USHL Cedar Rapids RoughRiders

RoughRiders Host Des Moines, Visit Waterloo This Weekend

Published on February 4, 2004 under United States Hockey League (USHL)
Cedar Rapids RoughRiders News Release


Cedar Rapids, Iowa- The Cedar Rapids RoughRiders will try to keep hold of first place in the United States Hockey League's East Division when they host the Des Moines Buccaneers Friday night at 7:05 and then visit the arch rival Waterloo Black Hawks Saturday evening.

Friday evening is also Robert Gallery Night at the ice arena. The University of Iowa's Outland Trophy winning offensive lineman will drop the puck in a ceremonial opening face off just before the game. He will also sign autographs from 5:45 to 6:45PM. Autographs will be available free of charge with paid admission to the game.

Saturday evening marks the renewal of the battle for the Iowa Wireless Corridor Cup, the trophy awarded to the winner of the regular season series between the RoughRiders and Black Hawks. A RoughRider regulation victory Saturday would bring the Corridor Cup back to Cedar Rapids for the first time in two years.

While the Riders and Hawks haven't met since Thanksgiving weekend, the rivalry will soon heat up between the two teams. Saturday's game is the sixth of eight this season between the I-380 rivals and the first of two in eight days. The Riders will return to Young Arena on Valentine's Day.

Cedar Rapids (25-16-2, 52 points) is tied with the Chicago Steel in the race for the top spot in the east. Chicago has three games in hand on the RoughRiders.

The Riders lost sole possession of first place after dropping a pair of road games last weekend. The Riders fell 7-2 last Friday in River City and suffered a hard fought 3-2 defeat the following evening at Tri-City.

The seven goals the RoughRiders allowed in Council Bluffs match a team season high. The Riders also surrendered seven goals in a January 2 overtime loss to the Sioux City Musketeers.

RoughRiders goaltender Joe Fallon took the loss last Friday. Fallon also saw his team record setting shutout streak ended after going 166:50 without giving up a goal.

Dan Tormey (27 saves) played well in defeat against the Storm. In that game, the RoughRiders jumped out to a 2-0 lead thanks to first period goals from Brian Pouliot and Derek Peltier, but Tri-City battled back to erase the Rider advantage with three second period goals.

After this Friday's contest at the ice arena, the Riders will play four straight games on the road before next returning to home ice on February 20 to take on the St. Louis Heartland Eagles.

After giving up seven goals in his last outing, Fallon saw his goals against average rise to 2.50. He remains the league leader in wins (19-9-1), is tied for most shutouts (3), ranks fifth in minutes played (1701:16) and sixth in save percentage.

The RoughRiders' Jon Grabarek (14-26-40) is tied for fifth in the league in assists and is tied for ninth in points.

The Riders' Derek Peltier (3-18-21) is tied for second among USHL defensemen in points. Shane Lovdahl (8-9-17) is tied for second among blueliners in goals.

As a team, Cedar Rapids ranks third in the league offensively, averaging 3.4 goals per game. The Riders slipped a spot in the offensive rankings after last Friday's loss to the Lancers, who have taken over the second slot in goals per game. The RoughRiders now rank eighth in the league in team goals against average (3.00).

The RoughRiders went 0-for-4 on the power play last Saturday against Tri-City after having scored on the man advantage in each of their previous four games. On the season, the Riders rank seventh in the USHL in power play efficiency (16.0 percent).

The Riders gave up a season high three power play goals last Friday and now rank sixth in the league in penalty killing (85.1 percent).

Fallon, Grabarek, Peltier and forward Matt Vokes represented the RoughRiders at last night's USHL Prospects/All-Star Game in Lincoln. The Cedar Rapids foursome played for Team World, which fell 4-3 in overtime to Team USHL despite leading the game 3-0 in the third period. Fallon played the first 29:40 of the game and stopped all 15 shots he faced.

Des Moines (17-19-4, 38 points) is fifth place in the West Division. The Buccaneers are seven points behind the fourth place Lincoln Stars in the race for the final playoff spot in the west.

Des Moines claimed back-to-back wins last weekend. The Buccaneers defeated the Storm 5-4 in a shootout in Tri-City last Friday night and hammered the Sioux Falls Stampede 8-3 on home ice last Saturday evening.

Adam Miller and Mike Erickson both scored two goals against the Storm, while Mike Neilon converted the deciding penalty shot. Buccaneer goaltender Dwight LaBrosse made 35 saves in the win.

Neilon (who also had one assist) and Dave Watters both scored twice Saturday night as the Bucs ripped off six unanswered goals to obliterate a 3-2 Sioux Falls lead on the way to the victory.

Erickson (24-15-39) is tied for the league lead in goals. He and Marty Mjelleli (16-23-39) are tied for the team point-scoring lead, ahead of Adam Miller (15-18-33) and Samir Saliji (14-19-33).

