces), to hold on for yet another win.

Keeping off the scoreboard were the customary D1-level penalties, each team getting only one whistle, and those ended up offsetting each other for the bulk of the sits, for uneventful 4-on-4 action.

Shots were lopsided, unusual for the Spiders’ offense this season, with the Gators generating 32, outshooting the Spiders’ 23 on the sub goalie, with the Gator defenders clogging the middle to register (albeit uncredited) shot blocks.

Scoring for the Spiders:

• Jake Cison, on a doorstep rebound, from a right-point shot from D Litton, which was set up by a C Tim Wahlberg forecheck deep in the corner.
• Chris Pettengill’s patented slot snipe, assist from RW Schuster.
• A highlight-reel around-the-horn passing play by the Semper Fi line, LW Cison drifting through the slot, passing to RW Vandenberghe in the corner, to C C. Yard behind the net, and back again to Cison, who snapped it top left.
• Another highlight-reel shot from the right faceoff dot by Tim Wahlberg, for his first goal of the season.
• The nightcap by C C. Pettengill, off a tip from RW Droullard.

The win gives the Spiders their ninth win of the season, increasing their AHA-best undefeated record, and tying the franchise record for longest winning streak, originally set in 2008–09.

The Gators don’t lose any ground in the standings, still in 7th place and 7 points, and, looking ahead, technically only one game out of a playoff slot. The middle of D1 West remains clogged, with just a five-point spread among the middle six.

Next for the Spiders, it’s the second-place Royals (6–4), at SLP E Sunday at 7:55 p.m. This season’s previous meeting was a 5–4 Spider win on the same Eden Prairie 2 rink.