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Weekly Update: April 5, 2005

Weekly Update: April 5, 2005

<DIV class=Section1> <H1 style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt 4in"><?xml:namespace prefix = o ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:office" /><o:p></o:p></H1> <H1 style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt 4in"><o:p></o:p></H1> <H1 style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt 4in"><o:p></o:p></H1> <H1 style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt 4in"><o:p></o:p></H1> <H1 style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt 2in; TEXT-INDENT: 0.5in"><o:p></o:p></H1> <H1 style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt 2.5in"><?xml:namespace prefix = st1 ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:smarttags" /><st1:place w:st="on"><st1:City w:st="on">Cedar Rapids</st1:City></st1:place> RoughRiders <o:p></o:p></H1> <H1 style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt 2.5in">Weekly Update<o:p></o:p></H1> April 5, 2005<o:p></o:p> <H1 style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"> <o:p></o:p></H1> <o:p> </o:p> <st1:place w:st="on">CLARK</st1:place> CUP PLAYOFFS, ROUND ONE<o:p></o:p> <st1:City w:st="on">Cedar Rapids</st1:City> RoughRiders vs. <st1:place w:st="on"><st1:State w:st="on">Indiana</st1:State></st1:place> Ice<o:p></o:p> Game 1: <st1:State w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Indiana</st1:place></st1:State> @ Cedar Rapids, Friday, April 8, 7:05PM<o:p></o:p> Game 2: <st1:State w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Indiana</st1:place></st1:State> @ Cedar Rapids, Saturday, April 9, 7:05PM<o:p></o:p> Game 3: <st1:City w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Cedar Rapids</st1:place></st1:City> @ Indiana, Tuesday, April 12, 7:05PM<o:p></o:p> Game 4: <st1:City w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Cedar Rapids</st1:place></st1:City> @ Indiana, Thursday, April 14, 7:05PM (if necessary)<o:p></o:p> Game 5: <st1:State w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Indiana</st1:place></st1:State> @ Cedar Rapids, Saturday, April 16, 7:05PM (if necessary)<o:p></o:p> <o:p> </o:p> RECORDS <o:p></o:p> <st1:place w:st="on"><st1:City w:st="on">Cedar Rapids</st1:City></st1:place><o:p></o:p> 42-13-5, 89 points, 1st place East Division <o:p></o:p> <st1:State w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Indiana</st1:place></st1:State><o:p></o:p> 20-33-7, 47 points, 4th place East Division<o:p></o:p> <o:p> </o:p> COMING IN<o:p></o:p> <H1 style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt; TEXT-INDENT: 0.5in">The RoughRiders enter the Clark Cup playoffs as Anderson Cup co-champions after finishing the regular season tied for first place overall with the Omaha Lancers. The regular season title is the first in Rider history.<o:p></o:p></H1> <H1 style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt; TEXT-INDENT: 0.5in">The Riders closed out the regular season with back-to-back wins in <st1:place w:st="on"><st1:City w:st="on">Green Bay</st1:City></st1:place>. The Riders defeated the Gamblers 4-1 last Friday and 4-2 last Saturday. <o:p></o:p></H1> With the Gamblers’ loss last Friday and the Ice’s 6-5 overtime defeat in <st1:City w:st="on">Des Moines</st1:City> (a result which earned <st1:State w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Indiana</st1:place></st1:State> one point in the standings) the same evening, the Ice clinched the fourth and final East Division playoff spot, while the Gamblers were eliminated from postseason contention.<o:p></o:p> The Lancers are the top seed for the Clark Cup playoffs because they won their regular season series with the Riders. As a result <st1:City w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Omaha</st1:place></st1:City> is guaranteed home ice advantage throughout the playoffs.