Spiders celebrate Groundhog Day early
Feb. 1, 2025
Spiders at Fighting Loons Black
Saturday, Feb. 1, 2025,
09:00 p.m. – New Hope N
Game 13 (AHA game 25658)
- Spiders final score:
- 0
- Fighting Loons Black final score:
- 6
| Team | 1 | 2 | 3 | F |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spiders | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Fighting Loons... | 1 | 2 | 3 | 6 |
NHL Wild and AHA Spiders match final scores, 6-donut.
The Fighting Loons Black showed why they’ll likely not see the L column this season, unless the Parity Police decide to move them for the playoffs (which has happened before for teams that run the table).
While the Spiders had a short bench for a Saturday night game at New Hope, this Loons Black squad is loaded with scoring power, and shutdown goaltending, that all the other C3 squads haven’t been able to match (other than an OTL anomaly over Thanksgiving). They’ve gone 13–0–0–1 on the season, and let in only 22 goals, an average GAA of just 1.57, while potting 73, an average of over 5 per game. Will any C3 team be able to catch them? They have one game left with a top-5 C3 team, and own every stat category at C3, with four players in the top 10 of points.
| # | Player | Team | Pts | GP | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 24 | J. Westerlund | Fighting Loons Black | 22 | 12 | 1 |
| 96 | J. Neary | Fighting Loons Black | 21 | 13 | 2 |
| 29 | D. Wolke | Fighting Loons Black | 20 | 14 | 3 |
| 23 | K. Sherlund (C) | Fighting Loons Black | 17 | 12 | 8 |
| # | Player | Team | G | GP | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 29 | D. Wolke | Fighting Loons Black | 15 | 14 | 1 |
| 67 | J. Westerlund | Fighting Loons Black | 15 | 12 | 2 |
| # | Player | Team | Ast | GP | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 23 | K. Sherlund (C) | Fighting Loons Black | 14 | 12 | 1 |
| 96 | J. Neary | Fighting Loons Black | 14 | 13 | 2 |
| 34 | K. Slone | Fighting Loons Black | 10 | 11 | 4 |
| # | Goalie | Team | GP | GA | Avg | Shots | Sv% | W | L | T | OTL | SO | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 40 | C. Kutina | Fighting Loons Black | 13 | 19 | 1.46 | 321 | 94.08 | 12 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 4 | 1 |
In the game, the Spiders could take consolation that the game was well within reach through one (1–0), and still under control after two (3–0), but the ice tilted decidedly away from the old legs on the Spiders, while the Loons couldn’t help themselves to capitalize on broken defensive plays, running up the score, with one natural hatty, and the Woods boys (Brian and Emmet) bringing home four points.
The lone Spiders highlight came with just 19 seconds to go, as Berman got tackled into the net on a breakaway, getting awarded a rare-in-the-AHA penalty shot, dutifully saved by the Loons’ post, to preserve the donut. Prompting the Loon goalie to collect the post’s souvenir from the scorekeeper before the handshake line.
| Team | GP | W | L | T | OTL | P | % | GF | GA | PIM |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fighting Loons Black | 14 | 13 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 27 | 0.964 | 73 | 22 | 52 |
| Pines | 13 | 11 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 22 | 0.846 | 73 | 32 | 58 |
| Nordeasters | 13 | 9 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 19 | 0.731 | 49 | 30 | 40 |
| Marauders | 13 | 9 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 18 | 0.692 | 52 | 42 | 72 |
| Kan Jammers | 13 | 8 | 3 | 2 | 0 | 18 | 0.692 | 54 | 28 | 52 |
| Spartans | 13 | 8 | 4 | 0 | 1 | 17 | 0.654 | 49 | 44 | 40 |
| Wood Knocks | 13 | 8 | 4 | 1 | 0 | 17 | 0.654 | 47 | 40 | 38 |
| Wildcats | 14 | 8 | 5 | 1 | 0 | 17 | 0.607 | 60 | 48 | 86 |
| Bold North | 12 | 7 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 14 | 0.583 | 52 | 39 | 50 |
| Spiders | 13 | 5 | 5 | 2 | 1 | 13 | 0.500 | 38 | 40 | 72 |
| Les Etoiles du Nord | 13 | 5 | 6 | 2 | 0 | 12 | 0.462 | 47 | 42 | 50 |
| Growlers | 13 | 5 | 7 | 1 | 0 | 11 | 0.423 | 50 | 47 | 62 |
| Blue Ox | 13 | 5 | 7 | 1 | 0 | 11 | 0.423 | 32 | 43 | 80 |
| Fighting Walleye | 13 | 3 | 6 | 2 | 2 | 10 | 0.385 | 39 | 56 | 50 |
| Ice Cobras | 12 | 3 | 8 | 1 | 0 | 7 | 0.292 | 30 | 51 | 42 |
| Troopers | 13 | 3 | 9 | 0 | 1 | 7 | 0.269 | 28 | 47 | 44 |
| Saints | 13 | 3 | 9 | 1 | 0 | 7 | 0.269 | 34 | 56 | 42 |
| Blade Runners | 13 | 2 | 10 | 0 | 1 | 5 | 0.192 | 28 | 81 | 48 |
| Fighting Loons Red | 14 | 1 | 12 | 1 | 0 | 3 | 0.107 | 32 | 79 | 48 |
Final score: 6-zip
The Spiders return to an even .500, and remain in 10th place, the post-season cutoff (unless a certain undefeated team gets moved up for the playoffs), but with four teams within striking distance in the crowded middle of the C3 road.
Lifetime against the various versions of the Loons Dynasty™, it’s now 8–10–2 dating back to the 2013–14 season.
Next up, the Super Bowl bye. The Spiders return to action in 10 days to take on the 2nd-place Pines, who are coming off a 4–1 loss to the Growlers on the other New Hope ice sheet Saturday night, now at 11–2 on the season.
Puck drop is Tuesday Feb. 11, 9:30 at the Wooger.
For details, see the box score and game summary.
