First Place RoughRiders Host Green Bay Tomorrow
Published on January 12, 2004 under United States Hockey League (USHL)
Cedar Rapids RoughRiders News Release
Cedar Rapids, Iowa- The East Division-leading Cedar Rapids RoughRiders return to action when they host the Green Bay Gamblers tomorrow night at 7:05. The RoughRiders will finish the week with a game against the second place Chicago Steel Saturday night in Bensenville, Illinois.
Tomorrow night is also Youth Sports Jersey Night at the Ice Arena. Those 18 and younger who wear the uniform jersey or t-shirt of the team they play for will receive one free ticket with the purchase of another ticket.
Cedar Rapids (22-12-2, 46 points) is one point ahead of Chicago in the race for first place in the East Division. Chicago does have three games in hand on the RoughRiders.
After suffering a 4-1 defeat in Sioux City last Wednesday, the RoughRiders split a pair of games last weekend. The Riders fell 4-1 to the River City Lancers in front of a franchise record crowd of 4,264 Friday night at the Cedar Rapids Ice Arena. That defeat marked just the second time this season the RoughRiders have suffered back-to-back losses. Coach Mark Carlson's club rebounded to claim a 3-2 win in Sioux Falls one night later.
Defenseman Jordy Hart scored the RoughRiders' only goal last Wednesday. Another blueliner, Shane Lovdahl, scored the only Cedar Rapids goal last Friday and delivered the game winner against the Stampede Saturday. T.J. Dahl and Bryan Horan provided the other goals in that victory. Dan Tormey stopped 34 Sioux Falls shots, including 20 in the third period, in his second start as a RoughRider.
The win over the Stampede was the Riders' seventh game in just 14 days since the end of the United States Hockey League's holiday break. The RoughRiders went 3-3-1 during that busy stretch.
The RoughRiders' Jon Grabarek (14-22-36) is tied for third in the league in point scoring and is tied for fourth in assists. Grabarek remains among the league leaders despite going without a point in three games since returning to the Riders from the Viking Cup world prospects tournament last week. Grabarek is also tied for third in the USHL with teammate Matt Vokes in plus/minus rating (+15). Those two are just behind Lovdahl, who has the second best rating (+16) in the league.
RoughRiders goaltender Joe Fallon and defenseman Derek Peltier were also part of the silver medal winning U.S. 19-and-under select team at the Viking Cup. Fallon has gone 0-2 since returning, but is still firmly entrenched among the top netminders in the USHL. He leads the league in wins (16-8-1), is fourth in minutes played (1468:13), tied for fifth in shutouts (2), ranks sixth in save percentage (.919) and seventh in goals against average (2.49).
The RoughRiders' James Brannigan (17-13-30) is tied for sixth in the league in goal scoring.
Lovdahl (7-9-16) is tied for the lead among USHL defensemen in goal scoring and is tied for fourth among blueliners in in point scoring. Peltier (2-16-18) ranks second among defensemen in assists and points.
As a team, Cedar Rapids ranks second in the USHL offensively, averaging 3.5 goals per game. The RoughRiders have slipped to eighth in the USHL in power play efficiency (16.5 percent) after failing to score on their last 16 man advantages. The Riders have killed off 16 of their last 17 shorthand situations and now rank seventh on the penalty kill (83.2).
Green Bay (12-18-2, 26 points) is in fifth place in the East Division, five points behind the fourth place Waterloo Black Hawks in the race for the final playoff spot in the east.
The Gamblers won back-to-back road games last weekend, defeating St. Louis 5-3 Friday night and Danville 4-3 in a shootout Saturday night. Ryan Carter had a hat trick and one assist against St. Louis and followed that up with a pair of goals the following evening. The Gamblers have not won more than two straight games this season.
Jimmy Kilpatrick (12-10-22) is Green Bay's leader in goals and points and is the Gamblers' only 20-point scorer to this point. Jeff Hazelwood (8-11-19) and Victor Oreskovich (5-14-19) are closing in on the 20-point plateau.
Troy Davenport has been a workhorse in goal for coach Mark Osiecki. Davenport is third in the league in minutes played (1468:13) and fourth in total saves (700). He has gone 10-13-2 with a 2.85 goals against average, a .909 save percentage and one shutout.
Offense has sometimes been hard to come by for Green Bay this year. Last Friday was the first time in 20 games the Gamblers scored five goals in a game. On the season, Green Bay ranks tenth in the USHL in goals per game (2.6).
The Gamblers are also in the bottom half of the league defensively. Green Bay ranks eighth with a team goals against average of 3.16.
