Spider comeback felled by Pines

Dec. 17, 2023

The short-benched Spider squad made a valiant push in the third to make the game interesting.

In the final game of the 2023 portion of the schedule, just nine skaters were available to start the game (with a reinforcement late in the first period to total 10 skaters).

And though the Pines started the scoring early, it wasn’t until the second, after the Spiders had tied it up, that the deluge started. The Pines had all the puck luck, and their offensive onslaught chalked up four goals in 6 minutes, to seemingly put the game out of reach at 5–1.

But in the third, the Spiders found a little second wind, closing the score to a manageable 5–3. Only to have the Pines send a seeing-eye point shot through the legs of a D-man to regain the three-goal margin.

Vandenberghe then answered immediately, making it 6–4 Pines, before getting whistled for the first (called) penalty of the game, for water-skiing on Pine phenom #99 Enyart (getting himself the coveted “AHA Gordie Howe” Hat Trick). Then Litton was called for interference (really a cross-check) right at the beginning of the PK, giving the Pines considerable 5-on-3 time. But the Spider kill was up to the task.

Incidentally, Litton had ample opportunity during their two-minute sites to explain to Vandenberghe that the reason the AHA uses the 1G–1A–2PIM rule for the Gordie Howe Hat Trick (NHL version is 1G–1A–1 fight) was because there are NEVER any fighting in AHA games.

Unfortunately, the Spider offense could no longer solve the Pine goalie. Tejeda came off with just under two minutes to go, but the Spiders couldn’t capitalize. Nor could the Pines, who hit two pipes in their empty net attempts.

As the seconds ticked off the clock, the sore-winner Pines decided to get ticked off too, with two different players making their presence known.

After the customary handshake line, the Pine goalie decided it was showtime, attacking two different Spiders while his teammates attempted to hold him back. In an AHA hockey game.

Photo: AP (NA)

And while normally this would lead immediately to a Game Misconduct or Game Ejection penalty under AHA rules, both refs conveniently missed the antics, only seeing the end result of a Spider sprawled after getting clocked in the face by a goalie glove. In an AHA hockey game.

In the end, had Cory been one of the ones jumped by the goalie, he could’ve had the *real* Gordie Howe Hat Trick! In an AHA hockey game.

Final score: 6–4

The Spiders, now at 2–4–1 and in 9th place, head into the holiday bye.

Lifetime against, the Pines, it’s now 1–1–1 since the 2020–21 season.

After the break, the Spiders return in 2024, to face the LED Nords, who are tied for 5th. The Spiders and Nords have a long and tilted (in the Nords’ favor — other than Billy’s shutout game puck game) history, with a 1–8–2 record dating back to the 2015–16 season.

Puck drop will be Friday, Jan. 5, 2024, 8 p.m. back at Richfield.