<o:p></o:p> The Riders went 3-2 in a season-ending stretch of five straight home games. The Riders have gone 20-3 in their last 23 road games. <o:p></o:p> The Riders have not played at the Cedar Rapids Ice Arena since defeating the Chicago Steel 8-2 on March 18.<o:p></o:p> The Riders set a USHL record with 24 road wins this season. The Riders 24-5-1 away record was far and away the best in the league. No other USHL team won more than 17 games away from home. In fact, the Riders’ road record matched the Lancers’ league-best home record. The Riders’ finished the season with a better winning percentage on the road (.817) than at home, where they went 18-8-4 (.667).<o:p></o:p> The Riders are the USHL’s best offensive team and rank second in the league defensively. The Riders score an average of 3.8 goals per game and give up 2.6 goals per contest. <o:p></o:p> The Riders had by far the best power play (24.1 percent) in the league during the regular season. The Riders are the only team in the league with better than a 20 percent success rate on the man advantage.<o:p></o:p> Riders captain Rob Ricci finished the regular season with points in fifteen straight games, breaking a team record and establishing a USHL season high. Ricci scored eleven goals and totaled 22 points during that run.<o:p></o:p> While the Riders are making their fifth straight Clark Cup playoff appearance, this marks the first time in team history they have won the East Division title. Along with the Lancers and Sioux City Musketeers, the Riders are one of just three USHL teams to have qualified for the playoffs each of the last five years.<o:p></o:p> After clinching a playoff spot last Friday, the Ice closed out the regular season with a 5-3 loss in <st1:place w:st="on"><st1:City w:st="on">Waterloo</st1:City></st1:place> last Saturday. <o:p></o:p> The Ice went 0-3-1 in its last four games. <st1:place w:st="on"><st1:State w:st="on">Indiana</st1:State></st1:place> was just 2-12-4 in its last 18 games after going a respectable 18-21-3 in its first 42 contests.<o:p></o:p> The Ice has gone 2-3-2 in seven games under interim coach Dean Grillo since Red Gendron resigned as head coach and general manager on March 15.<o:p></o:p> The Ice has been hit hard by injuries. Workhorse goaltender Pat Watson (groin) is one of three <st1:State w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Indiana</st1:place></st1:State> players to have suffered season ending injuries. Watson, who went down on March 5, is joined on the sidelines by forwards Todd McIlrath (knee) and Ben Osborne (concussion). McIlrath (13-28-41) was the league’s second leading point scorer before being forced out of the lineup on January 21.<o:p></o:p> It was thought that defenseman Tristin Llewellyn would also miss the remainder of the season after Llewellyn suffered an orbital fracture on March 12. However, Lewellyn is now expected to return to the <st1:State w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Indiana</st1:place></st1:State> lineup this weekend.<o:p></o:p> Alec Richards has shared the <st1:place w:st="on"><st1:State w:st="on">Indiana</st1:State></st1:place> goaltending duties with James Kohout since joining the Ice last month in the wake of Watson’s injury. Both Richards and Kohout started this season playing high school hockey- Richards at <st1:State w:st="on">Minnesota</st1:State>’s <st1:PlaceName w:st="on">Breck</st1:PlaceName> <st1:PlaceType w:st="on">High School</st1:PlaceType> and Kohout at Acton-Boxboro High in <st1:place w:st="on"><st1:State w:st="on">Massachusetts</st1:State></st1:place>.<o:p></o:p> The Ice had the second worst road record (5-22-3) in the USHL this season. <st1:place w:st="on"><st1:State w:st="on">Indiana</st1:State></st1:place> had much more success on its own pond, going 15-11-4 at home.<o:p></o:p> One key to the series may be the Ice’s ability to deal with the Riders’ potent power play. <st1:place w:st="on"><st1:State w:st="on">Indiana</st1:State></st1:place> finished second to last on the shorthand (79.8 percent) during the regular season.