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Weekly Update: October 17, 2005

Weekly Update: October 17, 2005

<DIV class=Section1> <H1 style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt 2.5in; TEXT-INDENT: 0.5in"> <?xml:namespace prefix = o ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:office" /><o:p></o:p></H1> <H1 style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt 2.5in">Cedar Rapids RoughRiders <o:p></o:p></H1> <H1 style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt 2.5in">Weekly Update<o:p></o:p></H1> October 17, 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> Friday, October 21, 7:35PM @ Edge Ice Arena, Bensenville, Illinois<o:p></o:p> Cedar Rapids RoughRiders vs. Chicago Steel<o:p></o:p>  <o:p></o:p> Saturday, October 22, 7:05PM @ Cedar Rapids Ice Arena<o:p></o:p> Chicago Steel vs. Cedar Rapids RoughRiders<o:p></o:p>  <o:p></o:p> RECORDS <o:p></o:p> Cedar Rapids<o:p></o:p> 5-1-0, 10 points, 1st place East Division <o:p></o:p> Chicago<o:p></o:p> 2-3-1, 5 points, tied 4th place East Division<o:p></o:p>  <o:p></o:p> COMING IN<o:p></o:p>             The RoughRiders have won four straight games and are tied with the Sioux Falls Stampede (on whom the Riders have a game in hand) for first place overall in the United States Hockey League.  The Riders are four points ahead of second place Green Bay and Waterloo in the race for the top spot in the East Division.<o:p></o:p>             The Riders routed the Sioux City Musketeers 8-2 last Saturday night.  That victory was the Riders’ only game of the weekend.<o:p></o:p>             The Riders’ four game winning streak is the longest in the league on the young season.<o:p></o:p>             The Riders’ eight goal outburst last Saturday was also a league season high.  The Riders have scored 14 goals in their last two games and found the net 22 times in their last four games.<o:p></o:p>             The Riders average a league best 4.5 goals per game and give up a league low 2.3 goals per contest.<o:p></o:p>             The Riders also boast the USHL’s most efficient power play (24.4 percent).<o:p></o:p>             Rider goaltender Al Stalock set a personal USHL regular season career high and a league season high with 49 saves in Saturday’s win. <o:p></o:p> The Steel dropped a pair of games in Sioux Falls last weekend.  Chicago suffered a 3-2 shootout defeat last Friday and fell 3-1 the following evening.  The Steel did earn one point for the shootout loss.<o:p></o:p> Chicago has won just one of its last five games (1-3-1).<o:p></o:p> The Stampede outshot the Steel 83-50 on the weekend, but a pair of strong goaltending efforts from Shaun Williams kept Chicago in both games.  Williams made 35 saves Friday night and 43 Saturday evening.  The first year netminder has played every minute of the Steel’s first six games.<o:p></o:p> The Steel has scored a league low 12 goals in its first six contests.  A woeful power play has done little to augment the Chicago attack.  The Steel has gone 1-for-35 on the man advantage this season for a league-worst success rate of 2.9 percent.  Chicago failed to score on its first 29 power plays until former Rider Nate Perkovich finally found the net for the Steel during a two-man advantage in the first period of last Friday’s game in Sioux Falls.<o:p></o:p> Chicago has had little more success at the other end of the ice.  The Steel has surrendered an average of 3.8 goals per game, the second most in the league.<o:p></o:p> Brian Keane (1-5-6) is Chicago’s top point producer.  No Steel player has score more than two goals.<o:p></o:p> Slovenian forward Luka Vidmar, who played for the RoughRiders in the preseason, has picked up one assist in four games with Chicago since joining the Steel just after the start of the regular season.<o:p></o:p>  <o:p></o:p> LAST WEEK<o:p></o:p> Cedar Rapids<o:p></o:p> Saturday, October 22: Cedar Rapids 8   Sioux City 2<o:p></o:p> The RoughRiders broke the game open with five second period goals.  