USHL Cedar Rapids RoughRiders

RoughRiders weekly

Published on November 18, 2008 under United States Hockey League (USHL)
Cedar Rapids RoughRiders News Release


Bounce Back: The RoughRiders rebounded from their first back-to-back losses of the season with a 3-2 win in Green Bay last Saturday.

Thirst for First: The RoughRiders remain three points behind the Indiana Ice in the race for first place in the United States Hockey League's East Division. The Riders have a game in hand on the Ice.

The Three Hundred: The RoughRiders and Coach and General Manager Mark Carlson are just two wins away from the three hundredth victory in team history. Carlson and the RoughRiders have gone 298-202-48 since arriving in Cedar Rapids in 1999.

Home Sweet Home: Last Friday's loss was the RoughRiders' first home defeat of the season.

Stingy: The RoughRiders are the only team in the league that allows an average of fewer than two goals per game (1.9). The Riders have not given up more than three goals in a game this season.

P.K. O.K.: The RoughRiders lead the league in penalty killing (92.1 percent) and have both scored five shorthanded goals and given up five power play goals.

Mighty Mike: Mike Seidel (7-12-19) ranks second in the league and points, third in assists and is tied for eighth in goals.

Between the Pipes: Rider goaltender Mike Johnson ranks second in the league in wins (7), goals against average (1.91) and save percentage (.929).

All Good Things...: Last Friday's loss to Green Bay ended the Riders' 14-game winning streak against the Gamblers. The win was Green Bay's first over the Riders since the Gamblers scored a season-opening 4-2 victory at the Cedar Rapids Ice Arena on October 7, 2006.

Ins and Outs: Forward Tobias Nilsson-Roos (sports hernia) has missed the Riders' last ten games.

Alumni Spotlight: Minnesota State-Mankato freshman forward Tyler Thompson (2006-2008) scored his first collegiate goal- the game winner- in the Mavericks' 2-1 win over Colorado College last Friday. One night later Thompson picked up his first assist in a 4-3 loss to C.C.

Tenth Anniversary Tidbit: The RoughRiders set a team record by winning ten straight games between November 1 and November 27, 2003. The streak started with a wild 7-6 overtime win in Green Bay that saw the Riders score twice in the final 1:15 of regulation to tie the game and then get the game winner in sudden death from James Brannigan. The run culminated in back-to-back Thanksgiving week wins over the arch rival Waterloo Black Hawks. The streak was finally halted by the Des Moines Buccaneers, who defeated the Riders 5-3 on November 29 thanks in large part to a 37-save effort from goaltender Dan Tormey, who would be traded to Cedar Rapids later that season.

Scouting Report

Fargo: The Force defeated the Musketeers 4-1 in Sioux City last Friday before losing to the Black Hawks 5-2 one night later in Waterloo...The win over Sioux City was Fargo's second in a row, marking the first time the expansion Force has posted back-to-back victories...The Force has won two of its first three home games...Keegan Flaherty (8-1-9) and Johnnie Searfoss (3-6-9) are the Force's top point producers. Flaherty leads the team in goals, Searfoss in assists...Mike Lee (4-5-0, 2.63, .912) was named USHL Goaltender of the Week after stopping 22 shots in last Friday's win. On the season Lee ranks fifth in the league in goals against average...The Force is the only team in the USHL averaging fewer than three goals per game (2.4)...Fargo ranks last in the league on the power play (9.8 percent)...The Force won its first ever meeting with the RoughRiders, defeating Cedar Rapids 3-1 on November 8 in Fargo.

Sioux Falls: The Stampede earned one point for a 6-5 overtime loss to Tri-City last Friday. Last Saturday Sioux Falls defeated Des Moines 5-3...The Stampede has picked up at least one point in four of its last five games (2-1-2)...Saturday's game will be the Stampede's sixth straight at home and its tenth on home ice in its last twelve games overall...Victor Anilane (4-10-14) and Luke Greiner (4-10-14) are just ahead of David Eddy (4-9-13) in the race for the team point scoring lead...Josh Holmstrom (8-1-9) is the Stampede's top goal scorer... Eric Hartzell (4-4-2, 3.82, .878), the son of Sioux Falls coach Kevin Hartzell, has been in goal for all but two of the Stampede's first 13 games...The Stampede ranks second to last in the league on both the power play (11.9 percent) and penalty kill (78.3 percent)...The Riders won their first meeting of the season with the Stampede 5-1 on October 17 in Sioux Falls.

Community

Emerson Elementary Fastworks: RoughRiders will visit the Fastworks program at Emerson Elementary on Monday evening, December 8 at 6:15PM.

Salvation Army Christmas Toy Shop: Riders players will distribute toys at the former EconoFoods at 1800 51st Street NE from 8:30AM to 12:45PM on Wednesday, December 17. The Christmas Toy Shop is a partnership between Toys for Tots and The Salvation Army which provides holiday toys for children in need up to 17 years of age. 

Watch/Listen

That's The Ticket!: RoughRiders single game tickets can be purchased in person at the Cedar Rapids Ice Arena ticket office, over the phone at (319) 261-4625 or online at www.roughridershockey.com. The ticket office is open from noon to 5:00PM on weekdays and from noon through the end of the second period on game days. Ticket prices range from $7 to $17 in advance and from $8 to $18 on game days.

On the Air: All RoughRiders regular season and playoff games are broadcast on AM-1360 The Fan in Cedar Rapids. Brian Lavelle provides play-by-play.

Online: Courtesy of B2 Networks, free audio webcasts of Riders games are available at www.roughridershockey.com. The RoughRiders and B2 also offer pay-per-view video webcasts of all RoughRiders games. Fans can click on the "Watch RoughRiders' Games Live" icon at www.roughridershockey.com to catch the action. The broadcast is available to fans with a high speed DSL or cable modem internet connection. The charge for video webcasts is $6 per game.

Check out the Cedar Rapids RoughRiders Statistics

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United States Hockey League Stories from November 18, 2008


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