Spiders keep it close, but get bitten by Piranhas 5–2

Dec. 16, 2007

In this second meeting of the season with the second-place Fighting Piranhas (5–1–1), the Spiders (1–6–0) would have to stay out of the penalty box and keep the strong Piranhas offensive unit out of the slot and off the scoreboard if they wanted any chance at putting up a win.

Through almost 14 minutes of the third period, the West Side crowd of three saw the short-benched Spiders, with 11 skaters to the Piranhas’ 15, kept true to the game plan, holding the Piranhas to just three goals. Spiders netminder Mike Derer, sporting new NHL-caliber gear, kept the Spiders in it, making one tremendous stop after another on the crowding Piranhas forwards.

And unlike the first game with the Piranhas, no one got the gate until the third, at 13:46, and that was an offsetting penalty leaving both teams at five skaters. The Spiders cooler dweller was right wing Marc Berris, who remarked, “Hey, I’m just happy to be on the scoresheet. It’s more than Monty can say.”

However, the Spiders’ offensive crew had a slow start, marking just a single shot in the first period. And despite only six shots on goal in the second, the scoring efficiency was much greater, converting two onto the scoreboard, both by rookie sensation Aaron Bedessem. The first, at the 5-minute mark of the second, came from a blue-line pass from defenseman Jeremy Litton, to a waiting Bob Jensen at the left of the net, whose shot was blocked, but had a streaking Bedessem to clean up, poking it home on the right. The second, at 11:15, on a pass from John Peterson, to an again streaking Bedessem, who put it home, bringing the score to 3–2 Piranhas.

It would remain 3–2, with the Spiders playing a strong neutral-zone and backcheck game, deep into the third period, highlighted by defenseman Mike Montgomery and Paul LaCosse going down and blocking shots. With 3:33 remaining, defenseman Jeremy Litton “drew” a minor penalty by taking a stick in the head. Unfortunately, the Spiders PP unit got caught flat-footed, and the Piranhas got a shorthanded marker at 13:51, getting a two-goal advantage over the Spiders. And even in the remaining minute and a half of the Power Play, the winded Spiders still couldn’t mount much of an attack.

The Piranhas capped off their win with a goal at 16:53, just 7 seconds remaining. Not that it would’ve affected the outcome, but as was the case last week, the scoring team had two feet in the crease, but the goal was still allowed. Just for good measure, Mike Derer was called for slashing at :07 simultaneous to the goal, which of course he couldn’t have done if the scoring team wasn’t in the crease.

But, hey, who needs rules.

Despite the loss, it was yet another “moral” victory for the Spiders (hey, we gotta take ’em where we can get ’em), playing a solid two and a half periods of hockey.

The Spiders had 10 shots on goal, though Coach Armagost insists it was closer to 15 or more. The Piranhas had 29. Spiders lose 2–5, steadfastly retaining the dubious honor of last place in D1 East, at 1–7; the Piranhas tentatively jump to first place at 6–1–1, one point ahead of the 6–1 Royals.

Next up, a pre-New Year’s rematch with the Wolf Pack, the previous game representing the Spiders’ lone victory.