Spiders slide in 14th AHA season

April 1, 2018

The Spiders 14th season of AHA hockey looked a bit different than the last three losing seasons. But the end result was the same. While the team was able to slightly improve on the 2016–17 season, and avoided the losing streak of the 2015–16 season, the Spiders also avoided winning streaks and couldn’t overcome enough of the middle-of-the-pack teams to hold onto a playoff spot.

Heading into the season, the roster was rocked by injuries, with two Spider veterans heading to IR, one Spider veteran returning from IR mid-season, and long-time Spider goalie with his own IR stint in the middle of the season.

In a similar division of extremes and crowded middle as last season, the Spiders were able to get at least a point out of all but three of the top teams, one of which was the first-ever C3 team to go undefeated in regulation (19–0–0–1) in the regular season, and another the first C3 team to go the entire season without a point (0–20–0–0).

C3 East opponents vs. Spiders
Opponent	Place	Record	Pts	Spiders record
Fighting Loons	1	19–0–0–1	39	0–2–0–0 (0 pts)
Les Étoiles du Nord	2	15–5–0–0	30	0–2–0–0 (0)
Maroons	3	12–6–1–1	26	2–0–0–0 (4)
Wolf-Rayets	4	10–8–2–0	22	1–1–0–1 (3)
Leafs	5	8–7–4–1	21	0–2–0–0 (0)
Blade Runners	6	9–9–2–0	20	1–0–1–0 (3)
Nighthawks Gold	8	7–13–0–0	14	~~1–1–0–0 (2)~~ 0–2–0–0 (0)
Hooligans Green	9	6–12–2–0	14	2–0–0–0 (4)
Minnesota Warriors	10	0–20–0–0	0	3–0–0–0 (6)

Missing the AHA playoffs for the fourth consecutive season, the Spiders now have missed the playoffs a total of seven seasons out of 14, having made the post-season seven consecutive years from the 2008–09 championship run to 2013–14’s playoff drubbing.

The Spiders finished the regular season in seventh place in C3 East out of 10 teams, with an 8–10–1–1 record and 18 points, a slight improvement on last season’s 9th place finish (7–11–2–0 record and 16 points).

This was the team’s seventh losing season, with the Beginner School, 2005–06 inaugural winter season, the 2007–08 first season at D1, and the last three seasons representing the others.

As with last season’s recap, an abbreviated (and unaudited) look at the Spiders season, by the numbers:

Team stat highlights

Result stats

Longest winning streak:: 2 (Jan. 6–13, 2018)
Longest losing streak:: 3 (Feb. 25 – March 7, 2018)
Longest shutout streak:: 2 (Jan. 6–13, 2018)
Longest shutout streak (win or loss):: 3 (Jan. 6–20, 2018)
One-goal losses this season:: 3
One-goal games this season:: 4
Six-goal losses this season:: 2
Come-from-ahead losses this season:: 1 (12/26/2017 vs. Fighting Loons)
Come-from-behind wins this season:: 1 (1/28/2018 vs. Hooligans Green)
Come-from-ahead ties this season:: 1 (11/25/2017 vs. Blade Runners)

Bench stats

Longest bench:: 15 (8 times; record: 2–5–0–1)
Shortest bench:: 11 (2 times; record: 0–2; both vs. Fighting Loons)
Average bench:: 13.6 skaters
Average roster differential:: +.05
Largest dressing room:: Woog 2
Coziest dressing room fish house:: SPA-Drake
Lousiest ice:: Most
Number of games played on Olympic ice (200′x100′):: 0
Number of games at Richfield:: 7

Goal stats

Fastest goal for:: 31 seconds in: 16:29, 1st period (11/25/2017 vs. Blade Runners, by Eric Grotbeck)
Fastest goal against:: 21 seconds in: 16:39, 1st period (twice: 12/2/2017 vs. Nighthawks Gold and 2/13/2018 vs. Nighthawks Gold)
Latest first goal for:: 5:23, 3rd period (2/25/2018 vs. Leafs, by Mike Johnson)
Latest last goal for:: 00:41.0, 3rd period (2/3/2018 vs. Blade Runners, by Eric Grotbeck)
Latest first opponent goal:: 2:42, 3rd period (12/10/2017 vs. Maroons)
Latest last opponent goal:: 00:09.0, 3rd period (2/25/2018 vs. Leafs)
Most goals for:: 8 (3/18/2018 vs. Minnesota Warriors)
Most goals against:: 7 (twice; 2/25/2018 vs. Leafs, 3/3/2018 vs. Fighting Loons)
Most goals (both teams combined):: 12 (3/18/2018 vs. Minnesota Warriors)