The game was tied at one entering the second (David Strathman scored the Riders’ first period goal) after Al Stalock made 22 saves in the first period.  Stalock would go on to stop 49 Sioux City shots on the night.  Ray Kaunisto started the Cedar Rapids onslaught just 9 seconds into the second period.  34 seconds later, Jordan Pietrus scored the third Rider goal.  Gary Steffes (shorthanded), Aaron Bendickson and Jacob Cepis followed with goals of their own before the period was over.  In the third period Axtell (on the power play) and Cepis (again) scored to add to Sioux City’s misery.  The game also saw 129 minutes in penalties called, included nine majors and a match penalty against the Riders’ Sergei Kolosov.<o:p></o:p>  <o:p></o:p> Chicago<o:p></o:p> Friday, October 21: Sioux Falls 3  Chicago 2 (SO)<o:p></o:p> The Steel led twice before eventually falling in the shootout.  Randy Guzior put Chicago up 1-0 just 52 seconds into the game.  After the Stampede evened the score at one while on a two-man advantage, the Steel converted a 5-on-3 of their own when Nate Perkovich scored to make it 2-1 at 17:12 of the first.  The Steel protected that lead until Casey Parenteau knotted the score again midway through the third period with the third 5-on-3 goal of the game.  Steel goaltender Shaun Williams stopped 15 shots in the third period to insure the game went to overtime and finished the night with 35 saves.  <o:p></o:p>  <o:p></o:p> Saturday, October 22: Sioux Falls 3  Chicago 1<o:p></o:p> Brandon Coccimiglio scored the only Chicago goal as a 43-save performance from Shaun Williams kept the Steel from suffering a more lopsided defeat.<o:p></o:p>  <o:p></o:p> TOP POINT SCORERS<o:p></o:p></DIV><SPAN style="FONT-WEIGHT: bold; FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-STYLE: italic; FONT-FAMILY: Arial; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA"> <DIV class=Section2> Cedar Rapids                GP            G            A            PTS<o:p></o:p> Ted Purcell                    6            4            5            9<o:p></o:p> Jacob Cepis                  6            4            4            8<o:p></o:p> Phil Axtell                     6            4            3            7<o:p></o:p> Chad Costello                6            0            6            6<o:p></o:p> (three players tied with four points)<o:p></o:p> Chicago                       GP            G            A            PTS<o:p></o:p> Brian Keane                  6            1            5            6<o:p></o:p> Randy Guzior                6            2            2            4<o:p></o:p> Chris Clackson              6            2            2            4<o:p></o:p> Joe Loprieno                  6            0            4            4<o:p></o:p> Dan Kissel                    3            2            1            3<o:p></o:p></DIV> <DIV class=Section3>  <o:p></o:p> LEADERS<o:p></o:p> Cedar Rapids<o:p></o:p> Goals- Phil Axtell, Jacob Cepis, Ted Purcell (4)<o:p></o:p> Assists- Chad Costello (6)<o:p></o:p> Points- Ted Purcell (9)<o:p></o:p> Plus/Minus- Sergei Kolosov (+6)<o:p></o:p> Penalty Minutes- Sergei Kolosov (36)<o:p></o:p> Power Play Goals- Phil Axtell (3)<o:p></o:p> Shorthanded Goals- Gary Steffes (1)<o:p></o:p>  <o:p></o:p> Purcell is tied for second in the league in points, tied for fifth in goals and tied for sixth in assists (6)…Cepis is tied for fifth in points (8) and goals and tied for fourth in power play goals (2)…Axtell is tied for the league lead in power play goals, tied for fifth in goals, tied for tenth in plus/minus (+4) and ranks fifth in penalty minutes (30)…Costello is tied for third in assists…Andy Miele is tied for fourth in power play goals (2)…Sergei Kolosov is tied for third in plus/minus and penalty minutes…Evan Stephens is tied for eighth in plus/minus (+5)<o:p></o:p>  <o:p></o:p> Chicago<o:p></o:p> Goals- Chris Clackson, Brandon Coccimiglio, Randy Guzior, Dan Kissel (2)<o:p></o:p> Assists- Brian Keane (5)<o:p></o:p> Points- Brian Keane (6)<o:p></o:p> Plus/Minus- Sami Liimatainen (+4)<o:p></o:p> Penalty