The Gamblers have not found abundant success on special teams. They rank second to last on the power play (12.9 percent) and third from the bottom on the penalty kill (80.7 percent).
Chicago (21-9-3, 45 points) won three games in three nights last weekend- by a combined margin of 18-7- to close the gap on the RoughRiders. The Steel shutout Danville 2-0 last Friday, routed St. Louis 8-3 last Saturday and hammered the Wings 8-4 yesterday afternoon in Danville. Prior to embarking on the three game winning streak, coach Will Nichol's team had won just one of its previous six games (1-4-1).
One of the keys to the Steel's success this season has been the play of the goaltending duo of Adam D'Alba and Shane Connelly. D'Alba has posted the league's best save percentage (.927) and fifth best goals against average (2.40) while going 11-5-3. He made 29 saves on the way to his second shutout of the season last Friday against Danville. Connelly has gone 9-4 and ranks fourth in save percentage (.920) and ninth in goals against average (2.51).
As a team, Chicago ranks fourth in the league in goals against average (2.63).
The Steel has been stingy defensively despite counting on a fairly young defense corps. Jeff Dunne and Alex Spezia are Chicago's only veteran defenseman. There are four first year blue liners- Sean Hurley, Jon Kearns, Kevin Roeder, and Mike VanWagner- on the Steel roster.
Danny Charleston (13-18-31), who is tied for tenth in the USHL in point scoring, leads a balanced Chicago offense. Four other Steel players- Topher Scott (12-13-25), Matt McIlvane (10-14-24), Eric Slais (9-14-23), and Ben Geelan (7-14-21)- have also totaled more than 20 points.
Defensemen Hurley and Roeder have also been key contributors to a Steel attack that has averaged 3.28 goals per game, fourth most in the league. Roeder (7-7-14) is tied for the league lead in goals among defensemen, while Hurley (1-14-15) ranks third among blueliners in assists.
Chicago ranks fourth on the power play (17.6 percent) and ninth on the penalty kill (81.0 percent).
Who's Hot
Tormey has stopped 59 of 62 shots on the way to winning his first two starts for the RoughRiders.
The Steel's McIlvane has three goals and six points in his last four games and four goals and nine points in his last half dozen outings.
Scott has one goal and seven points in his last six games.
Defenseman Mike Van Wagner has one goal and four points in his last four games after going pointless in his first 25 games.
The Gamblers' Ryan Carter scored five goals- and had an assist- in his last two games after scoring just four times in his first 30 games.
Eric Ehn has nine points (three goals, six assists) in his last nine games.
Brandon Longley has picked up five assists in his last four games.
Head to Head
Tomorrow's game is the fourth of six between the RoughRiders and Gamblers this season. The Riders have gone 2-1 against Green Bay. After falling 5-3 in Green Bay on Halloween night, the Riders rebounded with a wild 7-6 overtime win the following night. On November 15 in the first meeting between the clubs in Cedar Rapids, the RoughRiders came away with a 3-0 shutout win.
Grabarek (4-2-6), Brannigan (2-4-6), Vokes (2-3-5) and Rob Ricci (1-4-5) have led the Rider attack against Green Bay. Hazelwood (4-2-6) and Oreskovich (2-4-6) are the Gamblers' leading scorers in the season series.
Fallon has gone 1-1 against Green Bay with a 2.50 goals against average, one shutout and a .932 save percentage. Davenport has been in goal for each of the first three meetings between the two teams, turning in a 3.94 goals against average and a .876 save percentage.
All time, the RoughRiders have gone 14-10-2 against Green Bay.
The Steel have won each of their first two meetings with the Riders. Chicago defeated the Riders 5-2 on December 5 in Bensenville and claimed a 4-2 victory nine days later in Cedar Rapids.
Charleston (3-1-4) is the top scorer early in the season series. Fallon and Connelly have been in goal for each of the first two meetings.
All time, the RoughRiders have gone 12-6-2 against Chicago.
Historically Speaking
Tormey made 20 saves in the third period of the RoughRiders' win Saturday night- impressive, but four short of the team record for most saves in a period set by Todd Marr, who made stopped 24 shots in the second period of a game against the Lincoln Stars on February 8, 2000.
Mark Osiecki is in his seventh season behind the Green Bay bench. The Gamblers are 194-144-41 under the 1998-99 USHL Coach of the Year. Osiecki led the Gamblers to the 2000 Clark Cup (playoff) title.
All-time, Green Bay has twice claimed each of the Clark Cup (first in 1996), Anderson Cup regular season title ('96 and '97), and Gold Cup national title ('96 and '97).
