Recipe for Spiders 10–1 loss to Renegades revealed at Wakota

Feb. 24, 2008

Take a short Spiders’ bench, add 20 minutes of penalties, bake for 51 minutes, and you have another Spiders’ blowout loss.

It was that kind of night. Not only did the Spiders pile up 20 PIMs, but the Renegades were also generous with their sticks, getting called for 16 PIMs themselves, putting the game total at 36, tying the Spiders all-time record for most combined penalty minutes in a game, set in the first game this season.

And if it wasn’t for the unused Wakota Rink 2 PA system, the crowd of four Renegades fans who braved the trek to South St. Paul tonight would’ve thought there was an echo, as center Dave Schaefer got four — yes, four — of the gate calls. Well, one was serving a bench minor for too many men. But he apparently found the deluxe accommodations so welcoming, he found his way back there two more times, once for interference at the end of the first, and again at 5:43 into the second, for roughing. However, due to a friendly exchange with the opponent following the penalty, Dave found himself sitting for 10 minutes instead of two (the minor was served by right wing Bob “Captain Bob” Jensen).

During his incarceration, Dave was seen motioning to others on the Spiders’ bench about how great the view was from there, finally convincing defenseman Mike Armel to join him at 7:16 into the second for an offsetting high-sticking minor. The already short Spiders’ bench was left almost equally populated as the penalty box, as an on-the-fly shift change by record-setting (and not in a good way) plus-minus defense duo of Paul LaCosse and Jeremy Litton found only one replacement, and two lonely forwards (Mike Johnson and Mark Franklin) having just come off their shift. It wasn’t pretty. But the good news, despite the tired legs and tightened lungs, the Spiders PK unit did a stellar job of keeping the Renegades out of the net, letting in only one goal on the PK out of four chances. On the flip side of special teams though, the Spiders’ Power Play unit didn’t fare so well, letting in two shorthanded goals in the second period.

But it was the inspiration of the ref’s offer of runtime for the third period that propelled the Spiders onto the scoreboard. Just 22 seconds into the third, left wing Mike “Monty” Montgomery planted himself in the left slot front of the Renegades’ net, and a cross-crease pass from Bob “Captain Bob” Jensen got the goalie sliding and gave Monty a target on the twine. Monty said after the goal, “[ed: sorry, inaudible].” As the scorekeeper noted following the game, “At least you avoided the donut.” How true.

It was close to donutsville for the Spiders’ shot production, as the Spiders managed just six shots on goal. And that’s not a team record. The Spiders did manage quite a number of breakaways and offensive pressure, but apparently the Wakota rink has its nets approximately 5 feet off center, since that’s where most of the Spiders’ shots seemed to be aimed.

Spiders’ netminder Mike Derer got his exercise tonight, seeing a whopping 32 shots through, around and on top of the Spiders’ porous backchecking.

Wrapping up the three-game season matchup, the Renegades swept the series, with a total goal differential: 26–4. Total PIM: Renegades 28, Spiders 38.

The Renegades sit in third place in D1 East, at 10–5–2. The Spiders (3–13) still cling to their second-to-last-place spot, a point ahead of the Wolf Pack.

Next up, the final season meeting with the Lumberjacks, which was rescheduled from Super Bowl Sunday, now this Friday, Feb. 29, at New Hope. Puck drops at 9:15.