Spiders start season off offensively

Nov. 6, 2021

The Spiders opened the 2021–22 winter season with a 9–1 win over the Black Ice at Highland on Saturday. The huge crowd of Macalester students, who arrived at Highland via bus, foot, or Subaru hatchback, chose the wrong game though.

While the Mac Scots were soundly defeated, the Spiders instead, with just 10 skaters available due to travel, kid hockey, hunting or engine trouble, put on a scoring clinic for the five fans who probably went to the wrong rink. The Black Ice, whom the Spiders haven’t played since the 2016–17 season (where both games ended in ties), found out just before the game that their goalie was out for the season. So with a last-minute sub — and that team’s own short bench — the Spiders took advantage early, and often.

Though the first scoring of the night came from the Black Ice, on a bouncing puck to the side of the net, that eventually wound up on a Black Ice stick and sniped far side. That was the only time the Black Ice would get on the board, as the Spiders’ new (though longtime summer league) goaltender, Suzanne Kellogg, shut them down the rest of the way.

The Spiders answered on the next shift, and kept answering — with scoring coming in bunches. The lone referee, whose partner may have also been away hunting (or on Harry’s bus), witnessed no penalties (despite several opportunities) nor any second assists (also despite several opportunities) the entire night.

The Spiders most highlight reel goal, a breakaway by Todd Krough, who Kanered his way down the ice to deke out the Black Ice goalie, ended up shanking the post, that was picked up a few minutes later by the trailer, Chris O’Connor, in his first game back since the 2019–20 season, and to put the nightcap on. Even the Black Ice had stopped chasing by this point, as several of their forecheckers just hung back and watched the show from the Spiders’ defensive end, waiting out the runtime clock.

Final score: 9–1.

Lifetime now against the Black Ice stands at 1–0–2.

Next up for the Spiders, the Fighting Loons, who dropped their opener 3–2 vs. the Troopers. Puck drops late night next Saturday (post-DST), 9:30 at Richfield.