Spiders overcome dreaded two-goal-lead curse for first win of season

Nov. 3, 2013

Despite notching a two-, then three-goal lead, the IceDogs bounded their way back into the game with two quick goals. But the Spiders held on in the third to get a win.

Though the Spiders controlled much of the play in the first, including the lone power play of the period, nothing found the back of net. Finally, halfway through the second period, Lavinge netted his second of the season, assist to Grotbeck. Back at full strength, the Schwinn/Freed/Schuster line got the Spiders up by two, after a strong forecheck by Schuster to keep the puck in the offensive zone, Schwinn nailed a wrister across the net from the hashmarks.

And, knowing what happened the last time the Spiders got a two-goal lead, Grotbeck instead got the Spiders to a three-goal margin, assist to team-leading Paul Berman (third assist of the season). The Spiders’ bench became visibly nervous when Dr. Droullard just happened to mention that the Spiders had broken the two-goal-lead curse. His message was punctuated by the clanging of the puck off the far post behind McCormick, as the Dogs got on the board with just under three minutes left in the second period.

Only a minute and change later, the three-goal lead was down to one, with 1:37 remaining, the IceDogs fired from the top of the circle and beat McCormick.

The Spiders huddled at the bench during the intermission, trying not to be overcome by the sewer gas smell emanating from the New Hope S bathroom behind the bench. The gas must’ve done the trick, as the Spiders got back on their forecheck and backcheck for the third. And halfway through, thinking it was still baseball season, Dave Schuster slid feet-first into the crease to pop in a loose puck, reclaiming the two-goal lead, and generating a roar of approval from the bleachers via the Schuster fan club up way past his bedtime. Assist to Schwinn.

The refs made it interesting for the crowd, as Grotbeck headed to the penalty box to rest for two minutes. In doing so, Grotbeck earned the vaunted “AHA Gordie Howe Hat Trick” (G, A, PIM).

During the kill, Schuster got high-sticked in the corner and went down hard. Dr. Droullard was in attendance and diagnosed the “Upper Body” injury. Though the Schuster fan club diagnosed him as fit to return.

While the Spiders got little in the way of offense on the eventual power play, there was just under four minutes remaining of 5-on-5, and eventually 6-on-5 hockey to hold on for the 4–2 win.

Shots ended up closer than it seemed at times. The Spiders made 30 (11, 14, 5). And the IceDogs had 24 (5, 12, 7), with McCormick making some stellar saves to keep the game in hand.

With the win, the Spiders even their record at 1–1, and head into a long bye week, to rest up for the upcoming Saturday matinee with the C3 champion, undefeated, first-place Gold Rush.

Lifetime against the IceDogs now improves to 4–0. With the Gold Rush, the lifetime record is 3–1. But those three came way back in the 2010–11 campaign in D1. The Gold Rush began rebuilding after that, and are assumed to be the long-odds favorites to reclaim the C3 trophy. Having been to the D1 championship in 2011–12 (losing in the shootout), winning in decisive fashion the C3 championship in 2012–13, and adding to their hardware case in the 2013 Fall Tourney, the Gold Rush are seemingly unstoppable at C3.

Find out in two weeks if the 2013–14 Spiders have what it takes to compete with a C3 frontrunner. Puck drops Saturday, Nov. 16 at 3:45 p.m. at Richfield 2.