Shameful Shutout

Jan. 12, 2014

The Spiders evened the season series with the ShameOnIce, as Bill McCormick got his first shutout of the season.

The Spiders were disappointed to say the least with the result of the first game of the season, when they got out to an early 2–0 lead over the ShameOnIce, only to have the lead disappear admin a fog of penalties and turnovers. Despite significantly outshooting the Shame, goaltending kept the game close, and a late goal against sealed it up.

The script for the sequel was only partially the same:

• Two-goal lead. Check.
• Shots on goal imbalance. Check.
• Stellar goaltending. Check.
• Neutral zone turnovers. Check.
• Penalty box march. Check, and then some.

After an uneventful first half of the game, the Shame were sent to the box for too many players, with 5 minutes to go in the second. It took the Spiders’ Power Play unit just a minute to capitalize, as Berman squeaked the puck through the goaltender’s glove from the high slot, for his second of the year, assist to Sutton.

That’s where the uneventfulness would end for the night. After the ensuing faceoff, the Spiders got another scoring chance that ended in a pileup at the ShameOnIce net, but the puck was open for the taking in the crease. A Shame player dove on the puck, covering it with his hand and drawing the whistle.

And then the fireworks went off, as the New Hope crowd of at least nine got their money’s worth, the opportunity to witness the snowball portion of the evening’s dance card. In an AHA game.

Veteran Spiders are all too familiar with what happens when a goalie loses his (or her) temper. Unlike that GM-fest, the officiating crew was a bit more creative in their assessments this time. Once they dug Farner out from the bottom of the pile, he was sent to an early shower. But the top of that pile, which incidentally happened to be the Shame goalie, was picked up, dusted off and sent back to his corner for the next round by the refs.

At the scorekeeper’s bench, the refs handed the diver a 2-min minor for the delay of game. And after a lengthy deliberation, the goalie was determined to have committed a roughing minor. USAH Rule 640(c) describes roughing as making avoidable physical contact with an opponent after the whistle. That’s one way to describe what happened.

Nonetheless, the Spiders were given a full two-minute 5-on-3 power play, as Farner’s game ejection did not put anyone in the box.

It took the now well-oiled Spider Power Play just 14 seconds to get into the zone and score, with Jason Freed getting his first of the year, from Schuster and Litton. Spiders up 2–0.

Now on a 5-on-4, the ink on the scoresheet from the goaltender’s penalty wasn’t even dry when he suggested with his stick that Vandenberghe stay away from his crease behind the play. The ref only saw Vandenberghe’s reply and escorted him to the box. But by the time Vandenberghe was sitting down in the box, he found himself with an additional 10 minutes to enjoy the game from the bin. The New Hope rink crew offers their apologies.

The second period finally came to a close with a Shame high-sticking penalty.

And the third was back to uneventful, other than a Shame body check, on a hit from behind on Rag Doll.

But other than the obligatory third-period turnovers, tiring legs, and a handful of chances either way, saved by glove or pipe, the Spiders held on, and Bill McCormick earned his first shutout of the season.

Total shot tally was a dominating 37 by the Spiders (11, 13, 13), with the Shame getting 17 through to McCormick (6, 5, 6). The 20-shot differential is the highest of the season, the biggest differential since the 51–19 in shots against the IceDogs last season.

The win is the Spiders’ sixth in a row, and keeps the Spiders (7–3; 14 pts.) tied with the Fighting Loons (also 7–3) for second place in C3 East at the halfway point of the 2013–14 regular season schedule. Of course, once tiebreakers kick in, the bonus 24 penalty minutes earned tonight will put the Spiders on the short end of the Koho.

The Shame (3–6–1; 7pts.) drop to eighth place, tied with the IceDogs (2–5–3), who the Spiders face next.

Puck drops at 9:30 p.m. on Sunday, Jan. 19, at SLP E.