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Weekly Update: October 11, 2005

Weekly Update: October 11, 2005

<DIV class=Section1> <H1 style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt 2in; TEXT-INDENT: 0.5in"><?xml:namespace prefix = st1 ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:smarttags" /><st1:City w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Cedar Rapids</st1:place></st1:City> RoughRiders <?xml:namespace prefix = o ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:office" /><o:p></o:p></H1> <H1 style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt 2in; TEXT-INDENT: 0.5in">Weekly Update<o:p></o:p></H1> October 11, 2005<o:p></o:p> <H1 style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt">                                                            <o:p></o:p></H1> <o:p> </o:p> THIS WEEK<o:p></o:p> Saturday, October 15, 7:05PM @ <st1:City w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Cedar Rapids</st1:place></st1:City> Ice Arena<o:p></o:p> <st1:City w:st="on">Sioux City</st1:City> Musketeers vs. <st1:City w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Cedar Rapids</st1:place></st1:City> RoughRiders<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> 4-1-0, 8 points, 1st place East Division <o:p></o:p> <st1:City w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Sioux City</st1:place></st1:City><o:p></o:p> 1-3-2, 4 points, tied 2nd place West Division<o:p></o:p> <o:p> </o:p> COMING IN<o:p></o:p> The RoughRiders won three games in less than 48 hours last weekend to take over first place overall in the United States Hockey League.  The Riders are two points ahead of <st1:City w:st="on">Omaha</st1:City> and <st1:City w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Sioux Falls</st1:place></st1:City> very early in the race for the league’s top spot.<o:p></o:p> The Riders won 4-2 in <st1:City w:st="on">Waterloo</st1:City> last Friday, defeated <st1:City w:st="on">Green Bay</st1:City> by the same score in <st1:City w:st="on">Cedar Rapids</st1:City>’ home opener Saturday night and traveled to <st1:place w:st="on"><st1:City w:st="on">Sioux City</st1:City></st1:place> to drop the Musketeers 6-3 Sunday afternoon.<o:p></o:p> The Riders’ three game winning streak is tied for the longest in the league on the young season.<o:p></o:p> The Riders have played four of their first five games on the road and have gone 3-1 away from home.  Between last season and this season, the Riders have now gone 27-6-1 in their last 34 road games. <o:p></o:p> The Riders scored 14 goals in their three games last weekend.  Ted Purcell led the Rider attack with three goals and one assist over the weekend.  <o:p></o:p> The Riders have scored a league best average of 3.8 goals per game.<o:p></o:p> Goaltender Alex Stalock backstopped the Riders to the first two wins of the weekend before first year netminder Pat McGann made 25 saves on the way to a victory in his USHL debut Sunday in <st1:City w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Sioux City</st1:place></st1:City>.<o:p></o:p> The Musketeers return to the Cedar Rapids Ice Arena this Saturday for the first time since the Riders defeated the Muskies 4-1 in game five of last spring’s Clark Cup finals.<o:p></o:p> Like the Riders, the Musketeers played three games in three days last weekend, but unlike <st1:City w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Cedar Rapids</st1:place></st1:City>, the Muskies suffered three straight defeats.  <st1:City w:st="on">Sioux City</st1:City> was shut out 5-0 in <st1:City w:st="on">Omaha</st1:City> last Friday and fell 3-2 to <st1:place w:st="on"><st1:City w:st="on">Sioux Falls</st1:City></st1:place> last Saturday before rounding out the weekend with Sunday’s loss to the Riders.<o:p></o:p> The Musketeers are now winless (0-3-2) in five games since opening the season with a 5-3 victory in <st1:City w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Omaha</st1:place></st1:City> on September 24.  The Muskies will try to end that winless streak when they visit <st1:City w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Des Moines</st1:place></st1:City> Friday night.  <o:p></o:p> The Musketeers have given up at least five goals in four of their last five games and have surrendered a league high 4.5 goals per game on the season.<o:p></o:p> Ryan Hohl (4-3-7), who scored twice against the Riders Sunday, and Phillip DeSimone (2-5-7), who assisted on both of those Hohl goals, are <st1:City w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Sioux City</st1:place></st1:City>’s top point scorers.<o:p></o:p> <o:p> </o:p> <o:p> </o:p> <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, October 7: <st1:City w:st="on">Cedar Rapids</st1:City> 4  <st1:place w:st="on"><st1:City w:st="on">Waterloo</st1:City></st1:place> 2<o:p></o:p> Ted Purcell, Jacob Cepis, Nik Sellers and Dustin Cloutier provided the Rider goals as <st1:City w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Cedar Rapids</st1:place></st1:City> never trailed.  Alex Stalock made 24 save to earn the win in goal.<o:p></o:p> <o:p> </o:p> Saturday, October 8: <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> Ted Purcell scored two goals one minute and one second apart to propel the Riders.  The Riders jumped out to a 3-0 second period lead on one goal from Phil Axtell and the pair from Purcell.  Phil Fox added the fourth Rider goal to make the game safe in the third period.  Alex Stalock made 28 saves on the night and 15 in the second period alone.<o:p></o:p> <o:p> </o:p> Sunday, October 9: <st1:City w:st="on">Cedar Rapids</st1:City> 6  <st1:place w:st="on"><st1:City w:st="on">Sioux City</st1:City></st1:place> 3<o:p></o:p> The Riders broke loose for four power play goals on the way to the win.  The Riders scored the game’s final three goals (all on the power play) to pull away: Jacob Cepis snapped a 3-3 tie at 6:59 of the second period and Nik Sellers and Evan Stephens added the insurance goals in the third.  Kevin Wehrs, Phil Axtell and Aaron Bendickson scored the first three <st1:City w:st="on">Cedar Rapids</st1:City> goals, while Pat McGann stopped 25 shots in the <st1:City w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Cedar Rapids</st1:place></st1:City> net.<o:p></o:p> <o:p> </o:p> <st1:City w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Sioux City</st1:place></st1:City><o:p></o:p> Friday, October 7: <st1:City w:st="on">Omaha</st1:City> 5  <st1:place w:st="on"><st1:City w:st="on">Sioux City</st1:City></st1:place> 0  <o:p></o:p> <st1:place w:st="on">Omaha</st1:place> goaltender Eddie Neville stopped 28 shots and the Lancers broke the game open with three second period goals and added two more in the third.  <o:p></o:p> <o:p> </o:p> Saturday, October 8: Sioux Falls 3  <st1:place w:st="on"><st1:City w:st="on">Sioux City</st1:City></st1:place> 2<o:p></o:p> The Musketeers outshot the Stampede 35-20 but fell after <st1:City w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Sioux Falls</st1:place></st1:City>’ Andreas Nodl broke a 2-2 tie with just over four minutes left in the game.  Chris Spicer and Matt Jones scored the <st1:City w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Sioux City</st1:place></st1:City> goals.  <o:p></o:p> <o:p> </o:p> Sunday, October 9: <st1:City w:st="on">Cedar Rapids</st1:City> 6  <st1:place w:st="on"><st1:City w:st="on">Sioux City</st1:City></st1:place> 3<o:p></o:p> Ryan Hohl (two) and Anthony Maiani provided the <st1:City w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Sioux City</st1:place></st1:City> goals as the Musketeers twice came from behind to tie the game only to be done in by the Riders’ four power play goals.<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                    5          4          1          5<o:p></o:p> Phil Axtell                     5          3          2          5<o:p></o:p> Jacob Cepis                 5          2          3          5<o:p></o:p> <st1:country-region w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Chad</st1:place></st1:country-region> Costello               5          0          5          5<o:p></o:p> Nik Sellers                     5          2          2          4<o:p></o:p> <st1:place w:st="on"><st1:City w:st="on">Sioux City</st1:City></st1:place>                    GP       G          A          PTS<o:p></o:p> Ryan Hohl                     6          4          3          