USHL Cedar Rapids RoughRiders

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February 11, 2008 - United States Hockey League (USHL)
Cedar Rapids RoughRiders News Release


Headlines

Bouncing Back (to Back): The RoughRiders swept a two-game series from the Tri-City Storm in Kearney, Nebraska last weekend. The back-to-back wins came on the heels of the Riders' second three-game losing streak of the season.

Twice as Nice: Robin Bergman last Saturday scored his first two goals since rejoining the RoughRiders from Notre Dame last month. Bergman, who last year finished tied for tenth in the league with 26 goals, had gone without a goal in his first nine games with Cedar Rapids this season.

Jonesing: Doug Jones (10-30-40) picked up two assists in each of the Riders two games last weekend to extend his point-scoring streak to seven straight games (1-8-9), stretch his assist streak to five games (0-7-7), become the first Rider to reach 40 points this season, move into a tie for third in the league in assists and move into a tie for tenth in points.

D-fense!: The RoughRiders gave up just one goal in each of their two games last weekend after surrendering a total of 14 over their prior three games. On the season, the Riders and Omaha Lancers are tied for fewest total goals allowed (97), though the Lancers allow fewer goals per game (2.4) than the Riders (2.5).

Taking It to Extremes: The RoughRiders have scored power play goals in five straight games and remain the league leaders in power play efficiency (19.9 percent). In contrast, the Ridesr rank last in penalty killing (81.4 percent).

Best Behavior: The Riders have spent less time in the penalty box (15.1 minutes per game) than any other team in the league and have also been shorthanded fewer times (183) than any other club.

Alumni Spotlight: Northeastern sophomore David Strathman (2005-06) picked up assists in each of the Huskies' two games last weekend- a 3-1 loss to Harvard last Monday in the semi-final round of the Beanpot tournament and 4-2 win at Merrimack last Friday. On the season Strathman (1-8-9) leads Northeastern defensemen in points.

Scouting Report

Sioux City: The Musketeers have lost three straight games and have gone 2-8-0 in their last ten games...Last weekend the Musketeers dropped a pair of home games. They were shut out 4-0 by Lincoln last Friday and fell to Chicago 6-3 last Saturday...the Muskies have been shut out three times in their last nine games...The Musketeers are coming off a six-game home stand during which they went 2-4-0...Sioux City has lost its last three road games... Spencer Heichman (19-15-34) leads the team in goals and is tied with Steve Quailer (10-24-34) for the Sioux City point scoring lead. Heichman is also tied for seventh in the league in goals...Joe Miller is tied for ninth in goals (17-15-32)...Josh Robinson is tied for fourth among USHL goaltenders in wins (15), ranks fifth in save percentage (.914) and ranks seventh in goals against average (2.78)...The Musketeers rank second to last in the league on the power play (13.5 percent)...The Riders and Musketeers split their first two meetings of the season. All-time the Riders have gone 17-18-4 against the Muskies and have posted a 12-5-2 mark at home against Sioux City.

Sioux Falls: The Stampede split a pair of home games last weekend. Sioux Falls bounced back from a 5-2 loss to Waterloo last Friday to swamp Lincoln 6-1 last Saturday...Forwards Jack Connolly, Jake Hansen and Nick Dineen provide much of Sioux Falls' scoring punch. Connolly (17-28-45) is tied for fifth in the league in assists, ranks sixth in points and is tied for ninth in goals. Hansen (22-18-40) ranks second in goals and is tied for tenth in points. Dineen (16-13-29) is tied for third in goal scoring and tied for tenth in points...Eric Harztell has made four straight starts in goal, going 3-1-0 during that run with a 2.25 goals against average and a .930 save percentage...The Riders and Stampede will wrap up their season series Friday night. Sioux Falls has won two of the first three meetings between the two clubs. Cedar Rapids has gone 17-18-5 all-time against the Stampede and has posted a 9-8-3 road record against the Herd.

Lincoln: The Stars split a pair of road games last weekend, shutting out Sioux City 4-0 last Friday before falling 6-1 to Sioux Falls one night later...Lincoln has gone 12-2-1 in its last 15 games after going 10-14-2 in its first 26...Goaltender David Reekie has played a key role in the Stars' turnaround. Reekie, who was acquired in late November, leads the league in goals against average (1.49), save percentage (.953) and shutouts (5). He has made 17 straight starts and posted shutouts in four of his last ten starts...As a team, the Stars rank third in the league in goals against (2.7 per game)...Ryan Kretzer and Jason Gregoire key the Lincoln attack. Kretzer (20-27-47) ranks third in the league in points, sixth in goals and seventh in assists. Gregoire (21-25-46) is tied for fourth in points, tied for third in goals and tied for eighth in assists...Lincoln leads the league in penalty killing (88.3 percent). The Stars have needed a strong shorthanded unit- they been down a man more often (290 times) than any other team in the league. The Stars have given up 34 power play goals- the same number allowed by the Riders, who rank last in penalty killing percentage...Lincoln players have spent more time in the penalty box (24.9 minutes per game) than any team other than Des Moines. The Riders have gone 1-1-0 against the Stars this season. All-time they have gone 14-17-6 against the Stars and have posted a 7-9-2 home record against Lincoln.

Promotions

Dora the Explorer: Dora the Explorer will appear at the Cedar Rapids Ice Arena during the RoughRiders' Saturday, February 16 game against the Lincoln Stars. Dora the Explorer is an animated children's television series starring a 7-year old Latina girl and her friends. Dora the Explorer teaches children how to observe situations and solve problems as they explore Dora's world with her.

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.

Be Flexible: The RoughRiders are again this season offering the Flex Plan, which enables fans to purchase books of ten ticket vouchers that can be redeemed in any quantity for any regular season home game during normal box office hours. Fans who purchase the flex plan receive a significant discount ($21 off game day ticket prices) and can still enjoy the games of their choice in the seats they want.

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.

Catch the Coach: Catch up on all the latest Rider news with the Cedar Rapids RoughRiders' Coach's Show with Mark Carlson Wednesday nights at 6:00 on AM-1360 The Fan. The half hour show is broadcast live from Union Station on 16th Avenue SW in Cedar Rapids. RoughRiders Coach and General Manager Mark Carlson and RoughRiders radio broadcaster Brian Lavelle are joined by Riders players on each edition of the Coach's Show.

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. B2 will also provide a pay-per-view webcast of tonight's USHL Prospects/All-Star Game in Green Bay starting at 7:00. RoughRiders' broadcaster Brian Lavelle will provide the play-by-play call of the all-star action.

Check out the Cedar Rapids RoughRiders Statistics



United States Hockey League Stories from February 11, 2008


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