Spiders heat up in homecoming
Feb. 22, 2025
Highlights:
Blade Runners vs. Spiders
Saturday, Feb. 22, 2025,
08:00 p.m. – Richfield 2
Game 16 (AHA game 25847)
- Blade Runners final score:
- 1
- Spiders final score:
- 6
| Team | 1 | 2 | 3 | F |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Blade Runners | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 |
| Spiders | 1 | 2 | 3 | 6 |
An early February thaw greeted the Spiders back at their “home” rink, Richfield.
The Spiders, coming off a trio of “road” losses, including two shutouts, the cozy confines of Richfield rink 2 were just the ticket.
The Blade Runners came into the game with a 2–11–1–1 record, but kept it close through one period, despite lodging just one shot on net in the first (no, that’s not a record).
But the Spiders did finally light the lamp late in the period, a Litton point shot was blockered down, right to the waiting stick of Long, who cross-creased to Ronneberg, who didn’t miss (as has been the Spiders’ MO lately).
Customary penalty trouble for the Spiders, including Tejeda’s first 2-min. credit on the season, gave the Blade Runners a lengthy 5-on-3, which they eventually cashed in on, to tie the game.
But from midway through the second, it was all Spiders, with Ryan Johnson putting on an offensive clinic in front of the lone Richfield “fan.” His natural hat trick was interrupted by a beauty of a breakaway by Olk. And the bookend came at 1:07 remaining, capping a three-goal third, and giving the Spiders a decisive victory in their return to the W column.
Final score: 6–1
| Team | GP | W | L | T | OTL | P | % | GF | GA | PIM |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fighting Loons Black | 17 | 16 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 33 | 0.971 | 89 | 27 | 68 |
| Pines | 16 | 13 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 27 | 0.844 | 88 | 39 | 72 |
| Nordeasters | 16 | 12 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 25 | 0.781 | 69 | 36 | 66 |
| Marauders | 16 | 12 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 24 | 0.750 | 66 | 48 | 78 |
| Kan Jammers | 16 | 11 | 3 | 2 | 0 | 24 | 0.750 | 66 | 33 | 64 |
| Wildcats | 17 | 10 | 6 | 1 | 0 | 21 | 0.618 | 71 | 59 | 100 |
| Wood Knocks | 16 | 9 | 5 | 2 | 0 | 20 | 0.625 | 60 | 54 | 54 |
| Spartans | 16 | 8 | 7 | 0 | 1 | 17 | 0.531 | 55 | 60 | 46 |
| Les Etoiles du Nord | 16 | 7 | 6 | 3 | 0 | 17 | 0.531 | 58 | 50 | 54 |
| Bold North | 16 | 8 | 8 | 0 | 0 | 16 | 0.500 | 63 | 54 | 60 |
| Spiders | 16 | 6 | 7 | 2 | 1 | 15 | 0.469 | 46 | 47 | 90 |
| Growlers | 16 | 6 | 8 | 2 | 0 | 14 | 0.438 | 59 | 58 | 70 |
| Blue Ox | 16 | 5 | 9 | 2 | 0 | 12 | 0.375 | 36 | 52 | 96 |
| Fighting Walleye | 16 | 4 | 8 | 2 | 2 | 12 | 0.375 | 48 | 69 | 82 |
| Troopers | 16 | 5 | 10 | 0 | 1 | 11 | 0.344 | 38 | 54 | 52 |
| Saints | 16 | 4 | 11 | 1 | 0 | 9 | 0.281 | 42 | 63 | 60 |
| Ice Cobras | 16 | 3 | 12 | 1 | 0 | 7 | 0.219 | 37 | 67 | 48 |
| Blade Runners | 16 | 2 | 12 | 1 | 1 | 6 | 0.188 | 37 | 101 | 56 |
| Fighting Loons Red | 16 | 1 | 14 | 1 | 0 | 3 | 0.094 | 37 | 94 | 50 |
The Spiders lodged 41 shots on net against the short-benched Blade Runners (also not a record).
The victory stops the February standings hemorrhage (for now), and the Spiders still sit in 11th place (6–7–2–1), a spot and a point out from April hockey vs. golf.
That may change while the Spiders have a two-week bye.
Franchise-wise vs. the Blade Runners, the series goes back to the 2014–15 season, with the lifetime record now at 5–4–1–2.
The Spiders return to action in March against one of the teams in the Spiders’ rear view mirror, the 13th-place Blue Ox (5–9–2, 12 pts). The Spiders have never faced this team, but the Gold Rush beat them twice last season (11 to 3 and 13 to 2), their first at C3.
Puck drop back at the Wooger on a Friday night, March 7, 7:30 p.m. Be sure to buy your parking pass early, as the lot was completely packed for the Spiders/Pines game last week.
For details, see the box score and game summary.
