First career shutout for Tucker!

Jan. 22, 2023

Spiders hand Spartans a 5–0 donut, but come up way short in the Federal League race.

The Spartans squad, which although has struggled this season, has found ways to win over top teams, including Walleye and Nords, to stay out of the C3 West cellar (occupied by the winless Blade Runners). But their short bench at Eden Prairie Sunday night was no match for the streaking Spiders and its hot goalie.

While the Spiders were racking up goals, every shot the Spartans had, including some high-caliber snipes, was swallowed up the Tucker leather. With few rebounds offered, the Spartan forwards could only congratulate Terry on each amazing save.

The Spartans best chance came on a “pass that shall not be repeated.”

The Spiders’ offense opened the floodgates late in the first, Sommerness from Andres. Adding another midway through the second, Berman from Long and Grotbeck, it was on a 5-on-3 power play (drawn by Andres, who got an earful from the striped crew for getting laid out, and then just 15 seconds later, a rare delay of game for burying the puck on the back of the net), the Spiders cashed in with 46 seconds to go (Ronneberg from Grotbeck), and then again in the opening seconds of the third on the remaining 5-on-4 (Long from Berman and Johnson).

And finally late in the third, the reinsurance goal by Krough from Johnson.

Goals are fine and all. But when you’re in contention for the Federal League Cup, and get shown up by the lowest penalized team in the division, well, frankly that’s just embarrassing. It was only Sommerness who followed the game plan, getting called for interference in the third. Otherwise, it was the Spartans keeping the penalty bin bench warm, getting flagged for four.

The meager two minutes drops the Spiders significantly in the Anti-Lady Byng race, as the pacesetter B2 Johnstown Chiefs jumped ahead to reach the 131 PIM mark, while the C1 Sharks have nearly caught up at 129, leaving the Spiders in the dust at 125. If the Spiders aren’t careful, the Sharks With Frickin Lasers in D1 East are on a tear with 110 PIM, with the D2 Hussars at 107, level A Warriors at 106, and the C2 Anchors just behind at 104 for the teams who’ve crossed the century mark.

Final score: 5–0

It’s the Spiders sixth W in a row, and if Spider fans can believe it, the Spiders are now in second place! At 16 points and 8–4 record, besting the Nords who have 7 wins (and a meager 44 PIM), and would get the nod thanks to the wins tiebreaker (definitely not the PIM tiebreaker).

Next up, rematch with the Nordeasters, who sit just a point behind in a tie for fourth place (6–3–3–0; 59 PIM). The previous game went way the Nordeasters’ way, a 6–1 drubbing back in November.