Valiant effort
March 9, 2024
Les Etoiles du Nord vs. Spiders
Saturday, March 9, 2024,
7:45 p.m. – Breck
Game 18 (AHA game 23986)
- Les Etoiles du Nord final score:
- 5
- Spiders final score:
- 2
| Team | 1 | 2 | 3 | F |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Les Etoiles du... | 0 | 3 | 2 | 5 |
| Spiders | 1 | 0 | 1 | 2 |
The Spiders at least made the game vs. the Nords interesting, despite a short bench.
Coming into the Saturday game vs. the LED Nords, the Spiders had no hope of a post-season berth (except on the golf course). And with the roster decimated by injuries, just nine skaters were available for the early start time at Breck. While the Nords had a full complement of (far younger) skaters.
But the Spiders made it interesting, with Berman setting the tone on his first touch of the puck, an offensive zone faceoff draw from Grotbeck to Kato up to Berman. Making it 1-zip with 50 minutes and 3 seconds to go. It was exactly one period later that the second period snooze kicked in, with the Nords potting three in a row.
The Spiders answered early in the third, to pull within one and make it interesting. But the Nords grabbed the most dangerous lead in hockey back on the next shift. And on a double minor (no blood) to close the game, made it 5–2. The Spiders did “score” a goal on a loose puck, but video review showed the ref prematurely found his whistle, negating the marker.
All in all, despite the score, it was a competitive game, and Tejeda kept the Spiders in it most of the game facing a 37-shot barrage.
| Team | GP | W | L | T | OTL | P | GF | GA | PIM |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fighting Loons | 19 | 17 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 36 | 82 | 40 | 80 |
| Marauders | 18 | 13 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 26 | 71 | 47 | 58 |
| Boreal Hockey Club | 18 | 11 | 6 | 1 | 0 | 23 | 68 | 55 | 70 |
| Les Etoiles du Nord | 18 | 11 | 7 | 0 | 0 | 22 | 68 | 48 | 70 |
| Kan Jammers | 18 | 10 | 6 | 1 | 1 | 22 | 64 | 52 | 96 |
| Fighting Walleye Blue | 18 | 9 | 5 | 1 | 3 | 22 | 57 | 52 | 72 |
| Pines | 18 | 7 | 8 | 2 | 1 | 17 | 54 | 56 | 74 |
| Nordeasters | 18 | 7 | 11 | 0 | 0 | 14 | 65 | 71 | 75 |
| Spiders | 18 | 4 | 11 | 3 | 0 | 11 | 45 | 67 | 96 |
| Troopers | 18 | 3 | 14 | 1 | 0 | 7 | 29 | 68 | 86 |
| Bold North | 19 | 2 | 16 | 1 | 0 | 5 | 26 | 73 | 56 |
Final score: 5–2
The Spiders immediately proceeded to JJ’s to watch another green and gold team celebrate its MSHSL victory.
Next up, the second-to-last game of the winter season, a Monday night road game vs. the Marauders. Puck drop at 8:30 p.m. at TCO.
For details, see the box score and game summary.
