Spiders (morally) victorious on Hockey Day Minnesota

Jan. 24, 2026

The Spiders made it a game late in the late game of Hockey Day Minnesota 2026.

While the crowds returning from the 20th annual Hockey Day Minnesota in Hastings didn’t take the easy exit to warm back up in the VMCC in Inver Grove Heights for the last game on the HDM2026 schedule, they missed out on the last-place Spiders (1–10–0–0) taking on the first-place (and undefeated in regulation) Growlers (10–0–0–1).

The Spiders were outbenched from the start, with Schroeder going out in the first period with a “lower-body” injury. Long arrived as reinforcement (with his shin pads this time) with just a few minutes to go in the first, but drew the first penalty of the game on his first shift. The Spiders would kill off three more minors of Long’s (two blatantly unearned, one miscredited) before the end of the second. By that time, the Spiders had already dug a 3-marker hole in the Inver Grove ice, registering just three shots against the Growler netminder in the first, and four in the second.

In the waning minutes of the third, the Growlers scored again, but the refs finally realized they were allowed to call penalties on more than one team. On the power play, the Spiders capitalized, Mara (in his last game before the Spiders make it to the playoffs) from Olk and Andres. That was followed up on the next shift, Berman from O’Connor and Litton, bring the score to 4–2.

With 3 minutes and change remaining, the Spiders formulated how to pull the goalie for the extra attacker. But with no stoppage coming, and a suffocating Growler forecheck that kept the puck in the Spider end of the pool until 12 ticks left, that’s where the score ended.

But … The Spiders can be proud to have erased the looming donut, put up two goals on the hottest team in the entire AHA, and making the first-place team get back on their heels, for at least a few minutes. A moral victory if there can be one this season.

Final score: 4–2

The Growlers improve to 11–0–0–1, and the Spiders (of course) cling to the C3 cellar (1–11–0–0). Lifetime between the two teams, it’s now tied 1–1 dating back to last season.

Next up for the Spiders, the eight-place Wildcats (7–5–0–0). The Wildcat

The Wildcats have long ownzed the Spiders, with the Spider record at 2–7–0–0 dating back to the 2018–19 season. Last matchup was an 8–3 domination by the Wildcats last season.

Puck drop will be early on Sunday, Feb. 1, at 5:40 p.m. at Charlie Brown’s Barn.

Spiders on HDM

As far as Hockey Day Minnesota goes, it’s the Spiders’ seventh appearance in the annual event, which dates back to 2007. The Spiders first “participated” in 2009, vs. the Wingmen, a 3–2 OT loss against current and former Spiders Matt Kato and Jason Mehling. In all, the Spiders have put up a 3–3–0–1 record in those seven premier games.