Spiders bag limit on Fighting Ice Fish

Dec. 21, 2013

The Spiders claimed their second win in a row, the first streak — win or loss — of the season.

With the holiday week, it was the shortest bench yet this season, at 13 skaters. And Ken Youngdahl again got the call for the injured McCormick.

The AHA Hockey Network also got the call somehow, apparently assuming they’d get increased ratings with the Xmas week coverage, and broadcast the game live for Spider fans’ adult hockey entertainment.

The Spiders struck first, after a stolen puck made its way to Henke, who sent it around to Schuster, who then found Pappone in the high slot, who nailed it home.

The Fish answered back to tie it up after a Spider last-week-of-Xmas-shopping giveaway at the blueline.

Late in the second, Schwinn intercepted a Fish pass at the Spider blueline, and went all alone all the way to put the Spiders up by 1.

After a Fritz penalty in the Spider slot, the Spiders went on the PK. An aggressive one at that, as Henke’s forecheck forced a turnover in the Fish zone that ended up right on Schuster’s stick, which he dutifully put home for the Spiders second shorthanded goal of the season. Spiders up 3-1.

In the third, a gorgeous play started as a perfect cross-ice pass from Farner to Schuster, who tapped it to a streaking Grotbeck, who took advantage of a Fish defensive screen to score from the high slot. Spiders now up 4-1, which is where it would end.

Shots were even, with the Spiders spread 7, 11, 6 for 24, and the Fish, 14, 8, 2, also for 24.

Youngdahl’s record backstopping the Spiders improves to 1-2.

With the win, the Spiders pry themselves out of the C3 East logjam, having been a five-way tie last week for 3rd through 7th place. Now, it’s just the Fighting Loons and Spiders tied for 3rd, each with 8 points and a 4-3 record.

The Fighting Ice Fish drop to 7th all alone, at 3-4 (6 pts.).

Next up, the New Year’s week game vs. the last-place Buccaneers (0-5-1; 2 pts.). Sunday, Dec. 29, at 7:45 p.m. at SLP E.