Spiders give up lead, playoff hopes in 4–3 come-from-ahead loss to Royals

March 14, 2015

On Pi Day, the Spiders couldn’t force a repeat of AHA math, will miss playoffs for first time in 7 winter seasons

The Spiders’ habit of sneaking into the playoffs in the final week has been “cured.” The playoff info released this week by the AHA had the potential to pencil in the Spiders on the dance card up until the halfway point of the third period, as the usual pattern of the 2014–15 of giving up leads reared its head yet again. Despite a respectable effort by the short-benched Spiders to keep playoff hopes alive, two late goals against — echoed with whoops and hollers from the Royals-friendly New Hope S crowd — instead sent the Spiders to an early spring.

Tonight’s game started with a lineup shuffle and a short bench. Playing two centers — the two most-rested players who raised their hands — the Spiders got the jump early despite being peppered by the Royals. Dave Henke, returning to the lineup in his first game in a month, got the Spiders on the board on a beautiful rebound play, with assist to Berman and Litton (via Farner).

The Spiders made it 2–0 just a minute later, with a Sean Murphy goal from a perfect Schuster setup. After one, the Spiders were up the dreaded two-goal lead, and even in shots 10–10.

In the second, the Royals were called for their second trip of the game, but the Spider power play had its usual result. Back at full strength, the Royals got on the board by taking out Spider defenseman Droullard through a clever skate can-opener move that eluded the attention of the refs. Spiders now 2–1. Just 15 seconds later, the Royals were called again for tripping, perhaps a makeup call for the missed trip on the goal, but this time the Spider power play finally clicked, as a point wrister from D Litton rebounded right onto Paul Berman’s waiting BASE™ stick and in behind the goalie. Spiders 3–1 with over half the game to go.

The Royals celebrated their next goal a bit too early, as the ref, in perfect position, saw the puck fly up in the air and batted straight down by a purple glove into the net. “Don’t be so obvious,” said the ref.

But the Royals continued to press, eventually drawing a tripping penalty off D Litton, who, according to the same ref, impressively was able to trip someone while being decked to the ice.

Opening the third, the Spiders’ PK did its job, but the Spiders legs began to sag, and despite numerous scoring chances, could not find the back of the net. The Royals did, however, scoring at 8:43 to again close within a goal. The Spider power play got another chance at 6:23, but came up empty, only taking out veteran AHA ref Scott Herda with the man-advantage, something he’s used to with the Spiders. With just under four minutes remaining, the Royals’ speedster and leading scorer #88 Krebsbach danced his way around the orange-coned D at the blueline and beat McCormick to tie up the game.

After a Royals timeout, their forecheckers came out, well, checking, with #19 Reed leading the charge, putting on a clinic in the offensive zone, getting himself open in front of McCormick to tip a point shot in, but it went wide. Reed then barreled to the side boards to regain possession, launching himself against the glass to try to prevent Murphy from getting the puck, and instead went down in a heap from the speed of his collision with the boards. Of course, that’s a body check, regardless of whether there was any actual check involved. So Murphy was sent to the box while the refs conferenced to make sure they got the call right, as they saw it.

With just over a minute remaining and down a man, the Spiders called their own timeout, to make plans for their golf tee times. The Spiders decided to keep the goalie on the ice for the PK, but it wouldn’t matter as a point shot by the Royals pinballed in and around the Spider crease, hitting no fewer than five sticks, shoulders, pads, etc., before finding its way into the net, finishing up the epically Royal comeback, and cementing the Spiders season.

As a souvenir, McCormick tried to offer his goal stick to a fan behind the New Hope glass and was called for unsportsmanlike conduct. So down by one goal, and with another body in the box, the Spiders this time pulled the goalie to go five on five in the last 54 seconds, and despite a couple of chances the puck ended up out of the offensive zone, was flung in on net one final time as the buzzer sounded.

Final score: Royals 4, Spiders 3.

Shots were incredibly even despite the short bench for the Spiders, and both goalies came with incredible saves to keep the game close. McCormick had 31 shots (10, 9, 12), with 27 saves, and the Royals’ Ben Cavender had 33 against (10, 10, 13), stopping 30.

On the season, Cavender went 3–0 against the Spiders, including a sub spot with the Mastodons.

Standings non-watch

The loss, the Spiders’ 9th regulation and 10th overall of the season, drops the Spiders to 7–9–2–1, and to 9th place behind the Nighthawks, who beat the Wolfpack on other New Hope ice sheet Saturday (and celebrated at the same local New Hope establishment afterwards as the Spiders).

As has been the Spiders’ game plan all season, this was the incredibly fifth come-from-ahead loss by the Spiders this season.

While the Spiders’ prospects for sneaking into the playoffs had been dimmer than the goal light siren behind the opposition net, the loss slams the door on the post-season for the Spiders. With the B3 Spiders also failing to make the grade last week, the 2014–15 playoffs in April will be the first time since 2007–08 that a Spiders team has not been on the ice in Bloomington. (Well, it could be argued that there was barely a Spiders team on the ice for the 2013–14 playoffs, but that’s another story.) Since the 2008–09 season, when the then D1 Spiders went all the way, there has been at least one, if not both Spider squads in the playoffs for six consecutive AHA winter seasons.

The Royals, in the meantime, bolster their standings position, and need one more win in their final game against the Blade Runners on Wednesday, combined with a Blade Runners loss to the Marauders next week, and Ice Gators losing as well, to take the fifth and final C3 East spot.

Next up...

Next up for the Spiders, golf. But before that, the final game of the regular season, against the Mastodons, who are tied for third with the Fighting Ice Fish, and take on the second-place Gold Rush Wednesday night before the Spiders next Sunday.

Make the road trip to see the Spiders in their final game of the 2014–15 season: Puck drops at 8:10 p.m. back way out in Vandais Heights Sunday night, March 22.