Spiders turn back Gold Rush, hold on to win 4–3

Jan. 26, 2014

At the palatial Saint Thomas arena in windswept Mendota Heights, the Spiders met the Gold Rush for the season rematch. The previous game, a double disappointment for the Spiders, was still fresh in memory from November.

Back then, the Gold Rush, last season’s C3 champs as well as fall tourney champs, were at the top of their game. But after beating the Spiders, the Gold Rush hit their Donner Pass, losing three in a row, as well as their goalie due to some extracurriculars. Since reinstated, the Gold Rush has been outside of the C3 East top 4 looking in. Since their first three wins, they’ve gone 3–4–1.

The Spiders, on the other hand, have amassed a C3 East-leading 7–1 record since that Gold Rush defeat.

Both teams, plus the ample Saint Thomas crowd that braved the subzero temps, had this game circled on the schedule.

From the drop of the puck, it seemed the Gold Rush were far more prepared. They spent the first 1:08 entirely in the Spider zone controlling the puck. And when they didn’t, they forced turnover after turnover. A mercy whistle as McCormick covered up the puck, had the starting lineup asking if they can just start the game over.

The Rush continued to press, owning the ice, and at the five minute mark, capitalized to go up 1–0.

But just like last week, the opening Spider marker came from George Farner, assists to Schwinn and Schuster.

The first ended with a Gold Rush penalty at the buzzer by T. DeBleeckere. The Spiders’ power play though was still on intermission break, nothing doing. The Gold Rush gave the Spiders another time to hone the power play less than a minute later. Only, the Spiders spent half a shift not even knowing they were back on the advantage.

As the second wore on, the Gold Rush forecheck, which had been dominating through the first half of the game, began to sag. The Spiders chances began to increase, and after a cycle around Kevin O’Connor’s net, with multiple chances, Freed finally put it away with 5:12 remaining, assist to Schroeder, and Spider lead of 2–1.

Early in the third, the Gold Rush capitalized on a Spider turnover, and made a perfect passing play down into the Spider zone to tie the game back up at two.

At 12:41, the Spiders got the lead back, with Dave Henke notching his first of the season, from Johnson and Farner. Spiders up 3–2.

Five minutes later, the Spiders won a neutral zone faceoff, and made it count, grabbing the cursed two-goal lead, with Mike Schroeder from Lavigne and Droullard. Spiders 4–2.

The curse showed up a minute later, as a breakaway by the Gold Rush scored, even as he was hauled down by backchecking Schuster, who was assessed a penalty, as well as a bruise or two as he landed behind the net. Spiders 4–3 with under 7 minutes to go.

Though the Spiders had intended to play shutdown, defensive hockey with their two-goal lead, the potential Gold Rush comeback lit a fire under the bench, and the Spiders bottled up everything. Wanting to make it interesting for the crowd, Byland (not Sutton) was called for tripping with 1:54 to go, and the Gold Rush pulled their netminder to go 6-on-4. After the goaltender returned for a Gold Rush zone faceoff, the play returned to the Spider zone while the Spiders’ bench joked that if a penalty kill kept it interesting, imagine how interesting a 6-on-3 would be. Ref Jack Carlson apparently overheard, and decided to grant the Spiders’ wish, as he clocked a bad change at the Spider bench. “Not even close,” said Jack.

The Spiders called timeout, and strategized how to keep the puck away on what would be 16 seconds of 6-on-3.

The Spiders won the defensive-zone faceoff, but a clearing attempt was blocked at the blueline. The resulting point shot was blocked wide, and Lavigne forced it up the board with his skate and out of the zone. The desperate Gold Rush could not get the puck back cleanly into the zone, and the buzzer signaled the Spiders’ seventh consecutive win, 4–3.

Shots were 32 for the Spiders (14, 11, 7), and 21 (6, 7, 8) by the Gold Rush on McCormick, who was able to stay in the net the entire game, and get the win against the team that put him out for a month. Congrats Bill.

Lifetime against the Gold Rush now, the Spiders have the 4–2 edge.

In the C3 East standings, some key matchups have solidified the Spiders’ hold on first place (9–3; 18 pts.) that came about thanks to the Buccaneers taking down the Fighting Piranhas the week before. This weekend, the other top-of-the-pack team, the Fighting Loons, lost to the Ak Bars 5–3, and the IceDogs beat the Fighting Saints 3–2. Only the Fighting Piranhas won, beating the ShameonIce 4–1.

The Gold Rush are a game out of the fourth playoff spot, at 6–5–1, 13pts.

Next up for the Spiders, the Super Bowl break. But after that, C3 play resumes during the following week, with the Spiders and the fourth-place Fighting Saints (7–4–1; 15 pts.) on Wednesday, Feb. 5, at Highland for a late-night puck drop at 9:10 p.m.