Spiders figure out how to lose, drop first playoff game 4–3 to Wingmen

April 13, 2012

Spiders figure out how to lose, drop first playoff game 4–3 to Wingmen

After securing the dreaded two-goal lead twice, the second period doomed the Spiders, allowing the Wingmen to claw back and eventually win.

As warned by the C2 squads coming off the BIG 2 ice sheet — if it could be called a sheet — the surface started out choppy, and ended with shovels full of snow on everyone’s stick.

The Spiders started strong, controlling the play at both ends of the rink, with nary a shot getting through to netminder McCormick. First goal came from Freed, assist to LaVigne. And the second, on what was essentially a dump-in by Pettengill, that found its way into the net, assist to Byland. After the first period, Spiders up by two: 2–0.

In the second, the long change, the interesting whistles by the usual playoff USAH crew, and the occasional errant pass up the middle in the Spiders’ own end, allowed the Wingmen to get back in the game. Scoring on the Power Play, the most gorgeous play of the season, with a Wingmen-end faceoff win by Johnson, pass back to Schroeder, who punched it over to the left D Fritz, who one-timed right into the back of the net. Beautiful. Spiders up again by 2. But they gave two back and by the end of the second, the score was tied 3–3.

In the third, it was — in theory — anyone’s game. And it was almost the Spiders’, as a Schwinn breakaway was denied at the last second by a Latack toe save. Immediately after, the play swung the other way and led to the Wingmen’s go-ahead goal. Wingmen 4–3. And was almost 5–3 on an #10 Unwin breakaway, but McCormick played it perfectly, making the save of the game, and kept the score within reach.

But despite a number of chances, nothing was finding the back of the net, except bodies, as the net moved off its moorings numerous times in the final minutes. The Spiders pulled the goalie with a minute and a half remaining, plus called a timeout at :53. With a few more chances, the puck was cleared by the time it was 12 seconds on the clock, and the buzzer sounded as a Wingmen flicked it from the neutral zone into the net, which didn’t count (except in his mind).

In all, shots were even, despite the assumed imbalance in the first, with the Spiders generating 23 (9, 7, 7), and McCormick getting 27 (9, 9, 9).

The key to the game was definitely the penalty trouble in the second, including three red sweaters in the box at one time, though the Wingmen eventually got one during the same time period.

The Spiders will attempt to dry out their soggy gear and head back to BIG bright and early, a 7:45 a.m. start against the Nighthawks, who lost to the Mintalar Moose 3–2 in the early C3 game. (And the late C3 game was the Fighting Piranhas over the first-seed Puck Hounds 4–1.)

At least the early start should mean improved ice conditions ... and less Bloomington traffic.

Game media

Standing room only in the Spiders’ penalty box.

End result of the #FlyingV.

Empty-net face-off win by #17 Schwinn.

For all game photos, see the Spiders Photo Gallery.