Spiders grind out comeback win over IceDogs, 2–1

Nov. 27, 2016

The Spiders earned their second win of the season in a chippy, grind-it-out post-Thanksgiving game against the IceDogs. With plenty of posts, diving saves, dislodged nets and the occasional post-whistle fracas, the New Hope S crowd Sunday night got their money’s worth of adult hockey.

The Spiders had yet to wake up when a defensive zone blunder and a little puck luck led to the IceDogs getting on the board in the first three minutes. But the rest of the period (and game), they’d only get their number called for the penalty box, with #34 Mattson doing his best to pad his stats, which included an “unintentional” body check into the corner bench glass pad on a dangerous, not-for-AHA, play. The rest of the game, he demonstrated that none of it was unintentional.

His whistles did give the Spiders plenty of opportunity to work on their power play possession, which was nonexistent on the first attempt, but settled down and spent plenty of time in the offensive zone on subsequent power plays.

In the second, while the score didn’t budge, the Spiders racked up 15 shots on goal to four for the Dogs.

In the third, the Spiders continued their possession play, and finally halfway through, Kevin Noreen split two defenders at the blueline and fired on the net to tie up the game. A shift later, Mike Schroeder blasted at the net through a Farner screen, who hopped out of the way just in time for the puck to see its way into the gap. Spiders up 2–1.

The Dogs pulled their goalie with just over a minute, and had at least four opportunities to tie the game on four offensive zone faceoffs, as Bredael did his best to prevent shots, with one rattling around off the far post and onto a Dog winger’s stick before the net came off its moorings, hockey karma’s attempt to even up the dozen times the Dogs had their own net knocked off on Spider scoring opportunities. On the final faceoff, a slot pass was poked away by a diving Farner, forcing the last-ditch shot from outside and arriving at McCormick after the buzzer.

Spiders hold on to win 2–1.

The win improves the Spiders’ C3 West record to 2–3, tied with the IceDogs for sixth place.

Next up, the Spiders have a rare Friday night game, versus the 0–3–1 Gold Rush. The last time the Spiders played the Gold Rush, Jan. 31, 2015, it was an epic turnover-fest. Overall, the series record is at 4–4, including 2013–14’s forgetful double disappointment.

Puck drop is 7:45 p.m. Friday night at Richfield.

Spider #mobros once again grow for #Movember to support men’s health

Once again, Spider “Mo Bros” are celebrating the month of Movember. With the facial growth spurred by David Schuster, in his seventh 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.