Spiders poach Ice Gators 5–1

Dec. 11, 2014

After the opening goal by the Gators, it was all Spiders; mystery line notches four goals on their Gator belts.

After another nine days off, could the rusty Spiders keep their winning ways going after last week’s victory over the Maroons?

Four minutes in, the Breck fans thought they had their answer when the Ice Gators opened the scoring following a Spider blue-line turnover. But while the Gators had a few scoring chances in the first, they recorded only four shots, meaning nothing was getting through. Instead, the shot clock was all Spiders, totaling 12, though only one found the back of the net.

A late lineup change gave Spider management the opportunity to reunite the firm of Grotbeck, Fritz and Schroeder. And Spider management was rewarded for its decision. Schroeder got the Spiders on the board, assists to Fritz and Grotbeck.

In the second, the long change foiled the Spiders, getting hit with lone penalty of the game, served by Scott Bredael, who upon release, dove for a loose puck at the side of the net and found the net, assist to Mike Johnson (on an assist streak?) and Sean Murphy.

To close out the second, Grotbeck outwaited the goalie in the slot and put the Spiders up by two, assists to Schroeder and Litton.

Shots in the second were heavily in the Spiders’ favor, 15 to 7, as the Spiders enjoyed extended offensive zone time in front of the bench.

The third was more even, with shots at 8 apiece, and nothing on the scoreboard until just four minutes left, as Grotbeck scored again, assists — again — to Schroeder and Litton.

And finally, Fritz got in on the action with under a minute to go, with a tapper, assist to Grotbeck.

In total, that line put up four goals, and nine points, plus 4, and 64%* in the faceoff circle.

(* Approximate)

While McCormick had extended quiet time to himself, he came up big on numerous saves to keep the Gators at bay. In all, the Gators had 19 shots (4, 7, 8), while the Spiders had 35 (12, 15, 8), just off the season high of 37, which happened in the season opener.

For the Spiders, the win is the first consecutive victory this season, they improve to 4–3 on the season. In the clogged C3 East standings, the Spiders leapfrog from fifth place to a tie for second place with the 3–2–2 Mastodons.

Next for the Spiders, a rare Friday night AHA game, against the 2–3–1 Fighting Ice Fish. They sit in 10th, one spot off the C3 East basement, but one win from a tie for fourth.

The Spiders and Fighting Ice Fish split the season series last year, as they have every season they have met, with a lifetime record of 3–3–1, the tie coming way back in the 2008–09 playoffs.

Puck drop is 9:15 p.m. at Richfield on Friday.