USHL Cedar Rapids RoughRiders

RoughRiders Host St. Louis Tomorrow

Published on November 10, 2003 under United States Hockey League (USHL)
Cedar Rapids RoughRiders News Release


Cedar Rapids, Iowa- The Cedar Rapids RoughRiders will try to extend their winning streak to four straight games when they play host to the St. Louis Heartland Eagles tomorrow evening at 7:05.

Tomorrow night is also Military, Military Family and Veterans Appreciation Night presented by MediaCom. Military personnel, veterans, military reservists and those who have immediate family currently in the military are eligible to purchase discounted tickets to the game for $8.50 with the appropriate military identification.

The Riders (8-4-1, 15 points) are in third place in the United States Hockey League's East Division, two points behind the second place Chicago Steel.

The RoughRiders claimed their third straight victory by defeating the defending Clark Cup champion Lincoln Stars 3-2 in overtime Saturday at the Cedar Rapids Ice Arena. That win was the RoughRiders' first of the season on home ice.

Saturday night's victory came on the heels of a 5-2 defeat of the West Division leading Tri-City Storm Friday night in Kearney, Nebraska. In that victory, Sean Muncy had two goals and one assist while linemate T.J. Dahl added a goal and an assist against his former team. The win over the Storm enabled the RoughRiders to complete a stretch of five straight road games with a 4-1 record and improved the RoughRiders' overall road record to a league best 7-1.

Saturday night Brandon Naurato's goal just under two minutes into sudden death gave the Riders their first ice arena win. Cedar Rapids had gone 0-3-1 through its first four home games. Jon Grabarek and Billy Loupee had scored earlier on in the evening to stake the Riders to a 2-0 lead, but the RoughRiders had to survive the Stars' third period comeback to come away with the win.

Goaltender Joe Fallon backstopped the Riders to wins both Friday and Saturday, making a total of 64 saves on 68 shots on the weekend. On the season, Fallon is 6-3-1 with a 2.75 goals against average and a .921 save percentage. His win total is tied for third in the league, while his save percentage ranks fifth.

The RoughRiders can now boast the top offense in the USHL. Cedar Rapids averages 3.92 goals per game to lead the league. The Riders' production has been helped in no small part by their power play. Coach Mark Carlson's club has scored on 19.2 percent of its man advantages this season, the second best ratio in the league.

Individually, Jon Grabarek (6-10-16) is the RoughRiders' leading point scorer. Grabarek is tied for eighth in the USHL points race. The second year winger brings a six game point scoring streak into tomorrow evening's tilt. He has notched 3 goals and 9 points in his last half dozen games.

The Riders' Matt Vokes has ripped off three goals and eight assists for eleven points in his last six games.

St. Louis (5-8-3, 13 points) is in fourth place in the east. Like the RoughRiders, the Eagles (formerly the Topeka ScareCrows) are coming off a 3-2 overtime win Saturday night. That victory over the East Division leading Danville Wings brought the Eagles' three game losing streak to an end.

Defenseman Brent Cummings delivered the game winner with just over a minute left in sudden death Saturday evening. Wade Harstad scored midway through the third period to tie the game at two. Justin White provided the other St. Louis goal. Goaltender Michael Zacharias made a whopping 42 saves in the Eagles' net.

Last Friday St. Louis fell 4-1 to Chicago. The Eagles surrendered four unanswered goals after Steve Eastman gave St. Louis a short-lived 1-0 lead early in the first period.

Considering their defensive record so far this season, the Eagles may approach tomorrow night's match-up with the Riders' dynamic attack with some trepidation. Prior to allowing just two goals Saturday night, the Eagles had given up at least four goals in each of their prior five games. On the season, St. Louis ranks second to last in the league in team goals against average (4.13).

The Eagles have also been vulnerable while shorthanded. St. Louis is tenth in the USHL in penalty killing, successfully surviving just 77.5 percent of opponents' power plays. In raw numbers, the Eagles have given up more power play goals (23) and been shorthanded more times (102) than any other team in the league.

The Eagles' Michael Zacharias has been the league's busiest goaltender so far this season. Zacharias has made more saves (427) than any other netminder, ranks second in the league in minutes played (762:31) and has played in 14 of St. Louis's first 16 games of the season. The second year netminder has been between the pipes for all five of the Eagles' wins while suffering four defeats and three overtime or shootout losses so far this season. Zacharias goes into tomorrow night's game with a 3.46 goals against average and a .901 save percentage.

At the other end of the ice, Justin White leads the St. Louis attack. White is tied for fifth in the USHL with nine goals and leads the Eagles with 15 points.

The Eagles' Colin Vock (4-9-13) leads USHL defensemen in goals and points and is tied for the league lead among blue liners in assists.

Nick Miller (seven goals, three assists), Matt Sweazy (six goals, four assists) and Steve Eastman (two goals, eight assists) are tied for third in the team scoring race with ten points apiece.

Head to Head

The RoughRiders have won the first two games of their season series with the Heartland Eagles. The Riders opened the campaign with a 6-4 win on September 26 at the Summit Center. Derek Peltier's power play goal gave the Riders a 4-3 overtime victory in St. Louis on October 17.