7<o:p></o:p> Phillip DeSimone           6          2          5          7<o:p></o:p> Chris Spicer                  6          2          3          5<o:p></o:p> Matt Jones                    6          2          3          5<o:p></o:p> (three players tied with four points)<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- Ted Purcell (4)<o:p></o:p> <st1:place w:st="on"><st1:City w:st="on">Assists-</st1:City> <st1:country-region w:st="on">Chad</st1:country-region></st1:place> Costello (5)<o:p></o:p> Points- Phil Axtell, Jacob <st1:place w:st="on"><st1:City w:st="on">Cepis</st1:City>, <st1:country-region w:st="on">Chad</st1:country-region></st1:place> Costello, Ted Purcell (5)<o:p></o:p> Plus/Minus- Phil Axtell (+5)<o:p></o:p> Penalty Minutes- Sergei Kolosov (21)<o:p></o:p> Power Play Goals- Phil Axtell (2)<o:p></o:p> Shorthanded Goals- none<o:p></o:p> <o:p> </o:p> <st1:place w:st="on"><st1:City w:st="on">Sioux City</st1:City></st1:place><o:p></o:p> Goals- Ryan Hohl (4)<o:p></o:p> Assists- Phillip DeSimone (5)<o:p></o:p> Points- Ryah Hohl, Phillip DeSimone (7)<o:p></o:p> Plus/Minus- Phillip DeSimone (+4)<o:p></o:p> Penalty Minutes- Kyle Follmer, Ryan Hohl (22)<o:p></o:p> Power Play Goals- Sam Gagner, Ryan Hohl, Andrew Rowe, Chris Spicer (1)<o:p></o:p> Shorthanded Goals- Ryan Hohl (1)<o:p></o:p> <o:p> </o:p> <o:p> </o:p> GOALTENDERS<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> Alex Stalock                  4          239       2.01      3-1-0                 0          .935<o:p></o:p> Pat McGann                  1          60         3.00      1-0-0                 0          .893<o:p></o:p>                         <o:p></o:p> <st1:place w:st="on"><st1:City w:st="on">Sioux City</st1:City></st1:place>                    GP       MIN      GAA     W-L-SOL           SO       SPCT<o:p></o:p> Phillip Tetzlaff               2          97:20    2.47      0-1-1                 0          .897<o:p></o:p> Bill Blase                      5          267:53  5.15      1-2-1                 0          .850<o:p></o:p> <o:p> </o:p></DIV> <DIV class=Section4> WHO’S HOT<o:p></o:p> <st1:place w:st="on"><st1:City w:st="on">Cedar Rapids</st1:City></st1:place><o:p></o:p> Phil Axtell: three points (two goals, one assist) in his last two games<o:p></o:p> Jacob Cepis: four points (two goals, two assists) in his last three games<o:p></o:p> Ted Purcell: five points (four goals, one assist) in his last four games<o:p></o:p> Alex Stalock: has given up three goals or fewer in each of his first four games<o:p></o:p> <o:p> </o:p> <st1:place w:st="on"><st1:City w:st="on">Sioux City</st1:City></st1:place><o:p></o:p> Phillip DeSimone: three assists in his last two games<o:p></o:p> Ryan Hohl: five points (four goals, one assist) in his last four games<o:p></o:p> <o:p> </o:p> WIN-LOSS <o:p></o:p> <st1:City w:st="on">Cedar Rapids</st1:City>                           <st1:City w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Sioux City</st1:place></st1:City><o:p></o:p> Home: 1-0-0                              Home: 1-2-1<o:p></o:p> Away: 3-1-0                               Away: 0-1-1<o:p></o:p> <o:p> </o:p> vs. East Division: 2-1-0              vs. East Division: 0-1-0<o:p></o:p> vs. West Division: 2-0-0             vs. West Division: 1-2-2<o:p></o:p> <o:p> </o:p> GOALS<o:p></o:p> <st1:City w:st="on">Cedar Rapids</st1:City>                           <st1:City w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Sioux City</st1:place></st1:City><o:p></o:p> Goals For: 3.8 (1)                       Goals For: 3.0 (tied 8)<o:p></o:p> Goals Against: 2.4 (2)                Goals Against: 4.5 (11)<o:p></o:p></DIV> <DIV class=Section5> <o:p> </o:p> SPECIAL TEAMS <o:p></o:p> <st1:City w:st="on">Cedar Rapids</st1:City>                                       <st1:City w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Sioux City</st1:place></st1:City><o:p></o:p> Power Play:       22.2%  8/36  (2)             Power Play:       10.8%  4/37  (9)             <o:p></o:p> Penalty Kill:       88.9%  3/27  (tied 5)      Penalty Kill:       74.5%  12/47  (11)<o:p></o:p> <o:p> </o:p> Shorthanded Goals For:  0                     Shorthanded Goals For: 1<o:p></o:p> Shorthanded Goals Against: 