Spiders drop season opener to Battle Cats
Nov. 1, 2017
Spiders at Battle Cats
Wednesday, Nov. 1, 2017,
7:45 p.m. – VMCC W
Game 1 (AHA game 11019)
- Spiders final score:
- 1
- Battle Cats final score:
- 3
| Team | 1 | 2 | 3 | F |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spiders | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 |
| Battle Cats | 1 | 2 | 0 | 3 |
Unfinished business? Continue the momentum? You pick the theme for the Spiders 2017-18 campaign.
Either way, coming up on the short end of a 3-1 season opener against the Battle Cats was a disappointing start for a team with championship aspirations.
Despite outshooting their opponent by a margin of 10, the Spiders had trouble finding follow-up chances in front of the net all night long. And that equated to a loss in an otherwise closely fought contest, Nov. 1 in Inver Grove Heights.
The Spiders looked rusty throughout the first period, but played at an even pace with their opponent, with the teams tallying seven shots apiece. The Battlecats got on the scoreboard at 9:03 in the first period after intercepting and scoring on an errant outlet pass.
While both teams had an equal number of scoring chances during the first two periods, Battlecats goalie Gist was stout between the pipes, nary giving up a rebound in front of the net throughout the contest.
The Spiders would ultimately outshoot their opponents 34-24, but the Battlecats turned the game in their favor with a pair of goals on the same shift at 15:56 and 15:38 of the second period.
The final 32 minutes of hockey saw the Spiders slowly but surely dominate puck possession, despite being in a 3-0 hole on the scoreboard.
Finally, at 7:45 of period three the Red-and-Black tallied their first goal of the season. Veteran centerman Jay Hilden orchestrated the scoring play after sweeping a faceoff draw in the offensive zone back to the forehand of defenseman Hank Long, who slid the puck over Ryan Wilson. Hilden was able to find space in the slot to redirect Wilson’s fluttering shot over the goal line.
The Spiders then pressed hard on the offensive end – tallying a total of 17 shots in the third period – but weren’t able to draw any closer on the scoreboard.
Despite the loss, the Spiders felt good about the effort and will get a chance to notch their first victory of the season on Sunday, Nov. 5 against the Chiefs in New Hope.
For details, see the box score and game summary.
