Spiders hold off Hooligans 4–3

Jan. 28, 2018

A rare early start Sunday — at 4 p.m. — brought out the big Richfield crowd to see the Spiders take on the Hooligans.

The Hooligans got on the board early, with a bad defensive miscue behind the Spider net leading to 1–0 Hooligans lead.

But a few minutes later, the Spiders answered back to tie it up. And in the second and third, would go on to score three additional unanswered goals.

The Hooligans did get a couple back while the Spiders took a third period nap, including a strange Joe Louis-like bounce off the back boards that ended up right on the doorstep of Spider sub goalie Dan Schultz. As well as a shorthanded goal on one of the Spiders many — and many ineffective — power plays.

In fact, the Hooligans did what the Spiders usually do … capitalize on the ref whistles. They went to the box four times, whereas the Spiders somehow evaded striped capture.

Final score, 4–3. Final shots were heavily in favor of the Spiders, 39 (12, 11, 16) to 26 (8, 6, 12).

The Spiders again jump back above the playoff fold with the win, at 14 points (6–5–1–1) and in fourth place. The Blade Runners (6–6–1–0) and Wolf-Rayets (6–6–1–0) sit a half game back, while the Leafs (5–6–2–0) a game, and Nighthawks Gold (5–8–0–0), two games.

The Spiders face the Blade Runners next, in the latest start of the season, 10 p.m. back at Richfield.

The Blade Runners lost 7–3 on Sunday to the still-undefeated-in-regulation Fighting Loons (12–0–0–1; 25 pts.). The Spiders previous game against the Blade Runners, last November, ended in a 5–5 tie.