One last Spider donut
March 21, 2026
Spiders at Pines
Saturday, March 21, 2026,
08:45 p.m. – New Hope N
Game 20 (AHA game 28078)
- Spiders final score:
- 0
- Pines final score:
- 6
| Team | 1 | 2 | 3 | F |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spiders | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Pines | 3 | 2 | 1 | 6 |
The Spiders finished the 2025–26 Winter season with one final shutout loss against the Pines.
For the last game of the 2025–26 Winter season — the Spiders’ 21st (22nd overall including Beginner School), taking on the Pines (6th place; 11–4–3–1, 26 pts.) the Spiders (last place; 2–16–0–1, 5 pts.) had just 10 skaters available due to the usual collection of spring travel, kid hockey and injuries. The Spiders did get defenseman Harry Long back after missing two weeks, but he only stuck around until the second, and took the Gus Bus home early.
New Hope puck bunnies.
By that time, the Spiders had already dug a three-goal hole in the ice, with captain Litton seemingly enjoying chatting up scorekeeper Zollman more than staying on the ice. The shots after one period were 22–4, as the Pines confidently controlled all three zones. A little closer in the second (16–11) but the Spiders could not solve the Pines’ sub goalie D. Gutiérrez, who would go on to stop all 18 Spider shots, despite a couple of grade-A chances and deflections.
The runtime clock, which by rule only kicks in when the score reaches a six-goal deficit in the third period, actually started during Litton’s final bin sit of the evening, as an “ice maintenance” issue in the second ground up into chunks all the available ice time buffer.
| Team | GP | W | L | T | OTL | P | GF | GA | PIM | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Growlers–y | 20 | 17 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 35 | 87 | 47 | 90 | |||
| Wood Knocks–x | 20 | 16 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 35 | 87 | 48 | 58 | |||
| Kan Jammers–x | 20 | 16 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 33 | 109 | 45 | 90 | |||
| Marauders–x | 20 | 15 | 3 | 1 | 1 | 32 | 77 | 42 | 80 | |||
| Pines–x | 20 | 12 | 4 | 3 | 1 | 28 | 71 | 49 | 74 | |||
| Ice Cobras–x | 20 | 13 | 6 | 1 | 0 | 27 | 95 | 56 | 90 | |||
| Fighting Loons Black–x | 20 | 11 | 6 | 1 | 2 | 25 | 66 | 47 | 82 | |||
| Bold North–x | 20 | 11 | 6 | 2 | 1 | 25 | 79 | 52 | 92 | |||
| Wildcats | 20 | 11 | 9 | 0 | 0 | 22 | 78 | 58 | 138 | |||
| Troopers HC | 20 | 10 | 8 | 2 | 0 | 22 | 74 | 64 | 88 | |||
| Les Etoiles du Nord | 20 | 8 | 8 | 1 | 3 | 20 | 62 | 73 | 88 | |||
| Spartans | 20 | 8 | 12 | 0 | 0 | 16 | 61 | 88 | 66 | |||
| Blue Ox | 20 | 7 | 11 | 1 | 1 | 16 | 53 | 66 | 72 | |||
| Fighting Loons Red | 20 | 5 | 14 | 0 | 1 | 11 | 51 | 101 | 48 | |||
| Fighting Walleye | 20 | 3 | 13 | 1 | 3 | 10 | 39 | 86 | 62 | |||
| Sharks with frickin lasers | 20 | 4 | 16 | 0 | 0 | 8 | 51 | 108 | 86 | |||
| Saints | 20 | 3 | 17 | 0 | 0 | 6 | 52 | 96 | 72 | |||
| Spiders | 20 | 2 | 17 | 0 | 1 | 5 | 53 | 119 | 78 | |||
|
||||||||||||
Final score: 6-donut
The Spiders finish the season, with sole ownership of C3 last place, at 2–17–0–1, and 5 points. The Pines climb to fifth, with 12–4–3–1, 28 points. On the season, the Pines take the series 2-zip, after their 6–2 win in November (on the same ice sheet).
Lifetime against, the Pines, it’s now 1–3–2 since the 2020–21 season (plus the 5–4 loss in the playoffs last spring).
Next up for the Pines: the playoffs, which begin April 9 for C3.
Next up for the Spiders: Golf, which began last week with the temps in the high 70s.
For details, see the box score and game summary.
