Spiders mount Royal comeback, win 9–2 as well as D1 West title

March 6, 2011

A quick start by the Royals put the Spiders on their heels early in the first. But a royal comeback ended in both a Spider victory and the team’s second-ever division title.

The early scare came in the first two-and-a-half minutes, as the Royals showed they came to play and test the Spider juggernaut. By the 2:26 mark, it was Royals up 2–0. The stunned Spider bench began wondering whether tonight was really the end of the run.

But, following Yard’s bench rally, the Spiders began moving their feet, and eventually found the scoring touch. And once the scoring started, it didn’t stop, as the Spiders climbed back from the two-goal hole and subsequently put up nine unanswered.

The opener came on the penalty kill at the 7:39 mark, as Christian Heitzman made a short-handed breakaway, shot and missed the pipe, cutting the Royals’ lead in half, assist to Flannery, and tallying the Spiders’ first short-handed goal of the season.

The tying marker at the 9:57 mark, came from Jake “Clutterbuck” Cison, as he took a Vandenberghe cycle pass in the corner behind the goal line, and sent it to the net, somehow finding its way behind the Royals’ netminder Kidwell.

The go-ahead and eventual game-winner capped the first, 21 seconds into the Spiders’ first power play of the night, a Schuster feed to Tim Walhberg, giving the Spiders the lead.

In the second, the Royals had plenty of chances, and were outhustling the Spiders in their own zone. But nothing was getting through Fransen. Instead, the Spiders lit the lamp. First, at the 1:44 mark, it was Yard’s turn behind the goal line, drawing the Royals backcheckers, and he threaded it through to Jake “Zidlicky” Cison rushing in from the high slot, who banged it home while tumbling. Spiders 4–2. Closing out the second-period scoring, at the 7:51 mark, a Litton desperation pass up the right boards was dug out by Cison, who carried into the zone, and fed to Cory “Five Hole” Vandenberghe for his first of the night.

In the third, the long bench of the Spiders — the first since January vs. the Puck Hounds — kept the Spiders’ legs fresh, while the Royals began to tire. First on the board, Christian Heitzman heard his second of the night ding right off the post, and onto the waiting stick of Eric Schlais. Next, it was the Semper Fi line’s turn again, chewing up second-line minutes in the third, with “Five Hole” Vandenberghe again, on assists from Yard and Cison. A moment later, Vandenberghe was back at it, on a breakaway, but his twisted wrister on the doorstep was stoned by Kidwell, denying Vandenberghe the hat trick. But, on the Semper Fi’s next shift, a carry-in by Schroeder, fed to Cison who put on a shot that was deflected by Kidwell for the juiciest rebound in AHA history, and 17 seconds later, Yard found the lonesome puck and put it away top shelf.

After an uneventful penalty kill that followed an eventful coast-to-almost coast by Flannery, stopped short by the Royals’ Simpson (much to the chagrin of Kidwell), most of the final five minutes was spent shorthanded, as the Spiders kept finding the box instead of the net.

Back at full strength for the final 37 seconds, the Spiders forecheck went back to work. And with the seconds ticking off the night, it was Cison again, feeding “Five Hole” Vandenberghe, who finally got his hat trick, his first ever in the AHA. From the bench, Droullard could be seen looking for spare hats to toss onto the SLP East ice.

Fransen gets his 15th win, this time stopping 18 of 20, though seeing little action in the third (7, 9, 4). Kidwell had 28 shots his way (10, 6, 12) as well as a few bodies, though that wasn’t enough, he was even pleading for a penalty shot to be awarded to the Spiders after Flannery was hauled down in the “high” slot in the third.

While the Spiders’ win streak continues to an unprecedented 17, another streak came to crashing end tonight. Defenseman Paul LaCosse — a three-time winner of the coveted LaCosse Award for most penalty minutes in a season (and twice runner-up) — was the proud owner of an unblemished record this season. However, late the game, the whistle-happy refs decided his vicious trip in the Spiders zone needed to be lesson fodder, and called LaCosse for his first cooler sit of the year. On the way to the box, LaCosse pleaded his case so hard with the ref, he was almost granted another sit for good measure.

Also coming to a crashing end, two long-standing team records, held by current C2 Spiders captain Dave Schliesman — most points (39) and most assists (18) in a season, set in the then D2 Spiders 2006–07 season. The six-point night put up by Jake Cison etched his name on the Spiders’ Record Book yet again. And with two games still remaining on the regular season schedule, he could continue to add to those records. Plus, his two goals put him one shy of Jim Maietta’s most-goals-in-a-season record (23) as well. Stay tuned to see if that comes tumbling down!

D1 West Title!

The win, and only three games remaining for both the Spiders and second-place Puck Hounds (including a back-to-back to close out the season), puts first out of reach. That locks the Hounds in second place in the standings, which means the Spiders clinch the division, the team’s second-ever division title!

The Royals, along with the Maroons and Chaos, find themselves mired in a race for the final two playoff spots. However, the Maroons have a one-game advantage thanks to their knocking the Fighting Saints out of the race, giving the Maroons the best chance at third. That fourth and final spot will likely come down to the usual tiebreakers, though on paper it may be the Chaos’ for the taking, who face the now-eliminated Fighting Saints and Ice Gators, whereas the Royals match up against the always dangerous Puck Hounds and insurance-seeking Maroons. If it is the Chaos, that gives them the fourth seed in Pool C, and an eerie reversal of fortune from last season.

Lifetime against the Royals, it’s almost even now, with this season’s three wins contributing to the 5–6–1 record.

Next up

Next Sunday, it’s a family-day matinee with the 3–15 Gold Rush at Highland, an early 3:20 p.m. start.