Spiders catch Loons in the last minute, win 4–3

Dec. 11, 2013

Wednesday night, the NHL’s Wild began their west coast road trip against the Ducks, with a 9:30 p.m. CT start. The AHA C3 Spiders hit the road as well for an East Side road trip, playing a different brand of fowl, and a 9:45 p.m. CT start.

The Fighting Loons, last winter’s D1 champs, have established themselves as C3 contenders with a 3–2 record, tied for 3rd place at the quarter turn of the season.

The Spiders, coming up short against the first-place Fighting Piranhas just this past weekend, sit two points behind, in seventh, at 2–3.

Tonight’s East Side game is the second time the Spiders have played at VMCC in all the way in Inver Grove Heights. The last time was last January vs. the Ak Bars, when the Spiders lit the lamp on their sub goalie, John Fleischhacker, 3–1. There were zero penalties called in that game. Tonight’s penalty total would be slightly more.

With McCormick still out from the “lower body” injury suffered at the hands of the Gold Rush in November, it was none other than Fleischhacker who got the call. After playing this summer for the Spider-Men (Grape-Nuts), he is now the full-time netminder for the Wingmen in C3 West, with a 4–1–1 record.

Fleischhacker got warmed up for the Spiders/Loons game by subbing also in the previous game for the 1–7 C2 Dragons, as the now-at-C2 Moose had target practice, winning 7–3. Said John, “Well, I’ve got plenty in the tank. I let in seven, so I apparently wasn’t working very hard.”

However, the Dragons’ momentum must’ve carried over, and a mere 14 seconds in, the Spiders were already in the hole, as Loon D. Ginter went bar down after a 3-on-1 after the opening faceoff. The Spiders had barely gotten their skates under them and were already back on their heels.

Despite outshooting the Loons in the first 8–4, the score stayed at 1–0. In the period break, the refs apparently weren’t meeting quota, and decided they had to make sure their whistles worked. As they went on a PIM assessment tear that is usually only seen by the Dynamic Duo crew the Spiders had last week. Or in actual chippy games, which this one wasn’t. Nonetheless, the penalty parade began just 1:11 into the period, and would last throughout the game, with a total of 14 raised arm, the refs were probably getting very tired, and the scorekeeper carpal-tunnel syndrome.

Of note, the Spiders killed off what may be the first Spider coincidental penalty play (Johnson in the offensive zone, Fritz in the defensive zone) to both sit simultaneously for the ensuing 5-on-3. It was negated just a half minute later by Ginter on a hook. The refs took a break on whistling infractions, as they had to log a goal for the Loons at 9:04 of the second, putting the Spiders in a deep two-goal hole.

With the Loons’ #64 Jendrysik in the box, the Spiders power play, for its now fourth attempt, finally got it right. An end around by D-man Schroeder had him back in the slot to get the Pappone pass up the gut, and Schroeder made sure he didn’t miss, for his first of the year, assists to Pappone and Droullard (and Schroeder). 2–1 game.

Then, in the waning seconds of the period, up-at-wing Byland banged it home from the right circle for his first of the year, assists to Grotbeck and Pappone, and it was a tie game.

Before the refs could call another penalty in the third, they were chalking up another Loon goal, as a bouncing clear from the neutral zone snuck under Fleischhacker for one he definitely wants back. Loons 3–2.

The penalty parade resumed, with Ginter going again, then Farner, then offsetting calls for Droullard and LeGare in the Spider zone. Finally back at 5-on-5, late call-up Schwinn, in the lineup at the last minute for “Scratch” Pellicci, tied up the game for his fourth of the season, assist to Schuster.

A tie game with 5 minutes to go? If only the AHA Video crew had made the road trip.

The refs kept it interesting for themselves, putting Droullard in the box again at 3:39 remaining, and evening it up just 15 seconds later. But 4-on-4 turned into 4-on-3 PK for the Spiders 17 seconds later, with Schuster called for interference in an offensive zone corner puck battle. At least it wasn't a power play for the Spiders, which would’ve spelled disaster.

The Spiders effectively killed the 5-on-4 (despite Johnson trying to go 1-on-5), held on during the 4-on-4, and controlled the 4-on-3.

Finally sprung from the bin at 1:07 remaining, Schuster cut to the neutral zone, and Droullard found him on a perfect gut pass from the hashmarks, and, at least according to the scoresheet, it took Schuster a full 12 seconds to skate his breakaway down to beat the Loons’ goalie Scholten, a former teammate of Schuster’s, who had plenty of words for him as he dug the puck out from his net. Spiders on top 4–3 with under a minute to go!

The Loons pulled their goalie for the extra attacker, but couldn’t get anything to the Spider net despite turnover after turnover at the blueline.

And that’s where it would end, Spiders dig out of a hole — twice — to win 4–3.

Total shots for the Spiders were 25 (8, 7, 10), and 23 for the Loons (4, 11, 8). Total penalties were 7 for 14 PIM for each team. (Nope, not a record.)

But that quickest goal against, that’s a new record, by two seconds. The previous mark, at 16:44 (16 seconds into the first), was first set on Jan. 13, 2008, vs. the Jets (in a game known far more for another record), and tied again on Dec. 12, 2009, vs. the Wingmen.

In the standings

With this win, the Spiders have so far gone loss-win every step of the way, and are at .500 again, 3–3, in a five-way tie for the middle of C3 East, including the now 3–3 Fighting Loons. As is usually the case, the traffic jam in the middle is sure to last until the final days of the regular season.

After another 10 days off, the off-again-on-again schedule resumes Saturday, Dec. 21, at Richfield vs. the also 3–3 Fighting Ice Fish. Can the Spiders make it two in a row?