Grabarek lit up the Eagles for five points (two goals, three assists) in his first two games against St. Louis. RoughRiders captain Jamie Carroll (who also has one assist in the season series) and Mathieu Thibodeau have both scored a pair of goals against the Eagles. Peltier has totaled three points in the first two meetings between the clubs.

Drago stopped 26 St. Louis shots on opening night to pick up the win in goal in his junior debut. Fallon made 40 saves in the Riders' second victory over the Eagles.

White (two goals, one assist) and Miller (three assists) both have three points in the season series.

Zacharias was in the St. Louis net for the first pair of games against the Riders. He made 68 saves over the two contests.

The RoughRiders and Eagles will meet a total of six times this season. The two clubs next get together December 19 in St. Louis. The Eagles next return to the Cedar Rapids Ice Arena on New Year's Eve. The season series concludes February 20 in Cedar Rapids.

Historically Speaking

The RoughRiders won Saturday after beginning the season 0-3-1 at the ice arena, the poorest home start in the team's five-year history in Cedar Rapids. Dating back to their final home game of last season, a 5-1 loss to Tri-City, the Riders had gone winless (0-4-1) in a team record five straight home games. The RoughRiders' last regular season home win prior to Saturday was a 2-0 shutout of Lincoln on March 29 of last season.

With points in six straight games, Grabarek is one game shy of tying the club record for longest point scoring streak. Ted O'Leary (November 13 through November 30, 2001) and Micah Wouters (March 10 through March 24, 2000) both recorded points in seven consecutive games for the Riders. Brannigan came up short in his bid to tie that mark Saturday night when the Stars halted his six game point streak.

Zombo, a former National Hockey League defenseman, is the Heartland Eagles' first year coach and general manager. Zombo played 652 NHL games for the Detroit Red Wings, St. Louis Blues and Boston Bruins from 1984 to 1996. Zombo also spent one year- 1980-81- in the USHL as a player with the now defunct Austin (Minnesota) Mavericks before playing college hockey at the University of North Dakota.

College Commitments

RoughRiders: Derek Peltier (Minnesota), Brian Pouliot (New Hampshire), Ray Eichenlaub (Miami of Ohio)

Tickets

Tickets to tomorrow's game- and the rest of the RoughRiders' first half 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.

New this season, the RoughRiders are offering 5- and 10-game Mini Plan partial season ticket packages.

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 Mini Plan information is available through either the ice arena ticket office or the RoughRiders' downtown business office (319-247-0340).

Upcoming Events

The RoughRiders' next family pack night is this Saturday against Green Bay.

Where would you rather go in January? To Miami Beach or International Falls? This coming Saturday night when the RoughRiders take on Green Bay, the Roughriders and Delta Airlines are going to be giving away 2 different trips for two very different January weekend vacations for one very lucky fan and one slightly less lucky Roughrider fan. One fan and his or her guest are going to win a January weekend trip for two to sunny Miami Beach- and one hearty Roughrider fan is going to win a January weekend trip to the nation's icebox- otherwise known as International Falls, Minnesota.

Special Cub Cadet RoughRiders Fifth Anniversary pucks will be given away to fans at the RoughRiders' traditional Thanksgiving Eve (November 26) game against the Waterloo Black Hawks.

The RoughRiders and the University of Iowa will team up for Iowa Hawkeye Night at the RoughRiders' December 20 game against the Sioux City Musketeers.

As part of the event the RoughRiders will wear special edition black and gold jerseys sporting the Hawkeye logo on the chest and the RoughRiders' logo on the shoulders. Members of the University of Iowa Athletic Department, including Herky, will be on hand for Iowa Night and will be introduced to fans during the first intermission.

The jerseys worn by the RoughRiders in the December 20 game will be auctioned off to benefit the Iowa Athletic Department immediately following that contest.

Ricochet's Lil' Riders

New this season, WB20 and the RoughRiders have launched the Ricochet's Lil' Riders Kids Club.

Lil' Riders will receive a host of benefits with a $15 annual membership. Among them are an official membership card, a birthday card from Ricochet- the RoughRiders' mascot, a free RoughRiders temporary tattoo, a free pass to skate with the RoughRiders players courtesy of the Cedar Rapid Ice Arena and access to "members only" special events.

Special events include Kids Club Night on January 2. Lil' Riders will receive two free bleacher seats for that game- a $15 value on its own.

Young fans and their parents can sign up for Ricochet's Lil' Riders Kids Club by calling the RoughRiders business office at 247-0340 or by visiting the Kids Club page at www.roughridershockey.com.

Young fans who sign up for the Ricochet's Lil' Riders' Kids Club this month will be entered to win a RoughRiders t-shirt autographed by the team.

On the Air/On-line

All RoughRiders regular season and playoff games- including this weekend's- are broadcast on AM-1360 The Fan in Cedar Rapids and 800-AM KXIC in Iowa City. All Riders games are also webcast on www.roughridershockey.com.

Up-to-the-minute live game updates for all USHL action are available on line at www.pointstreak.com/prostats.




United States Hockey League Stories from November 10, 2003


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