<o:p></o:p> Veteran Tomas Klempa (25-27-52) led the Ice in goals and points.<o:p></o:p> The Riders went 8-0 against the Ice this season. <st1:State w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Indiana</st1:place></st1:State> was the only team against whom the Riders were unbeaten this season. The Ice did pick up one point against the Riders this season- <st1:place w:st="on"><st1:City w:st="on">Cedar Rapids</st1:City></st1:place> won the first meeting between the two clubs in a shootout.<o:p></o:p> Last season the Riders were defeated three games to one by the Danville Wings in the first round of the playoffs. The <st1:City w:st="on">Danville</st1:City> franchise moved to <st1:State w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Indiana</st1:place></st1:State> after last season. Only four players who are expected to skate for the Ice in this series- forwards Klempa and Travis Winter and defensemen Mike Beck and Alex Panchenko- played for the Wings last season.<o:p></o:p> The winner of the Cedar Rapids-Indiana series will meet the survivor of a first round match-up between the Waterloo Black Hawks and Chicago Steel in the East Division finals.<o:p></o:p> <o:p> </o:p> LAST WEEK<o:p></o:p> <st1:place w:st="on"><st1:City w:st="on">Cedar Rapids</st1:City></st1:place><o:p></o:p> Friday, April 1: <st1:City w:st="on">Cedar Rapids</st1:City> 4 <st1:place w:st="on"><st1:City w:st="on">Green Bay</st1:City></st1:place> 1<o:p></o:p> The RoughRiders scored three first period goals and cruised to a 4-1 victory. Erik Felde opened the scoring for <st1:City w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Cedar Rapids</st1:place></st1:City>, Alec Martinez extended the lead to 2-0 with a power play goal and Jordan Pietrus capped off the onslaught by burying the third Rider goal with just 19.8 seconds left in the first. Greg Collins later added the final Rider goal.<o:p></o:p> <o:p> </o:p> Saturday, March 26: <st1:City w:st="on">Cedar Rapids</st1:City> 4 <st1:place w:st="on"><st1:City w:st="on">Green Bay</st1:City></st1:place> 2<o:p></o:p> The Riders picked up the win of despite being outshot 50-29. Rider goaltender Dan Tormey made 48 saves while Jordan Pietrus, Justin Abdelkader, Brandon Svendsen and Erik Felde provided the <st1:place w:st="on"><st1:City w:st="on">Cedar Rapids</st1:City></st1:place> goals. <o:p></o:p> <st1:City w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Green Bay</st1:place></st1:City><o:p></o:p> Friday, April 1: <st1:City w:st="on">Des Moines</st1:City> 6 <st1:place w:st="on"><st1:State w:st="on">Indiana</st1:State></st1:place> 5 (ot)<o:p></o:p> <st1:City w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Des Moines</st1:place></st1:City>’ Chad Rau scored the game winner- his third goal of the night- with 24 seconds left in overtime. The game only went to sudden death after the Ice squandered a 5-3 lead late in the third period. The Bucs scored twice- at 18:22 and again at 19:19- after pulling goaltender A.J. Bucchino. Ryan Peckskamp’s hat trick had propelled the Ice into the lead. Neil Sauter and Michael Findorff also scored for <st1:State w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Indiana</st1:place></st1:State>. <o:p></o:p> <o:p> </o:p> Saturday, April 2: <st1:City w:st="on">Waterloo</st1:City> 5 <st1:place w:st="on"><st1:State w:st="on">Indiana</st1:State></st1:place> 3<o:p></o:p> Ryan Peckskamp gave the Ice a 1-0 lead just 1:08 into the first period, but the Black Hawks responded with three straight goals and the Ice never quite recovered. <st1:State w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Indiana</st1:place></st1:State>, on goals from Tomas Klempa and Brian Gifford, twice cut the Hawk lead to one, but got no closer. James Kohout took the loss in goal despite making 42 saves as the Ice was outshot 47-27.