RoughRiders weekly
November 4, 2008 - United States Hockey League (USHL)
Cedar Rapids RoughRiders News Release
Streaking: The RoughRiders are riding a seven-game winning streak- the second longest winning streak in team history. The Riders put together a team record setting ten-game winning streak between November 1 and November 27, 2003.
Thirst for First: The Riders' win last Saturday night, combined with the Indiana Ice's shootout loss to the Waterloo Black Hawks Saturday evening, enabled the Riders to move one point ahead of Indiana in the race for first place overall in the USHL.
The Three Hundred: The RoughRiders and Coach and General Manager Mark Carlson are just four wins away from the three hundredth victory in team history. The RoughRiders have gone 296-200-48 since arriving in Cedar Rapids in 1999. Carlson, the only coach in Rider history, was officially credited with last Saturday's win even though he is currently away from the club coaching the U.S. team at the World Junior A Challenge in Camrose, Alberta.
Super Start: The Riders have started a season 8-1-0 for the first time in team history. The RoughRiders posted their best ever record after ten games in 2001-02, when they started the campaign 8-2-0.
Home Sweet Home: The RoughRiders have won their first four home games and have just completed a 3-0-0 home stand.
World Junior A Challenge: In addition to Carlson, Rider forwards Nick Oddo and Greg Burke and defensemen Matt Donovan and Darren Rowe are also representing the U.S. at the World Junior A Challenge. The foursome missed last Saturday's game and will also be unavailable for this weekend's tilts. The U.S. plays it first game of the tournament this evening against Germany.
Top of the Charts: The RoughRiders have scored more goals and given up fewer than any other team in the league. The Riders score 4.4 goals per game and allow just 1.7 per contest. The Riders have scored at least four goals in each of their last seven games and in eight of nine on the season. Cedar Rapids has given up two goals or fewer in each of their last six games and eight of their first nine.
P.K. O.K.: The RoughRiders lead the league in penalty killing (95.1 percent), having given up just two power play goals all season and surrendered just a single 5-on-4 goal. The Riders, who have scored a league-leading four shorthanded goals this season, have actually outscored opponents while on the disadvantage. The Riders have been shorthanded less than half as many times (41) as they have been on the power play (83).
Mighty Mike: Mike Seidel (5-10-15) is tied for the league lead in points and assists. Seidel is in the midst of a seven game point scoring streak (5-9-14). He has also collected at least one assist in each of his last seven games to move within one game of the team record for longest assist streak currently shared by Chad Costello (December 17, 2005 through January 14, 2006) and Shane Lovdahl (December 11, 2004 through January 7, 2005). In addition, Seidel has recorded at least two points in each of his last six games.
Between the Pipes: Rider goaltender Mike Johnson has won five straight starts, posting a 1.63 goals against average, a .938 save percentage and one shutout during the streak. On the season Johnson leads the league in wins (6) and goals against average (1.74) and ranks second in save percentage (.933).
Ins and Outs: Forward Tobias Nilsson-Roos (sports hernia) has missed the Riders' last six games.
Alumni Spotlight: Bowling Green senior forward Brandon Svendsen (2004-05) collected four points as the Falcons split a pair of games with Nebraska-Omaha last weekend. Svendsen notched two assists in a 3-2 BGSU win last Friday; one night later he scored one goal and assisted on another in a 5-3 loss. On the season Svendsen (4-3-7) is tied for the team lead in goals.
Tenth Anniversary Tidbit: The RoughRiders this Saturday night will play in Fargo for the first time since November 13, 1999. In their last visit the Riders defeated the Fargo-Moorhead Ice Sharks 2-0 as Cedar Rapids goaltender Bryan Smith made 27 saves to post the shutout. The Ice Sharks moved to Bensenville, Illinois to become the Chicago Steel after the 1999-2000 season.
Scouting Report
Sioux City: Sioux City was idle last weekend. The Musketeers were last in action when they played three games in three nights October 24, 25 and 26. The Muskies went 2-1-0 in that stretch, scoring one goal wins over Omaha and Des Moines before falling to Indiana...Stephane Vigier (1-10-11) is tied for the league lead in assists and tied for sixth in points...Stephane Da Costa (7-3-10) is tied for the league lead in goals...fourth year USHLer Donnie Hallmark (5-5-10) is tied with Da Costa for second on the team in points...Steve Thompson ranks fourth among USHL goaltenders in save percentage (.912). Thompson has gone 3-3-0 while posting a 3.34 goals against average...Sioux City ranks third in the league in goals scoring (3.9 per game)...The Musketeers boast the league's top power play (26.2 percent)... No team has spent less time in the penalty box this season than the Muskies, who average just 12.6 penalty minutes per game...All-time the Riders have gone 18-18-5 against Sioux City while the Musketeers have posted a 23-16-2 record against Cedar Rapids. The Riders have gone 5-13-2 in Sioux City...On Friday night the Musketeers will be without defenseman Seth Helgeson, who is playing for the U.S. at the World Junior A Challenge. Musketeers Coach and General Manager Todd Knott is also in Camrose serving as one of Carlson's assistant coaches.
Fargo: The Force won its first ever home game last Thursday, opening the Urban Plains Center with a 2-1 victory over the Sioux Falls Stampede. Fargo had played its first eight games on the road. The Force fell 4-1 in Lincoln last Saturday...Keegan Flaherty (4-1-5) and Nate Condon (4-1-5) are Fargo's top point producers...forward Josh Birkholz and goaltender Mike Lee, who ranks fourth in the USHL in goals against average (2.85) and fifth in save percentage (.908), are both playing for the U.S. at the World Junior A Challenge and will miss Saturday's game...The Force is the only team in the USHL averaging fewer than three goals per game (2.2)...Fargo ranks second to last in the league on the power play (8.1 percent)...Saturday's game is the first ever regular season meeting between the RoughRiders and Force. The Riders did earn a win against Fargo in preseason, blanking the Force 4-0 on September 25 at the USHL Fall Classic in Sioux City...The Force is the third Fargo entry in league history. The Fargo-Moorhead Bears lasted just the 1995-96 season. The Ice Sharks followed them for four seasons from 1996 to 2000.
Promotions
Faith and Fun Night: The RoughRiders will welcome local church and youth groups to Faith and Fun Night on Friday, November 14 as the Riders host the Green Bay Gamblers at 7:05PM.
Community
Springville Elementary: RoughRiders players will read to students on Monday, November 10 at 10:00AM as part of Children's Book Week.
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.Â
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.
United States Hockey League Stories from November 4, 2008
- Musketeer update - Sioux Falls Stampede
- RoughRiders weekly - Cedar Rapids RoughRiders
- Berge Signs Commitment to Division I College - Tri-City Storm
- Waterloo Black Hawks Weekly - Waterloo Black Hawks
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