Spiders lose to Maroons 3–2, again

March 4, 2012

With just one point in the standings in the last four games, the Spiders will now rely on the generosity of other teams to keep them in the playoff hunt.

The Spiders’ bench was full of gamers tonight: four in the second half of a back-to-back, and one in the second half of back to bed (having caught the team bus pneumonia).

But the first period showed promise. The Spiders got the lead early, with RW David Lavigne’s second goal of the season coming under two minutes into the game. And the Spiders continued controlling the game through much of the first period thanks to quick shifts. But the they found themselves tied to close out the first thanks to a loose-change goal by the Maroons with four minutes remaining.

By the second, the legs started to get heavy, the passing started to be off the mark, and the momentum visibly shifted to the Maroons. Six minutes in, the Maroons got the lead with a sneak play of two behind the net, and the high slot man sliding down for an office pass. Then, with five minutes left in the second, as has been the case with the whistles for the last month, there was more semi-loose change in the crease, as the Maroons’ Thiede banged the puck right out from under McCormick’s leg pads and into the back of the net. Maroons up by two.

By the third, the scoring line wasn’t scoring, the checking line wasn’t checking, the breakout wasn’t breaking, the tape-to-tape passes were directly onto Maroons’ sticks. About the only play the Spiders seemed to have nailed was icing the puck.

But, the two Spiders’ fans in the SLP E bleachers got some late hope, as at 4:44, a slot shot by Pappone, rebounded out, passed by Schwinn and put away by Lavigne, who slid up from his office, for his second of the night. Maroons 3–2.

Newly energized with their second wind (or in the case of the Sages guys, their fourth wind...), the Spiders got plenty of chances, controlling and attacking the net, eventually generating 10 shots in the period.

At 2:58, the Spiders called a timeout to plan their final attack. At 1:44, the Spiders would be without captain Jeremy “Rag Doll” Litton for the remainder of the game, who got his usual lumps in the corner, then again on the way to the bench.

At 1:00, McCormick dashed to the bench for the sixth attacker. A turnover almost led to a goal but Grotbeck played goalie and kept it in his feet instead. But despite numerous scoring chances in the remaining seconds, including one that one ref thought was in, the Spiders were shut down by the Maroons’ netminder Filter, and the buzzer sounded with the puck in the neutral zone and the Spiders in the loss column, again.

Final: 3–2.

Despite getting little help from the defense or backcheckers, McCormick stood tall, stopped 21 of the Maroons’ 24 shots (9, 8, 7). The Spiders peppered Filter in the first and third, but he earned the win, stopping 29 of 31 shots (15, 6, 10).

Much like the previous game against the Maroons, which also ended in a 3–2 score, the Spiders played some solid hockey, and played some not-so-solid hockey. In that game, Pellicci put in both Spider goals. Tonight it was Lavigne’s turn.

Unlike the previous game, which had 18 total penalty minutes (four Spider penalties, five Maroons penalties), tonight’s rematch had no penalties, of the whistled variety.

The Maroons take the season series, both games. Lifetime against the Maroons, the Spiders’ record is a dismal 2–6.

In the standings, the Spiders are one loss away from a .500 record (8–7–1–1; 18pts.), and must now resort to scoreboard watching, by depending on the generosity of other teams in the running to keep the Spiders in the playoff race. Already sitting precariously in the sixth and final playoff spot after last week’s 3–2 loss, saved only by the win by the Fighting Saints (5th place last week; 9–6–1–0, 19pts.) over the Fighting Piranhas (8th place last week; 7–7–1–1, 16pts.), who at the time were in seventh, on the Spiders’ heels. This week, both the Royals (now in 7th place; 8–7–1, 17pts.) and the Fighting Piranhas can overtake the Spiders with wins, meaning the Spiders would fall to 8th place, looking up.

Next up, it’s the Fighting Saints again, next Saturday. The Saints lost to the Diablos 3–1 tonight. Meaning they are still just a point ahead of the Spiders (now 9–7–1–0; 19pts.), and putting huge significance on next Saturday’s matchup.

Last time the two teams met, the Fighting Saints were undefeated, and ended with the Spiders dealing the Saints their first loss, 7–2.

Puck drops early for Family Night at New Hope, 6 p.m. start on Saturday.