Des Moines coach Bob Ferguson changed his goaltending tandem just after Christmas, bringing in Pat Watson and Dwight LaBrosse to replace Tormey and Brian Papcun. Watson has gone 5-3-1 with a 2.97 goals against average, a .914 save percentage and one shutout in nine games since joining the Buccaneers. LaBrosse has gone 2-1 in four games while posting a 3.20 goals against average and a .918 save percentage.

Des Moines is fifth in the league in goals per game (3.3), but while their offense has been solid, the Bucs' defense has been porous. The Buccaneers have the league's third worst team goals against average (3.65). Scoring chances can be plentiful at both ends when the Bucs take to the ice. Des Moines takes the most shots in the league (36.6 per game) while surrendering the third most (37.7 per game).

The Buccaneers rank sixth in the league on the power play (16.9 percent) and ninth (81.4 percent) on the penalty kill.

Mjelleli and Tom May of Des Moines were members of the victorious Team USHL at last night ‘s all-star game.

Waterloo (18-18-3, 39 points) is locked in a tight battle with the Green Bay Gamblers and Danville Wings for the final two East Division playoff spots. The Black Hawks are in fourth place, a single point behind Danville and just two points ahead of Green Bay. The Wings have played one more game than the Hawks and Gamblers.

Waterloo won back to back games last weekend. The Black Hawks defeated Sioux Falls 3-1 on home ice last Friday night as Joel Hanson notched one goal and one assist and Peter MacArthur scored the game winner. Kevin Regan made 19 saves in the Waterloo net. One night later MacArthur provided the Black Hawks' only regulation goal in a 2-1 shootout victory in Sioux City. Regan shined in the win, stopping 36 Musketeer shots.

Hanson (9-27-36) is the Black Hawks' top point scorer and is tied for third in the league in assists. MacArthur (12-10-22) leads the club in goals. Joe Pavelski (11-17-28) has not matched his offensive output of last season- when he led the USHL with 36 goals- but he remains a consistent producer for coach P.K. O'Handley. Tim Madsen (11-4-15 with Waterloo, 16-10-26 total) has injected some life into the Waterloo attack since arriving from the Tri-City Storm in November.

Boston Bruins draft pick Regan has see the bulk of the action between the posts for the Black Hawks. In 32 games, Regan has gone 16-13-1 with a 2.57 goals against average, .907 save percentage and three shutouts. He is tied for the league lead in shutouts, tied for third in wins and ranks fourth in minutes played (1776:41).

The Black Hawks have sometimes struggled to score goals this season. The Hawks have scored just nine goals in their last five games and average 2.8 goals per game on the campaign. Waterloo has been solid defensively, however. The Black Hawks allow 2.92 goals per outing, the sixth best average in the USHL.

Special teams are an area in which Waterloo has excelled. The Black Hawks have the league's second best power play (19.7 percent) and third best penalty killing unit (87.4 percent).

Defenseman Dustin Molle, who has not scored for Waterloo this season, notched a power play goal while skating for Team World at the all-star game last night. Pavelski also played for Team World.

Who's Hot

The RoughRiders' Bryan Horan is in the midst of a five game point-scoring streak (3-4-7).

Miskovic had a six game point-scoring streak (4-3-7) halted last Saturday night.

Brian Pouliot has three goals and four points in his last five games.

The Buccaneers' Erickson is riding a six game point-scoring streak (5-3-8) and has totaled eight goals and 12 points in his last nine games.

Defenseman Jesse Lane is a +6 over his last four games and has recorded eight assists in 15 games since joining the Bucs in late November.

Neilon has three goals and five points in his last three games.

The Black Hawks' MacArthur has six goals and nine points in his last nine games.

Regan has started seven straight games and given up two goals or fewer in each of those outings. He has appeared in 14 straight games since last sitting one out on December 20.

Head to Head

Friday's game is the final meeting of the season between the RoughRiders and the Buccaneers. Des Moines has won two of the first three games of the season series. In the only previous match-up between the two clubs at the ice arena, the Bucs handed the RoughRiders a 5-3 loss on November 29 to end the Riders' ten game winning streak.

Matt Vokes (one goal, four assists) and Greg Collins (one goal, four assists) lead all point scorers in the season series. Mjelleli, Miller and Pat Borgestad have registered two goals and two assists apiece against Cedar Rapids to pace the Buccaneers.

All time, the RoughRiders have gone 13-7-3 against Des Moines.

The RoughRiders have gone 3-1-1 against Waterloo this season for seven points. The Black Hawks have earned four points off a 2-3 record against the Riders. The Riders earned wins in their first two visits to Waterloo this season.

James Brannigan (4-1-5) is the top scorer in the Cedar Rapids-Waterloo series. Pavelski (3-1-4) and Hanson (0-4-4) lead the way for the Hawks.

Fallon has posted superb numbers against Waterloo this year, going 3-1-1 with a 1.97 goals against average and a .937 save percentage. Over five games Regan has been a little less sharp against the RoughRiders, going 2-3 with a 3.06 goals against average and a .889 save percentage.

The RoughRiders have gone 12-12-4 all time against Waterloo.

