Spiders get their exercise chasing Nighthawks, lose 5–1

Nov. 16, 2014

The Spiders’ bye week did no favors.

With a roster dented by injuries and a case of the team bus flu, the Spiders’ two weeks off was the perfect setting for the winless Nighthawks to build up momentum. The Nighthawks played three games in a week, claiming their first win of the 2014–15 season thanks to the Spiders being a step or two behind.

The Nighthawks last win came in last spring’s post-season, where the 2013–14 C3 West regular season division title holders went 2–1, including an 11–1 stomping of the injury- and vacation-decimated Spiders.

Hemmed in their own zone for extended shifts, the breakout would’ve had no luck at all if it didn’t have bad luck, with every bounce and/or clear ending up on a Nighthawk stick blade.

The lone Spider scoring highlight came late in the first to tie up the game, temporarily, by Mike Johnson, from Jason Mehling.

The rest of the Spiders appearances on the scoresheet came in the two-minute variety. With Dr. Droullard getting a rest on his first shift, and midway through the third, Sutton getting some playing tips from usual Nighthawks suspect #25 J. “Who me?” McDonald.

The loss brings the Spiders back to .500, 2–2 with one game before the Thanksgiving break, more opportunity to add to the rust.

Next up, the 1–2–0–1 Royals, who are in the midst of their own bye week. The last time the Royals and Spiders met was the 2011–12 season, where they skated to a 4–4 tie at the State Fair Coliseum. Lifetime, it’s an even 6–6–2, a big turnaround from the first few AHA seasons, where the Royals routinely and effortlessly routed the Spiders.

Puck drops at 7:30 Sunday night back at New Hope N.