Late Spiders rally comes up short, fall to Royals 4–3

Nov. 23, 2014

The Spiders spent most of the game pinned in their own zone, only to make it interesting in the last two minutes.

The Spiders got off to yet another slow start, giving a up an early goal, 2:45 into the first. And after perfecting the tape-to-tape turnover, had dug an 0–2 hole by the end of the first.

The squad got some life when a Berman shot from the right circle deflected off Grotbeck’s jersey and into the back of the net. Video review would show it as a clean sweater redirect. Assist also to Bredael.

But just over three minutes later, the Royals capitalized again, sneaking the puck under McCormick’s glove after a defensive turnover.

And with just 22 seconds to go in the second, a pop fly off McCormick’s initial save landed right by the far post’s crease, and was banged in, to put the Royals up 4–1 after two.

The Spiders did finally get some chances in the third, outshooting the Royals 10–6 in the period, but even the grade-A scoring chances were shut down by the Royals’ Cavender. With a minute to go, the Spiders’ captain joked to the bench whether he should pull the goalie, for the extra attacker to make up the three-goal deficit. By the time the polite laughs died down, the Spiders had somehow scored, with Berman snapping it home with 40 seconds remaining, assists to Grotbeck and Droullard. And to the amazement of the New Hope crowd — and the Royals and Spiders benches — Mike Johnson won the faceoff and got the puck down to Schuster’s (also in the crowd) office and it slipped past the goalie to bring the Spiders somehow within just a goal, only 17 seconds after the Berman tally.

Spiders celebrate last-minute heroics.

The Spiders actually did call time out, with 23 seconds now on the clock. But, the Spiders lost the center ice faceoff this time, and never got control of the puck in time to get it down the ice.

Final score: Royals, 4, Spiders, 3. A much closer game on the scoreboard than the game on the ice.

Standings

The loss moves the now 2–3 Spiders back further in the C3 East standings, tied for 7th with the Blade Runners, though they somehow have two games in hand in this stop-start, bye week-filled November.

Next up

After the Thanksgiving break, the Spiders return to action against the last-place Maroons (1–3). The longtime rival of the Spiders, that team lost its goalie — C3 Tier Admin Jon Filter — in the offseason to his move up to the C2 level. In their first four games, they have had four subs in net, with their rostered goalie having yet to take the ice.

The last time the two teams met was the 2011–12 season, where the Maroons took both games of the series 3–2. Lifetime against the Maroons, the Spiders’ record is a dismal 2–6.

Puck drops at 9 p.m. on Tuesday, Dec. 2, at Richfield.

Spiders again grow for Movember

Once again, Spider “Mo Bros” are celebrating the month of Movember. With the facial growth spurred by David Schuster, in his fifth year of changing the face of men’s health, the Spiders encourage you to check out his Movember Mo Space before the end of the month to support men’s health.

Growing the ’Mo this month are, from left, Jeremy Litton, David Schuster, Brad Sutton, Rick Fritz and Bill McCormick. David Lavigne, also growing, was scratched (and scratching his ’mo in Mexico).

Game media

For all game photos, see the Spiders Photo Gallery.