Spiders pad Spartan stats
Dec. 19, 2021
Highlights:
Spiders at Spartans
Sunday, Dec. 19, 2021,
7:15 p.m. – EPCC 1
Game 7 (AHA game 19173)
- Spiders final score:
- 2
- Spartans final score:
- 4
| Team | 1 | 2 | 3 | F |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spiders | 2 | 0 | 0 | 2 |
| Spartans | 4 | 0 | 0 | 4 |
Spiders can’t get past undefeated Spartans, lose 4–2
The short-benched Spartans showed the lone EPCC 1 fan why they’ve only let in 5 goals the entire season. Playing with structure, speed and shutdown goaltending, the Spartans controlled the game from the drop of the puck by lone ref (at least to start) John Fleischhacker, whom it was good to see has recently returned to the ice from his “lower-body” injury.
Sure enough, the Spartans got on the board on their first shift. And then tried to set the tone for the rest of the night by two-hand slashing from behind, and chirping Fleischhacker about the wisdom of his call.
The Spiders, however, answered, much to the shock of the Spartans, tying the game, Berman from Andres and Schroeder. That tie lasted all of 35 seconds, as the Spartans potted two consecutive goals to go up 2–1. They then seemed to take the pedal off the gas for a shift to catch their breath, revving back up two minutes later to snipe the backbreaker, before the game was even 10 minutes old.
In the waning seconds of the first, the Spiders cut the lead, Mettee from Andres and Krough. And that’s where it would stay the rest of the night.
Instead, the remaining 34 minutes featured penalties, pipes and poor sportsmanship, as the Spartans #14’s Sidney Crosby commentary drew the ire of the now pair of officials.
Pulling the goalie with 1 and change to go, the best chances came from the Spartans’ second wind to try to pot an empty netter.
Final score: 4–2
In the moral victory column, that’s the first time since opening week that a team has put up a crooked number on the Spartans. In their game 1 vs. the Wildcats (still winless on the season), are the only team to score two goals against. Three one-goal efforts and two shutouts, and the Spartans goalie has amassed an all-AHA league-leading 96.11 save percentage.
| # | Goalie | Team | GP | GA | GAA | SA | Sv% | W | L | T | OTL | SO |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 69 | Kaler, J. | Spartans | 7 | 7 | 1.00 | 180 | 0.961 | 7 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 |
| Team | GP | W | L | T | OTL | P | GF | GA | PIM |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spartans | 7 | 7 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 14 | 31 | 7 | 42 |
| Royals | 7 | 6 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 12 | 34 | 16 | 16 |
| Fighting Walleye | 7 | 5 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 10 | 33 | 19 | 18 |
| Spiders | 7 | 5 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 10 | 28 | 20 | 34 |
| Troopers | 7 | 3 | 3 | 0 | 1 | 7 | 21 | 29 | 28 |
| Fighting Loons | 7 | 3 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 6 | 21 | 23 | 26 |
| Minnesota Mallards | 7 | 3 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 6 | 25 | 26 | 18 |
| Nordeasters | 7 | 2 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 22 | 28 | 26 |
| Black Ice | 7 | 1 | 5 | 0 | 1 | 3 | 15 | 37 | 16 |
| Wildcats | 7 | 0 | 7 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 13 | 38 | 24 |
The loss sets the Spiders now in fourth place all alone, at 5–2. And in the franchise series with the Spartans dating back to the 2019–20 season, the Spartans maintain their dominance at 3–0–1.
Next up, the holiday hiatus, and hopefully a chance for all the Spiders on the IR to heal up and get ready to return to health and to the ice in 2022.
Happy holidays and new year from the Spiders, next puck drop will be Sunday, Jan. 2, vs. the 2–5 Nordeasters at Richfield.
For details, see the box score and game summary.