Shot stats

Most shots for:: 42 (2/19/2018 vs. Maroons)
Fewest shots for:: 18 (12/26/2017 vs. Fighting Loons)
Most shots against:: 45 (3/8/2018 vs. Fighting Loons)
Fewest shots against:: 17 (twice: 12/10/2017 vs. Maroons; 1/13/2018 vs. Minnesota Warriors)
Most shots (both teams combined):: 71 (2/3/2018 vs. Blade Runners)
Fewest shots (both teams combined):: 43 (twice: 1/6/2018 and 3/7/2018 vs. Wolf-Rayets)

Spiders vs. Arctic Wolves, March 19, 2016.

Penalty stats

Most Spider penalties:: 8 (11/9/2017 vs. Les Étoiles Du Nord – second season running)
Most opponent penalties:: 7 (2/13/2018 vs. Nighthawks Gold)
Most opponent penalty minutes:: 31 (on 6 penalties) (2/19/2018 vs. Maroons)
Most combined penalties:: 13 (2/13/2018 vs. Nighthawks Gold)
Number of games with no penalties by Spiders:: 4 (new record!)
Number of games with no opponent penalties:: 2 (11/3/2017 vs. Minnesota Warriors; 1/20/2018 vs. Les Étoiles Du Nord)
Number of games with no penalties by either team:: 0
Number of games where Spiders had more penalties than opponent:: 8
Number of games where Spiders had fewer penalties than opponent:: 9
Number of games where Spiders and opponent had equal penalties:: 2
Most frequently called penalty on Spiders:: Tripping (12 times)
Most frequently called penalty on opponents:: Tripping (12 times)
Most frequently called penalty (both teams combined):: Tripping (24 times)
Number of major and/or misconduct penalties assessed against opponents:: 4 (12/10/2017 and 2/19/2018 both vs. Maroons)

Player stat highlights

Most goals per game:: 3: Mike Johnson (3/18/2018)
Most assists per game:: 3: Dave Schuster (2/3/2018); Rich Elling and Cory Vandenberghe (3/18/2018)
Most points per game:: 3: Mike Schroeder (1G+2A) (11/16/2017); Dave Schuster (3A) (2/3/2018); Rich Elling (3A), Mike Johnson (3G), Dave Kuhnly (2G+1A), and Cory Vandenberghe (3A) (3/18/2018)
Most PIM per game:: 4 (too many to mention)
Most power play goals:: 1 (4-way tie), Scott Bredael, Mike Johnson, Jon Pappone, Dave Schuster
Most game-winning goals:: 1 (8-way tie)
Most shorthanded goals:: 0 (20-way tie)
Most PIM:: 16, Tim Bullock
Fewest PIM:: 0, Rob Droullard, Mike Johnson, Bill McCormick, Dave Schuster
Most penalties leading to opponent goal:: 2, Jeremy Litton
Number of goals scored via the “Flying ‘V’™”:: 0
Number of goals scored from Schuster’s Office™:: 3? Dave Schuster and Jon Pappone

Goaltending

Most saves per game:: 38 (3/3/2018 vs. Fighting Loons, Bill McCormick)
Fewest saves per game:: 16 (twice: 12/10/2017 vs. Maroons, Dan Schultz; 3/7/2018 vs. Wolf-Rayets, Bill McCormick)
Fewest saves per game in a win:: 16 (12/10/2017 vs. Maroons, Dan Schultz)
Most saves per game in a win:: 25 (11/16/2017 vs. Hooligans Green, Bill McCormick)
Most saves per game in a loss:: 38 (3/3/2018 vs. Fighting Loons, Bill McCormick)

Attendance:

Most games played:: 20 (Eric Grotbeck and Scott Bredael)
Most scratches (non-sub):: 10 (Jon Pappone and Dave Schuster)
Most on-ice season-ending injuries:: 0!
Number of games missed due to team bus flu:: Too many
Number of games missed due to forgetting skates:: One
Number of games missed due to the buffet at Nong’s Thai Cuisine:: One
Number of on-ice pre-season season-ending and/or career-ending injuries:: Two
Number of mid-season-but-returning-before-end-of-season IR assignments:: One