Almost

Jan. 3, 2026

After digging a 6-goal hole in the New Hope ice, the Spiders made it very interesting for the LED Nords.

Saturday night, the Spiders, all 11 available for the first game of 2026, to face the LED Nord (4–4–0–1), who were coming off a disappointing 8–5 loss to the Ice Cobras (the Spiders’ teammates from this summer as Team Zimbabwe), where they gave up a third-period lead, allowing the Cobras to pot four in the final frame.

Tonight, the first period was all Nords, with a five-goal margin, and by the halfway mark of the second, it was 6-zip and time for the runtime clock.

But somehow, the Spiders began to tilt the ice, first Johnson from Ronneberg (on a goalie beater), then Berman (on a tap-in) from Mettee and Olk, then Ronneberg (laying down and digging for a rebound at the side of the net) from Litton, and by the end of the second, it was 6–3. An early third power play for the Spiders, and Mettee from Kato made it 6–4.

On the next shift, the Nords got another, but Long answered back on a coast-to-coaster, and with 3:35 to go, Mettee did the same short-handed, to make it a one-goal game.

The Spiders called timeout after a late Nord penalty. And with 27.3 seconds to go, the Spiders did their best to tie it up, but the puck made it high in the zone and eventually over the line, and time tricked away on the Spiders’ improbable comeback.

Final: 7–6

The Spiders also “lost” in the PIM column, getting flagged four times to the Nords’ three, though despite some questionable “in proximity when someone falls” calls, the last one on Mara had Oscar season all over it, as the Nord flung his stick toward the New Hope ceiling rafters in an attempt to elicit the whistle. 10.0 awarded the judges.

Lifetime against the Nords, it’s been a dismal 2–11–2 record dating back to the 2015–16 season.

Slow Spiders Start(s)

The Spiders now sit at 1–9 halfway through the season, which is tied for the Spiders’ worst start ever, going all the way back to the Spiders’ very first winter league season, 2005–06 (featuring rookie Litton), when the then D2 Spiders’ only W in the first half of the season was a 7–4 win over the Nighthawks, otherwise going 1–9 (finishing 2–17–0–1).

The most recent Spider Schneid start was the 2018–19 season, where the Spiders went 1–8–1 (finishing with the same amount of points, at 1–18–1–0). Prior to that, the 2007–08 season (which was Old Man Johnson’s first), the then D1 Spiders started 2–8 in a season that ended 3–17.

Next up, an inexplicable post-holiday bye, after three games crammed into the holiday season. The Spiders will return to action Thursday, Jan. 15, vs. the 12th place Bold North (4–5–1–0). The Spiders last played the Bold North in March last year, a 2–1 loss, that was a season sweep for them.

School night puck drop at Aldrich is 9:20 p.m.