Spiders stay consistent in 2019, fall 3–1 to Wildcats

Jan. 3, 2019

Despite taking the lead in the first, the game went south on the next shift.

This was the first time the D2/D1/C3 Spiders have played at Parade Ice Garden. Needless to say, the D2/D1/C3 Spiders are winless in Parade Ice Garden.

Despite taking the lead late in the first period, with Scott Bredael notching his first of the season, assisted by Paul Berman, for his first helper of the season, the game went south on the next shift.

The Wildcats scored 37 seconds later, and took the lead a minute after that. They added insurance just three minutes into the second period, and that would do it for the scoring.

However, the scorekeeper still kept busy, with penalty gate duty that put the Spiders on the power play three times in the third, including a lengthy 5-on-3 in the closing minutes. While the Spiders prevented shorthanded goals (on at least five shots against), they never found the twine behind the Wildcats’ netminder Zarras.

Final score: 3–1 Wildcats

At the halfway point of the season, the Spiders maintain their lock on C3 East’s cellar, 1–8–1 and three points, three behind the Ak Bars (3–7), and nine points to the playoff cutoff.

The Wildcats improve to .500, 5–5, 10 points, just two out of a playoff spot.

Next up, the Spiders face a team solidly in the playoff picture, the first-place Moose (9–1; 18 pts.). The Moose are coming off a 4–0 shutout of the Arctic Wolves, and six consecutive wins, their only loss coming against the LED Nord (with the Moose employing a sub goalie). The Spiders/Moose first meeting back in November at Saint Thomas resulted in a 3–1 loss for the Spiders. This is the Meese’s first season at C3, having gone 14–3–1–1 for a first-place finish at D1, and the Vegas line has them improving on that result at C3.

Puck drop is this Sunday, Jan. 13, at 9:15 at Richfield New Hope N.