Spiders lose to Lumberjacks, but show signs of life

Dec. 9, 2007

After last week’s rout by the Royals of the seemingly coma-induced Spiders, the club showed some definite signs of life — passing, possession, shots — in tonight’s late-night matchup on the big ice at BIG.

The Spiders — despite their short bench (partially due to injuries to Brian Armagost, on ice last week, and Mike Armel, off ice) — gave the first-full-year Lumberjacks (3–2–1) a run for their ice money in the first two periods, allowing just one goal per period. In fact, the near-capacity late-night crowd demanded a review of the first goal when it was clear three Lumberjacks were in the crease for the first goal — and the net was off its non-existent post. However, the video feed to league review facilities in Toronto was unavailable due to the office being asleep.

Despite — or maybe because of — the Spiders protestations, a second-period goal by the Spiders was waved off when the ref, who was out of position to see the play, decided based on an impromptu straw poll among the Lumberjacks’ defensive corps that the net had come off before the puck crossed the goal line.

The Spiders would get their lone marker at 13:29 in the third, by center Mike Johnson, from Brad Caron, making it 2–1. Half a minute later, however, the Lumberjacks would regain their two-goal advantage, and it was all downhill from there. With the Olympic-sized ice Rink 3, the gassed Spiders gave up three more goals. And even getting a Power Play then 5-on-3 to close out the final minute and a half of the game, the Spiders barely made a dent in the Lumberjacks PK.

In spite of the loss, Spiders’ fans should be heartened that the Spiders showed some jump and heads-up play tonight, including getting a whopping 22 shots on goal, after averaging 15 the last four games, including last week’s measly 5.

Spiders’ goalkeeper Mike Derer saw 30 shots tonight, stopping 24.

The Spiders retain their last-in-D1 East place at 1–6, and the Lumberjacks sit at third, 4–2–1

Next up, the season’s second matchup with the Fighting Piranhas.