Historically Speaking

Both Collins and Vokes have family ties to the Buccaneers. Greg Collins' older brother Chris led the Bucs in point scoring two seasons ago. Chris Collins now plays for Boston College. Matt Vokes' older brother Jeremy skated for the Bucs in 1997-98.

Des Moines' Ferguson collected his five hundredth career USHL coaching win on January 17 when the Bucs defeated the St. Louis Heartland Eagles 2-1 in Chesterfield, Missouri. Ferguson is the first coach in USHL history to reach the 500-win plateau. In two tours with the Buccaneers and, prior to that, a nine-year stint with Sioux City, Ferguson's teams have gone 502-294-37. Since returning to the Bucs bench in 2001-02 after spending six years in minor pro hockey, Ferguson has turned in a record of 76-70-15.

During his first run in Des Moines (1990-95) Ferguson led the Buccaneers to two Clark Cup (playoff) championships (1992 and 1995), two Anderson Cup (regular season) titles (1994 and 1995) and two junior A national titles (1992 and 1995).

Ferguson spent nine years in Sioux City (1981-90), leading the Musketeers to the Anderson and Clark Cups in 1982 and 1986 and winning the national tournament in 1986.

The RoughRiders are seeking to reclaim the Iowa Wireless Corridor Cup after the Black Hawks took home the trophy last season. The Riders won back-to-back Corridor Cups in 2000-01 and 2001-02. The Hawks claimed the cup in 1999-2000- the first season it was awarded

O'Handley is in his second season behind the Waterloo bench. O'Handley led the Black Hawks to a 38-17-5 record and berth in the Clark Cup semi-finals last season. For his efforts, he was named the USHL's 2002-03 Coach of the Year.

O'Handley spent seven years as the head coach of the North Iowa Huskies, the team that moved from Mason City to Cedar Rapids to become the RoughRiders after the 1998-99 campaign. He posted a 140-187-21 record behind the Huskies bench.

Overall, O'Handley has gone 196-222-29 as a USHL coach.

Last season Waterloo won a division title for the first time in twenty-four years. Prior to last year, Waterloo last finished at the top of a division in 1979-80, the USHL's first season as a junior league. That season the Hawks won the three-team South Division with a 27-19-2 record and 56 points in 48 games.

Alumni Report

Providence goaltender Bobby Goepfert stopped 28 shots in the Friars' 3-2 defeat of Massachusetts-Lowell last Saturday. The win improved Goepfert's record to 10-4-2. The sophomore has posted a 2.84 goals against average, a .912 save percentage and one shutout on the season. The Friars' Chase Watson and the River Hawks' Danny O'Brien- both former RoughRider teammates of Goepfert- picked up an assist apiece in that game.

Michigan junior Dave Moss scored two goals- including the game winner- in the Wolverines 5-1 victory over Lake Superior State last Friday. On the season, Moss has five goals and 13 points in 21 games.

Michigan State freshman Chris Snavely assisted on the Spartans' goal in a 2-1 loss to Miami of Ohio last Friday night. Snavely, a defenseman, now has three goals and 12 points in 24 games on the campaign.

Bentley's Ryan Mayhew is coming off a three-goal weekend. Mayhew scored a pair in a 6-4 loss to Holy Cross last Friday on home ice. He added another goal in a 5-2 road loss to the Crusaders one night later. Mayhew has scored seven goals and totaled 12 points in 21 games this season.

RoughRiders Roster

Captain Jamie Carroll remains out of the line-up after suffering a fractured orbital bone in the Riders' December 31 win over St. Louis.

Billy Loupee (ankle) may return to the line-up Friday after missing both of last weekend's games.

Brett Beckfeld will be available this weekend after sitting out the last two games due to a suspension.

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), Joe Fallon (Vermont).

Des Moines: Travis Anderson (Niagara), Brian Boulay (Merrimack), Davis Drewiske (Bemidji State), Mike Erickson (Western Michigan), Tom May (Denver), Pat Watson (Merrimack), Dave Watters (Harvard) Waterloo: Matt Fornataro (New Hampshire), Peter MacArthur (Boston University), Joe Pavelski (Wisconsin), Mike Radja (New Hampshire), Kevin Regan (New Hampshire)

Upcoming Events

The RoughRiders will host their 2004 Parents' Night on Saturday, February 21, when the Riders take on the Chicago Steel at the ice arena. As part of the festivities, players' parents will be introduced on the ice prior to the start of the game.

Also on February 21, fans will have the chance to skate with the RoughRiders after the game.

Jim Craig, the goaltender for the gold medal-winning 1980 U.S. Olympic hockey team, will be at the RoughRiders' game against the Waterloo Black Hawks on Wednesday, March 17. Craig will sign autographs from 6:00PM to 6:45PM on the ice arena concourse. Miracle, the movie depicting the story of the 1980 U.S. Olympic hockey team, premieres around the country tomorrow.

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. Barring special promotions, 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 a week from tonight 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.

Check out the Cedar Rapids RoughRiders Statistics

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United States Hockey League Stories from February 4, 2004


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