<o:p></o:p> <o:p> </o:p> <o:p> </o:p> <o:p> </o:p> <o:p> </o:p> <o:p> </o:p> <o:p> </o:p> TOP POINT SCORERS<o:p></o:p></DIV> <DIV class=Section2> <st1:place w:st="on"><st1:City w:st="on">Cedar Rapids</st1:City></st1:place> GP G A PTS<o:p></o:p> Ted Purcell 58 20 47 67<o:p></o:p> Rob Ricci 59 26 34 60<o:p></o:p> Justin Abdelkader 60 27 25 52<o:p></o:p> Matt Vokes 58 27 25 52<o:p></o:p> Brandon Svendsen 60 19 26 45<o:p></o:p> <st1:place w:st="on"><st1:State w:st="on">Indiana</st1:State></st1:place> GP G A PTS<o:p></o:p> Tomas Klempa 56 25 27 52<o:p></o:p> Travis Winter 59 21 21 42<o:p></o:p> Todd McIlrath 35 13 28 41<o:p></o:p> Eddie Del Grosso 60 15 21 36<o:p></o:p> Ryan Peckskamp 59 16 13 29<o:p></o:p></DIV> <DIV class=Section3> <o:p> </o:p> LEADERS <o:p></o:p> <st1:place w:st="on"><st1:City w:st="on">Cedar Rapids</st1:City></st1:place><o:p></o:p> Goals- Matt Vokes, Justin Abdelkader (27)<o:p></o:p> Assists- Ted Purcell (47)<o:p></o:p> Points- Ted Purcell (67)<o:p></o:p> Plus/Minus- Ray Eichenlaub (+30)<o:p></o:p> Penalty Minutes- Zach Miskovic (149)<o:p></o:p> Power Play Goals- Matt Vokes (11)<o:p></o:p> Shorthanded Goals- Brandon Svendsen (3)<o:p></o:p> <o:p> </o:p> Purcell finished the regular season second in the league in assists, fourth in points and tied for tenth in plus/minus (+20)…Rob Ricci was tied for eighth in points (60), tied for second in game winning goals (7) and tied for tenth in power play goals (9) and plus/minus (+20)…Vokes and Abdelkader were tied for eighth in goals…Vokes was tied for fifth in power play goals…Abdelkader was tied for tenth in power play goals (9) and tied for tenth in plus/minus (+20)…Lovdahl finished fourth in plus/minus and, among defensemen, finished tied for second in points (37) and assists (30) and tied for tenth in goals (7)…Ray Eichenlaub was third in plus/minus (+30), and, among defensemen, ranked second in goals and fourth in points and was tied for seventh in assists…Svendsen was tied for fourth in shorthanded goals…Miskovic was eighth in penalty minutes…Alec Martinez was tied for fifth among defensemen in goals (10)<o:p></o:p> <o:p> </o:p> <st1:place w:st="on"><st1:State w:st="on">Indiana</st1:State></st1:place><o:p></o:p> Goals- Tomas Klempa (25)<o:p></o:p> Assists- Todd McIlrath (28)<o:p></o:p> Points- Tomas Klempa (52)<o:p></o:p> Plus/Minus- Mike Stuart (+8)<o:p></o:p> Penalty Minutes- Michael Findorff (137)<o:p></o:p> Power Play Goals- Travis Winter (9)<o:p></o:p> Shorthanded Goals- Ryan Peckskamp (4)<o:p></o:p> <o:p> </o:p> Winter finished the season tied for tenth in power play goals…among defensemen, Eddie Del Grosso led the league in goals (15), was tied for second in points and was tied for fifth in assists…Mike Beck was tied for eighth among defensemen in points (25) and tied for ninth among blue liners in assists (20)<o:p></o:p> <o:p> </o:p> GOALTENDERS <o:p></o:p> <st1:City w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Cedar Rapids</st1:place></st1:City> GP MIN GAA W-L-SOL SO SPCT <o:p></o:p> Dan Tormey 32 1839:33 2.25 23-4-2 3 .926<o:p></o:p> Alex Stalock 32 1801:07 2.73 19-9-3 1 .905<o:p></o:p> <o:p> </o:p> Tormey led the league in save percentage during the regular season, ranked second in goals against average, was tied for third in shutouts, ranked fourth in wins and tenth in minutes played…Stalock ranked seventh in goals against average and wins and eighth in save percentage<o:p></o:p> <o:p> </o:p> <st1:State w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Indiana</st1:place></st1:State> GP MIN GAA W-L-SOL SO SPCT<o:p></o:p> Pat Watson 40 2116:44 3.23 11-20-6 2 .898<o:p></o:p><PRE style="tab-stops: .5in">Alec Richards 4 241:58 3.47 1-2-1 0 .889<o:p></o:p></PRE><PRE style="tab-stops: .5in">James Kohout 9 422:51 4.82 1-4-1 0 .866<o:p></o:p></PRE><PRE style="tab-stops: .5in"><o:p> </o:p></PRE><PRE style="tab-stops: .5in">Watson ranked seventh in minutes played and eighth in total saves (1006)<o:p></o:p></PRE> <o:p> </o:p> <o:p> </o:p> WHO’S HOT<o:p></o:p> <st1:City w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Cedar Rapids</st1:place></st1:City><o:p></o:p> Greg Collins: four game point scoring streak (1-3-4)<o:p></o:p> Ray Eichenlaub: six points (three goals, three assists) in his last seven games<o:p></o:p> Jordan Pietrus: seven points (five goals, two assists) in his last six games<o:p></o:p> Ted Purcell: seven game point scoring streak (2-11-13)<o:p></o:p> Rob Ricci: 15 game point scoring streak (11-11-22)<o:p></o:p> Matt Vokes: seven points (three goals, four assists) in his last six games<o:p></o:p> Dan Tormey: made 82 saves and allowed just three goals while winning back-to-back games last weekend…has<o:p></o:p> surrendered three goals or fewer in six straight games and in 10 of his last 11 appearances<o:p></o:p> <o:p> </o:p> <st1:State w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Indiana</st1:place></st1:State><o:p></o:p> Brian Gifford: four points (two goals, two assists) in his last four games<o:p></o:p> <st1:place w:st="on"><st1:City w:st="on">Milan</st1:City></st1:place> Gulas: six points (four goals, two assists) in his last seven games<o:p></o:p> Tomas Klempa: ten points (five goals, five assists) in his last 11 games<o:p></o:p> Ryan Peckskamp: four goals in his last two games<o:p></o:p> Garrett Roe: six assists in his last three games<o:p></o:p> <o:p> </o:p> WIN-LOSS <o:p></o:p> <st1:place w:st="on"><st1:City w:st="on">Cedar Rapids</st1:City> <st1:State w:st="on">Indiana</st1:State></st1:place> <o:p></o:p> Home: 18-8-4 Home: 15-11-4 <o:p></o:p> Away: 24-5-1 Away: 5-22-3 <o:p></o:p> <o:p> </o:p> vs. East: 34-6-0 vs. East: 17-21-2 <o:p></o:p> vs. West: 8-7-5 vs. West: 3-12-5<o:p></o:p> <o:p> </o:p> GOALS PER GAME<o:p></o:p> <st1:place w:st="on"><st1:City w:st="on">Cedar Rapids</st1:City> <st1:State w:st="on">Indiana</st1:State></st1:place> <o:p></o:p> Goals For: 3.82 (1) Goals For: 2.82 (8) <o:p></o:p> Goals Against: 2.62 (2) Goals Against: 3.48 (9) <o:p></o:p></DIV> <o:p> </o:p> SPECIAL TEAMS <o:p></o:p> <st1:place w:st="on"><st1:City w:st="on">Cedar Rapids</st1:City> <st1:State w:st="on">Indiana</st1:State></st1:place><o:p></o:p> Power Play: 24.1 64/266 (1) Power Play: 15.0 45/300 (8) <o:p></o:p> Penalty Kill: 83.8 39/240 (8) Penalty Kill: 79.8 57/282 (10)<o:p></o:p> <o:p> </o:p> Shorthanded Goals For: 8 Shorthanded Goals For: 10 <o:p></o:p> Shorthanded Goals Against: 2 Shorthanded Goals Against: 7 <o:p></o:p> <o:p> </o:p> <st1:City w:st="on">Cedar Rapids</st1:City> vs. <st1:place w:st="on"><st1:State w:st="on">Indiana</st1:State></st1:place> <o:p></o:p> <st1:date w:st="on" Month="10" Day="17" Year="2004">10/17/04</st1:date> <st1:City w:st="on">Cedar Rapids</st1:City> 6 at <st1:State w:st="on">Indiana</st1:State> 5 (so) <st1:date w:st="on" Month="12" Day="4" Year="2004">12/4/04</st1:date> <st1:City w:st="on">Cedar Rapids</st1:City> 4 at <st1:place w:st="on"><st1:State w:st="on">Indiana</st1:State></st1:place> 1<o:p></o:p> <st1:date w:st="on" Month="10" Day="30" Year="2004">10/30/04</st1:date> at <st1:City w:st="on">Cedar Rapids</st1:City> 4 <st1:State w:st="on">Indiana</st1:State> 3 12/5/04 <st1:City w:st="on">Cedar Rapids</st1:City> 3 at <st1:place w:st="on"><st1:State w:st="on">Indiana</st1:State></st1:place> 2<o:p></o:p> <st1:date w:st="on" Month="11" Day="9" Year="2004">11/9/04</st1:date> <st1:City w:st="on">Cedar Rapids</st1:City> 5 at <st1:State w:st="on">Indiana</st1:State> 4 1/28/05 at <st1:City w:st="on">Cedar Rapids</st1:City> 5 <st1:place w:st="on"><st1:State w:st="on">Indiana</st1:State></st1:place> 4<o:p></o:p> 11/27/04 at <st1:City w:st="on">Cedar Rapids</st1:City> 3 <st1:State w:st="on">Indiana</st1:State> 0 2/25/05 at <st1:City w:st="on">Cedar Rapids</st1:City> 5 <st1:State w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Indiana</st1:place></st1:State> 1<o:p></o:p> <o:p> </o:p> GP W-L-SOL PTS H A OPP REC OPP PTS<o:p></o:p> 2004-05 8 8-0-0 16 4-0-0 4-0-0 0-7-1 1<o:p></o:p> All-Time* 14 12-2-0 24 6-1-0 6-1-0 2-11-1 5<o:p></o:p> *-vs. Indiana/Danville<o:p></o:p> <o:p> </o:p> Top Point Scorers/Season Series <o:p></o:p> <st1:City w:st="on">Cedar Rapids</st1:City> vs. <st1:place w:st="on"><st1:State