Spiders and Gold Rush join forces for the 2024–25 season
Oct. 30, 2024
Due to rule AHA changes for being rostered on multiple teams at a level, the roster crossover between the Gold Rush and Spiders made combining into one team a perfect fit.
The AHA 2024–25 winter season, the league’s 23rd year and the Spiders’ 21st (20th after beginner school), gets underway Friday.
The Spiders bid a fond farewell to:
- Eric Grotbeck (who has requested to be entered into the AHA Hall of Fame in his Spider sweater)
- Dave Schuster (again)
- Chris O’Connor
- Todd Krough
- Dave Sommerness
- Tim Johnson
And a warm welcome to:
- Rich Benson
- Tom DeBleeckere
- Ryan Johnson
- Mike Klein
- Jim Mara
- Steve Olk
They all come from the Gold Rush and have played with many of the Spiders winter and Gold Wing-Ders summer teams over the years. Plus, the Gold Rush and Spiders have had a rivalry going back to the early years of both squads.
The Spiders started 2004–05 in Beginner School. And the Gold Rush joined the league soon thereafter, in 2006–07, and the two teams’ first matchup came in the 2010–11 season (a Spider W).
Gold Rush circa 2007: Top row L to R: Hal Goldstein, Tom Hedberg, Chris Nathan, Patrick Lane, Wade Mueller, Harry Edelman, Bill Bissonnette, Dima Kuperman, Tim Calahan, Ben Olk, Alex Makovetsky;
Bottom row L to R: Matt Benson, Ryan Scannell, Jeff “Chicky” Stimac, Scott Anderson, Tom DeBleeckere, Tony Green.
Since then, the two teams have faced off 11 times. With the last one in the 2021–22 playoffs, going the Gold Rush’s way. In total, a 5–6 record in favor of the Gold Rush.
| Date | Time (CT) | Arena | Home | Result (Home) | Away | Result (Away) | Results |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mon., Nov. 29, 2010 | 8:30 p.m. | Richfield 2 | Spiders | 9 | Gold Rush | 2 | |
| Sun., Jan. 23, 2011 | 9:40 p.m. | Aldrich | Gold Rush | 2 | Spiders | 4 | |
| Sun., Mar. 13, 2011 | 3:20 p.m. | Highland N | Spiders | 3 | Gold Rush | 2 | |
| Sat., Nov. 16, 2013 | 3:45 p.m. | Richfield 2 | Gold Rush | 4 | Spiders | 3 | |
| Sun., Jan. 26, 2014 | 7:40 p.m. | Saint Thomas | Spiders | 4 | Gold Rush | 3 | |
| Sat., Nov. 1, 2014 | 6:40 p.m. | Aldrich | Gold Rush | 7 | Spiders | 2 | |
| Sat., Jan. 31, 2015 | 6:00 p.m. | SLP E | Spiders | 2 | Gold Rush | 8 | |
| Fri., Dec. 2, 2016 | 7:45 p.m. | Richfield 2 | Spiders | 7 | Gold Rush | 1 | |
| Mon., Feb. 13, 2017 | 9:10 p.m. | Braemar E | Gold Rush | 6 | Spiders | 3 |
| Date | Time (CT) | Arena | Home | Result (Home) | Away | Result (Away) | Results |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sat., Apr. 6, 2013 | 11:30 a.m. | BIG 1 | Gold Rush | 6 | Spiders | 3 | |
| Tue., Apr. 12, 2022 | 9:30 p.m. | Richfield 2 | Gold Rush | 3 | Spiders | 2 |
So the two teams’ stories histories now join, and look to continue the long tradition of hovering around .500!
