Spiders shut out for first time this season

Feb. 7, 2017

After a dominating start and stalemate on the scoreboard, the short-benched IceDogs took over for the third period.

A crowd of early-arriving Spiders got to enjoy the third period of the Owatonna/South St. Paul varsity game at the Woog (formerly Wakota, aka, the House that Housley Built), thinking the actual hockey being played might rub off on their game. And for the first period and into the second, it did, as the Spiders dominated possession and scoring chances. After one, shots were 17–7 in favor of the Spiders. And 25–17 after two. And neither goalie would budge.

But apparently, 34 minutes of competition was all the Spiders had, as the IceDogs, or to be more specific, the IceDogs leading scorer #5 J. Calderon took control of the ice.

Right off the opening faceoff, #5 dashed his way in and dangled McCormick to put the Dogs up by 1. With no mulligans available, the Spiders returned to center ice for the subsequent faceoff. Both teams then had their share of chances, and both had an obvious goal waved off by an out-of-position ref. But an uncalled body check against the near boards in Dogs’ zone signalled that the refs had heard the “let them play” chant that rose from the Woog bleachers. And it was all down-ice from there. With six minutes to go, #5 set up a beautiful scoring play to #23, sniping just over Bill’s pad near side, to put the Dogs up by two. Next shift, he crashed the net, and #23 cleaned up in the crease, for a three-goal lead with four minutes to go.

In the meat minutes, tempers went from simmer to boil, with the ref crew just checking their watches, and possibly enjoying the C3-level fracas in the final 60 seconds rather than handing out well deserved two-minute certificates of merit.

Final score: 3-zip, first shutout of the Spiders for the season.

The last Spider shutout came last season, Dec. 27, 2015, in a 3–0 Royals game.

Final shots: 36–29.

On the win, the IceDogs jump into a playoff spot, at 8–5–1 and 17 points, and split the season series with the Spiders.

The loss pushes the Spiders further back from the potential playoff pack, as the midseason AHA captains meeting earlier Tuesday (sponsored by Summit Beer) confirmed the expected top-4 playoff criteria for the C3 level. At 5–8–1 and 11 points, the Spiders are a game and a half behind the next team and three games out of fourth.

With six games remaining, other than next week’s Gold Rush rematch, all are games against teams in the playoff hunt ... and teams that have already gotten points out of the Spiders earlier this season.

But next up, it’s the eighth-place Gold Rush (3–9–1–1; 8 pts.), whom the Spiders beat 7–1 in December.

Puck drop is a rare Monday night game, Feb. 13, 9:10 p.m. at Braemar.