w:st="on">Indiana</st1:State></st1:place><o:p></o:p> <st1:City w:st="on">Cedar Rapids</st1:City> GP G A PTS <st1:place w:st="on"><st1:State w:st="on">Indiana</st1:State></st1:place> GP G A PTS<o:p></o:p> Ted Purcell 8 4 12 16 Tomas Klempa 8 1 7 8 Matt Vokes 8 4 9 13 Eddie <st1:place w:st="on"><st1:State w:st="on">Del</st1:State></st1:place> Grosso 8 3 4 7<o:p></o:p> Rob Ricci 8 3 8 11 Todd McIlrath 6 1 5 6 <o:p></o:p> <o:p> </o:p> Goaltenders/Season Series <o:p></o:p> <st1:City w:st="on">Cedar Rapids</st1:City> vs. <st1:place w:st="on"><st1:State w:st="on">Indiana</st1:State></st1:place><o:p></o:p> <st1:place w:st="on"><st1:City w:st="on">Cedar Rapids</st1:City></st1:place> GP MIN GAA W-L-SOL SO SPCT<o:p></o:p> Dan Tormey 4 220:00 2.73 3-0-0 1 .898<o:p></o:p> Alex Stalock 5 264:34 2.27 5-0-0 0 .898<o:p></o:p> <o:p> </o:p> <st1:place w:st="on"><st1:State w:st="on">Indiana</st1:State></st1:place> GP MIN GAA W-L-SOL SO SPCT<o:p></o:p> Pat Watson 1 40:00 6.00 0-1-0 0 .857<o:p></o:p> James Kohout 2 79:24 4.53 0-1-0 0 .846<o:p></o:p> <o:p> </o:p> COACHES<o:p></o:p> <st1:City w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Cedar Rapids</st1:place></st1:City><o:p></o:p> Mark Carlson, 6th year (185-138-32)<o:p></o:p> Mark Carlson has been the RoughRiders’ coach since the team arrived in <st1:City w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Cedar Rapids</st1:place></st1:City> in 1999-2000. This season he has led the RoughRiders to a share of the Anderson Cup regular season title and the irst division title in team history.<o:p></o:p> He has also piloted the Riders to five straight winning seasons and five straight Clark Cup playoff berths. The Riders are one of just three USHL teams to have reached the post season each of the last five years. <o:p></o:p> Carlson reached the 150 victory plateau October 30 as the RoughRiders defeated the Indiana Ice 4-3. He earned his one hundredth coaching win on January 11, 2003 when the RoughRiders defeated the Sioux City Musketeers 3-1 in <st1:City w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Sioux City</st1:place></st1:City>. <o:p></o:p> He was behind the bench for his three hundredth game as RoughRiders coach as the Riders defeated <st1:State w:st="on">Indiana</st1:State> 6-5 in a shootout in <st1:City w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Indianapolis</st1:place></st1:City> on October 17.<o:p></o:p> Prior to taking over the RoughRiders in 1999, Carlson spent four seasons as a collegiate assistant coach at Northeastern and Massachusetts-Lowell. In his playing days, Carlson was a forward at <st1:City w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Lowell</st1:place></st1:City> and was a 1987 draft pick of the National Hockey League’s Pittsburgh Penguins.<o:p></o:p> <o:p> </o:p> <st1:State w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Indiana</st1:place></st1:State><o:p></o:p> Dean Grillo, 1st year (2-3-2)<o:p></o:p> Dean Grillo took over the <st1:State w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Indiana</st1:place></st1:State> coaching reins for the remainder of the season following the March 15 resignation of Red Gendron. Grillo had previously been the Ice’s Director of Player Personnel.<o:p></o:p> In his playing days, Grillo, a 1991 draft pick of the San Jose Sharks, suited up for the Waterloo Black Hawks in 1991-92 before skating for two seasons at the University of North Dakota (1992-94). Grillo then moved on to the pro ranks with the Kansas City Blades of the International Hockey League (1994-96) and the American Hockey League’s Kentucky Thoroughblades (1996-97). <o:p></o:p> <o:p> </o:p> HISTORY<o:p></o:p> The Riders wrapped up a share of the USHL’s Anderson Cup regular season title- the club’s first- with a 4-2 win over the Green Bay Gamblers last Saturday.<o:p></o:p> The RoughRiders clinched the first East Division title in club history on February 26 after finishing second in the division each of the last four years. <o:p>&