0                 Shorthanded Goals Against: 0<o:p></o:p> <o:p> </o:p> SERIES<o:p></o:p> vs. <st1:place w:st="on"><st1:City w:st="on">Sioux City</st1:City></st1:place><o:p></o:p> 10/9/05             <st1:City w:st="on">Cedar Rapids</st1:City> 6 at <st1:City w:st="on">Sioux City</st1:City> 3              12/9/05             <st1:City w:st="on">Cedar Rapids</st1:City> at <st1:City w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Sioux City</st1:place></st1:City><o:p></o:p> 10/15/05            <st1:City w:st="on">Sioux City</st1:City> at <st1:City w:st="on">Cedar Rapids</st1:City>                    2/4/05               <st1:City w:st="on">Sioux City</st1:City> at <st1:place w:st="on"><st1:City w:st="on">Cedar Rapids</st1:City></st1:place><o:p></o:p> 11/11/05            <st1:City w:st="on">Sioux City</st1:City> at <st1:place w:st="on"><st1:City w:st="on">Cedar Rapids</st1:City></st1:place><o:p></o:p> <o:p> </o:p> GP       W-L-SOL           PTS      H          A                      OPP REC         OPP PTS<o:p></o:p> 2005-06             1          1-0-0                 2          0-0-0     1-0-0                 0-1-0                 0<o:p></o:p> All-Time                        29         11-15-3             25         8-4-2     3-11-1               18-10-1             37<o:p></o:p></DIV> <DIV class=Section6> <o:p> </o:p> Top Point Scorers/Season Series<o:p></o:p> <st1:place w:st="on"><st1:City w:st="on">Cedar Rapids</st1:City></st1:place>               GP       G          A          PTS<o:p></o:p> Jacob Cepis                 1          1          1          2<o:p></o:p> Nik Sellers                     1          1          1          2<o:p></o:p> Steven Kaunisto            1          0          2          2<o:p></o:p> <o:p> </o:p> <o:p> </o:p> <o:p> </o:p> <st1:City w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Sioux City</st1:place></st1:City>                    GP       G          A          PTS<o:p></o:p> Ryan Hohl                     1          2          0          2<o:p></o:p> Phillip DeSimone           1          0          2          2<o:p></o:p> (four players tied with one point)<o:p></o:p></DIV> <o:p> </o:p> Goaltenders/Season Series <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> Pat McGann                  1          60         3.00      1-0-0                 0          .893<o:p></o:p> <o:p> </o:p> <st1:City w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Sioux City</st1:place></st1:City>                    GP       MIN      GAA     W-L-SOL           SO       SPCT   <o:p></o:p> Bill Blase                      1          60         6.00      0-1-0                 0          .800<o:p></o:p> <o:p> </o:p> COACHES<o:p></o:p> <st1:place w:st="on"><st1:City w:st="on">Cedar Rapids</st1:City></st1:place><o:p></o:p> <st1:PersonName w:st="on">Mark Carlson</st1:PersonName>, 7th year (189-139-32)<o:p></o:p> Mark Carlson has been the RoughRiders’ coach since the team arrived in <st1:place w:st="on"><st1:City w:st="on">Cedar Rapids</st1:City></st1:place> in 1999-2000.  Last season he led the RoughRiders to the first Clark Cup (playoff) title in team history along with a share of the Anderson Cup regular season title and the East Division title.<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 postseason each of the last five years.  The Riders have also advanced at least as far as the Clark Cup semi-finals/East Division finals three of the last four years.<o:p></o:p> Carlson reached the 150 victory plateau October 30, 2004 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:place w:st="on"><st1:City w:st="on">Sioux City</st1:City></st1:place>.  <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:place w:st="on"><st1:City w:st="on">Indianapolis</st1:City></st1:place> 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:place w:st="on"><st1:City w:st="on">Lowell</st1:City></st1:place> and was a 1987 draft pick of the National Hockey League’s Pittsburgh Penguins.<o:p></o:p> <o:p> </o:p> <st1:place w:st="on"><st1:City w:st="on">Sioux City</st1:City></st1:place><o:p></o:p> Dave Siciliano  13th year (429-168-42); 6th year <st1:place w:st="on"><st1:City w:st="on">Sioux City</st1:City></st1:place> (180-91-32)<o:p></o:p>             Siciliano is the second winningest coach in USHL history.  