Spiders come from ahead to claim sole ownership of last place in C3 East

Nov. 27, 2018

The post-Thanksgiving team bus flu had the Spiders short-benched and falling behind after a dominating first period.

The almost two-week bye for the Spiders allowed a bit of rust to develop on the skates, as the Spiders climbed out to an early lead for the third time this season, only to squander it as the game continued.

As also in the last three of the four games so far this season, the Spiders cheated with too many skaters on the ice, though this one came right on the heels of the first shift.

As in the last game against the Nords, Rich Elling got the Spiders on the board early with a beauty of a setup from Tim Bullock from Chris Pettengill.

A scary moment in the first, when center Scott Bredael went down awkwardly in a collision resulting in a “lower-body injury,” though he’d thankfully return after repairs midway through the second.

“Where’s Doc Rob?”

Late in the first, the dogs’ #23 Kaszas scored his first of many on the evening to tie up the game, and did it again early in the second. A second period faceoff perfect draw and snapshot from Pappone to Schuster re-tied the game at two.

That lasted all of three minutes. At 5:31 remaining, the dogs went ahead, and exactly two minutes later, the Spiders tied it up yet again, on another highlight-reel play of Grotbeck from Freed and Schuster.

Early in the third, the Spiders did something they hadn’t done all season — went ahead in the third period. Grotbeck again, from Farner and Pettengill on the Spiders lone power play of the night, despite at least one or two other opportunities that could’ve been power plays, according to the apologetic head of AHA officiating.

The Spiders continued peppering the Dog goalie, after putting up 14 shots in the second, added 12 more in the third, to no avail.

Instead, the Dogs bided their time while the wheezing Spiders ran out of gas in the third period, and at the five-minute mark, #23 Kaszas drew the rain of hats from the zero fans in attendance at Woog. The inevitable backbreaker came two and a half minutes later.

A puck chase behind the Spiders net led to dual box sits and 1:09 of feeling shame for the Spiders captain and the dogs left winger #29. So rather than an extra attacker with the empty net, the Spiders could only send five tired skaters out for the last push. While the Spiders had numerous chances, the best came on the stick of #23 Kaszas who Texas-sized his hat trick with 7 seconds to go.

Final score: 6–4

The Dogs (1–2–1) climb out of the C3 East doghouse and jump to sixth place, after being tied with the Spiders for last coming in to the game, leaving the Spiders (0–3–1) with sole possession of 10th place, since the Ak Bars got off their winless schneid by beating the Arctic Wolves 7–5.

The Dogs also improve to 2–7 lifetime against the Spiders, with two in a row now at Woog, after a Spider shutout in February 2017.

Next up for the Spiders, a quick turnaround to face the now 1–3 Ak Bars. The game is Saturday night at Harding, a barn the Spiders haven’t played since Nov. 29, 2008, when they beat the Fighting Saints 7–2.

The Ak Bars and Spiders have faced each other often since 2005–06, as well as executing a couple trades for players to be named later. The last time the Spiders faced off against the Ak Bars was in the 2015–16 season, a 3–1 win on Hockey Day Minnesota. Lifetime against the Ak Bars: it’s a very even 5–5–1–1 record.

Puck drops on the grey Harding ice at 9:30 Saturday.

It’s still Movember

Despite the January-like weather, it’s still Movember, and that means Spider “Mo Bros” are still growing to support men’s health.

With the facial growth spurred by David Schuster, in his eighth 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.