In his playing days, Osiecki, a defenseman, skated in 93 National Hockey League games for the Calgary Flames, Ottawa Senators, Winnipeg Jets and Minnesota North Stars between 1991 and 1993. Prior to turning pro, Osiecki won an NCAA title with the University of Wisconsin in 1990.
Will Nichol replaced former RoughRiders assistant A.J. Toews as the Steel's head coach after last season. Nichol was a Chicago assistant under then-coach Steve Richmond in 2001-02. He spent last year with IMG Academy's midget AAA team. Nichol has also had assistant coaching stints in the college ranks with Division III Wisconsin-Stevens Point (his alma mater) and Division I Miami of Ohio.
This is the Steel's fourth season in Chicago. The club moved from North Dakota in 2000 after spending four years as the Fargo-Moorhead Ice Sharks.
The Steel finished fourth in the East Division last season with a 26-28-6 record and 58 points. Chicago missed out on the final playoff spot by a single point.
Former Steel defenseman and current Michigan Wolverine Danny Richmond played for the U.S. team that last week won the World Junior Championship in Finland. That triumph marked the first time Team USA has ever won gold at the WJC.
RoughRiders Roster
Captain Jamie Carroll remains out of the line-up after he suffered a fractured orbital bone in the Riders' December 31 win over St. Louis.
Forward Sean Muncy returned to action last Wednesday in Sioux City after missing six games following knee surgery just before the holiday break.
College Commitments
RoughRiders: Derek Peltier (Minnesota), Brian Pouliot (New Hampshire), Ray Eichenlaub (Miami of Ohio), Greg Collins (New Hampshire), Jamie Carroll (Providence), Bryan Horan (Providence), James Brannigan (Colorado College)
Green Bay: Luke Beaverson (North Dakota), Ryan Carter (Minnesota State- Mankato), Nate Dey (St. Cloud State), Mitch Ganzak (Miami of Ohio), Sean Garrity (St. Cloud State), Chris Kelley (Harvard), Jeff Hazelwood (Maine), Kyle Klubertanz (Wisconsin), Victory Oreskovich (Notre Dame), Mike Taylor (Harvard), Dan Venard (Notre Dame)
Chicago- Adam D'Alba (Brown), Jeff Dunne (Michigan State), Sean Hurley (Brown), Matt McIlvane (Ohio State), Kevin Roeder (Miami of Ohio), Topher Scott (Cornell)
Tickets
Tickets for the rest of the RoughRiders' regular season home dates are now on sale at the Cedar Rapids Ice Arena ticket office. Tickets can be purchased over the phone at (319) 261-4625 or in person at the ice arena. 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 $8.00 to $17.00 including a 50-cent facility fee.
The RoughRiders are now offering a flexible new discount ticket option, the Power Play Punch Card. The punch card enables fans to make the initial purchase of a 5- or 10-ticket card and redeem it for tickets to the game or games of their choice.
Both 5- and 10-ticket punch cards are available for discounted rates for all seating zones. After purchasing the card, fans can simply bring it to the Cedar Rapids Ice Arena ticket office and receive up to five or ten tickets to the game or games of their choice in exchange for the same number of punches on the card.
Also for the first time this season, the RoughRiders are offering the Family Pack. The Family Pack enables fans to purchase four green zone tickets, four hot dogs, four soft drinks and one game program all for just $44 at selected games.
More Family Pack and Punch Card information is available through either the ice arena ticket office or the RoughRiders' downtown business office (319-247-0340).
On the Air/On-line
RoughRiders regular season and playoff games- including this week's- are broadcast on AM-1360 The Fan in Cedar Rapids and 800-AM KXIC in Iowa City.
Up-to-the-minute live game updates for all USHL action are available on line at www.pointstreak.com/prostats.
Fans can check out the new and improved RoughRiders web site at www.roughridershockey.com.
The RoughRiders Coach's Show with Mark Carlson returns this Wednesday at 6:00PM on AM-1360 The Fan. The coach's show is broadcast live every other Wednesday from North Country Steakhouse on Blairs Ferry Road in Cedar Rapids.
United States Hockey League Stories from January 12, 2004
- Stampede Prepare for Three Games in Four Days - Sioux Falls Stampede
- Black Hawks Break Losing Streak Versus Stars - Waterloo Black Hawks
- USHL Weekly - USHL
- First Place RoughRiders Host Green Bay Tomorrow - Cedar Rapids RoughRiders
The opinions expressed in this release are those of the organization issuing it, and do not necessarily reflect the thoughts or opinions of OurSports Central or its staff.