The Musketeers have finished with a winning record in each of his five seasons with the club.  He has piloted the Muskies to the Clark Cup finals twice in the last four years, falling to the Riders last season and winning the title in 2002.  <o:p></o:p> Siciliano spent seven highly successful years behind the bench of the now defunct Thunder Bay Flyers from 1986 through 1993.  He led the Flyers to both the Clark Cup and Anderson Cup (regular season title) in 1988 and again in 1989 and to another pair of Anderson Cups in 1991 and 1992.  The <st1:place w:st="on"><st1:City w:st="on">Thunder Bay</st1:City></st1:place> native was named USHL Coach of the Year in 1987, 1989 and 1991.<o:p></o:p>             Prior to returning to the USHL with Musketeers in 2000, Siciliano spent two years behind the bench of the Ontario Hockey League’s Owen Sound Platers.<o:p></o:p>             <o:p></o:p> HISTORY<o:p></o:p>             With last Saturday’s 4-2 defeat of <st1:City w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Green Bay</st1:place></st1:City>, the Riders improved to 4-3-0 all time in home openers.<o:p></o:p>             The Riders are 20-5-2 on the road in September and October since 2001.<o:p></o:p>             The Riders scored four power play goals Sunday, one short of the team record of five power play goals in one game set on December 8, 2000 in a 7-2 win at <st1:City w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Des Moines</st1:place></st1:City>.<o:p></o:p>             This marks the fourth time the Riders have won four of their first five games.  The Riders posted their best record after five games last season when they started the campaign 4-0-1.<o:p></o:p> The RoughRiders last season won the Clark Cup, a share of the Anderson Cup and the East Division championship- all firsts in club history.  The Riders went 42-13-5 during the regular season- the best record in team history.<o:p></o:p> The RoughRiders last season set new team records for wins (42), points (89), road wins (24), goals scored (229), power play goals scored (64) and fewest goals against (157).<o:p></o:p> The Riders last season also set new United States Hockey League records for most road wins and longest road winning streak (13 straight from November 9 through February 11).<o:p></o:p> 2004-05 was the Riders’ fourth 30-victory season in the team’s six-year <st1:City w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Cedar Rapids</st1:place></st1:City> history.  Last season marked the first time the Riders have won 40 or more games.  <o:p></o:p> <st1:place w:st="on"><st1:City w:st="on">Sioux City</st1:City></st1:place>’s 2002 Clark Cup title was the third in club history.  The Musketeers won the Anderson and Clark Cups in both 1982 and 1986.  <o:p></o:p> <o:p> </o:p> <o:p> </o:p> <o:p> </o:p> ROUGHRIDERS ROSTER<o:p></o:p>             Forward Ray Kaunisto was suspended for the Riders’ games Saturday and Sunday after receiving a match penalty for intent to injure for a hit on <st1:City w:st="on">Waterloo</st1:City>’s Jonathan Marcou during last Friday’s game in <st1:City w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Waterloo</st1:place></st1:City>.  Kaunisto may be suspended for further games pending league review of the penalty.<o:p></o:p> <o:p> </o:p> COLLEGE COMMITMENTS<o:p></o:p> <st1:City w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Cedar Rapids</st1:place></st1:City> (6)<o:p></o:p> Phil Axtell (Michigan Tech), Jacob Cepis (Bowling Green), Ray Kaunisto (Northern Michigan), Ted Purcell (Maine), Alex Stalock (Minnesota-Duluth), Gary Steffes (Miami of Ohio)<o:p></o:p> <o:p> </o:p> <st1:City w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Sioux City</st1:place></st1:City> (5)<o:p></o:p> Sean Coffey (Brown), Dustin Gazley (<st1:PlaceName w:st="on">Michigan</st1:PlaceName> <st1:PlaceType w:st="on">State</st1:PlaceType>), Steve Kampfer (<st1:State w:st="on">Michigan</st1:State>), Christian Minella (Notre Dame), Andrew Rowe (<st1:place w:st="on"><st1:PlaceName w:st="on">Michigan</st1:PlaceName> <st1:PlaceType w:st="on">State</st1:PlaceType></st1:place>)<o:p></o:p> <o:p> </o:p> NHL DRAFT PICKS<o:p></o:p></B&