Spiders revert to playoff form, dumped by Gold Rush 7–2

Nov. 1, 2014

The Spiders of the 2013–14 post-season made an encore appearance at Aldrich Saturday evening.

With no forecheck, no breakout, a game-ending injury to Schuster, and an officiating crew that sees only red, the dozen or so fans that packed Aldrich may have thought they were watching a replay of last March.

From the first shift, the Gold Rush were all over the Spiders, causing defensive zone turnovers, putting the Spiders on their heels. Within five minutes, it was 2–0. The Spiders answered back halfway through the period, with Jason Freed open in front, putting away a Vandenberghe pass, assist also to Sutton. But late in the first, Schuster went down in a helicopter into his office (the goalline corner), and was out for the game.

The second period began the customary parade to the penalty box, with Sutton for interference, with a 43-second sit before the puck was in the net. Then, after being dumped on a breakaway, Grotbeck was sat for unsportsmanlike conduct, of course. He got to rest up for 36 seconds, with the puck again in the back of the net. While the refs did finally see gold and called off a goal for interference, the Gold Rush tallied another with 18 seconds left in the second, going up 5–1.

In the third, the Gold Rush used their referee-sanctioned 7-on-5 offense to perfect their three-on-one rush, adding two more goals to go up 7–1, while the Spiders deftly added two more penalties to their scoresheet, including the first career penalty box appearance by Lady Byng lifetime member Jason Freed. Jason went five seasons in the AHA — 87 games played — without so much as a second look by the stripes. Welcome to the PIM club, Jason!

With two minutes to go, D Litton stole a puck from his defensive partner, which made it to Farner, and then Cory Vandenberghe, and behind Gold Rush goalie KevinKyle O’Connor, who had to take a break from calling audibles to try to make the save.

Final score was 7–2, though even that was predetermined, with scorekeeper Lee Kimsey, himself a Gold Rush alum, was sporting a Gold Rush hat while performing his clock-running duties.

The loss puts both teams at 1–1 in C3 East.

Next up for the Spiders, the 1–0 Blade Runners, Monday night in Hopkins. The Blade Runners beat the Gold Rush 6–4 last week in their first game. The Spiders and Blade Runners have never met. In their second year at C3 last season, they finished last place in C3 West with a 6–13–1–0 record.

Puck drops at 9:40 p.m. (10:40 p.m. if you didn’t remember to set your clock back).

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