Minutes- Chris Clackson (26)<o:p></o:p> Power Play Goals- Nate Perkovich (1)<o:p></o:p> Shorthanded Goals- Chris Clackson (1)<o:p></o:p>  <o:p></o:p> Keane is tied for sixth in the league in assists…Clackson is tied for ninth in penalty minutes<o:p></o:p>  <o:p></o:p> GOALTENDERS<o:p></o:p> Cedar Rapids                GP            MIN            GAA            W-L-SOL      SO            SPCT   <o:p></o:p> Alex Stalock                  5            299            2.01            4-1-0                 0            .943<o:p></o:p> Pat McGann                  1            60            3.00            1-0-0                 0            .893<o:p></o:p>  <o:p></o:p> Stalock leads the league in goals against average, wins and save percentage, ranks third in total saves (165) and fourth in minutes played<o:p></o:p>                         <o:p></o:p> Chicago                       GP            MIN            GAA            W-L-SOL      SO            SPCT<o:p></o:p> Shaun Williams             6            365            3.62            2-3-1                 0            .901<o:p></o:p>  <o:p></o:p> Williams leads the league in total saves (200), ranks second in minutes played and ranks eighth in save percentage<o:p></o:p>  <o:p></o:p></DIV> <DIV class=Section4> WHO’S HOT<o:p></o:p> Cedar Rapids<o:p></o:p> Phil Axtell: five points (three goals, two assists) in his last three games<o:p></o:p> Jacob Cepis: five points (three goals, two assists) in his last two games…four game point scoring streak (4-3-7)<o:p></o:p> Chad Costello: five game assist streak (six assists) ended last Saturday<o:p></o:p> Ray Kaunisto: recorded his first three USHL points (one goal, two assists) last Saturday<o:p></o:p> Sergei Kolosov: +6 in his last four games<o:p></o:p> Ted Purcell: at least two points in three of his last four games…five game point scoring streak (4-5-9)<o:p></o:p> Al Stalock: three straight wins…two goals against in each of his last three games…two goals against or fewer in four of<o:p></o:p>             his first five games<o:p></o:p>  <o:p></o:p> Chicago<o:p></o:p> Brian Keane: four assists in his last four games<o:p></o:p> Shaun Williams: 78 saves in his last two games<o:p></o:p>  <o:p></o:p> WIN-LOSS <o:p></o:p> Cedar Rapids                            Chicago<o:p></o:p> Home: 2-0-0                              Home: 2-1-0<o:p></o:p> Away: 3-1-0                               Away: 0-2-1<o:p></o:p>  <o:p></o:p> vs. East Division: 2-1-0                vs. East Division: 1-1-0<o:p></o:p> vs. West Division: 3-0-0                vs. West Division: 1-2-1<o:p></o:p>  <o:p></o:p> GOALS<o:p></o:p> Cedar Rapids                            Chicago<o:p></o:p> Goals For: 4.5 (1)                    Goals For: 2.0 (11)<o:p></o:p> Goals Against: 2.3 (tied 1)            Goals Against: 3.8 (10)<o:p></o:p></DIV> <DIV class=Section5>  <o:p></o:p> SPECIAL TEAMS <o:p></o:p> Cedar Rapids                                        Chicago<o:p></o:p> Power Play:             24.4%  11/45  (1)            Power Play:     2.9%  1/35  (11)<o:p></o:p> Penalty Kill:             91.2%  3/34  (3)                        Penalty Kill:       80.9%  9/47  (8)<o:p></o:p>  <o:p></o:p> Shorthanded Goals For: 1                  Shorthanded Goals For: 1<o:p></o:p> Shorthanded Goals Against: 1                      Shorthanded Goals Against: 1<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> SERIES<o:p></o:p> vs. Chicago<o:p></o:p> 10/21/05            Cedar Rapids at Chicago                        3/1/06               Cedar Rapids at Chicago<o:p></o:p> 10/22/05            Chicago at Cedar Rapids             3/24/06             Chicago at Cedar Rapids<o:p></o:p> 1/14/06             Chicago at Cedar Rapids             3/25/06             Cedar Rapids at Chicago<o:p></o:p> 1/21/06             Chicago at Cedar Rapids<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            6-2-0                 12            2-2-0            4-0-0                 2-5-1                 5<o:p></o:p> All-Time                        32            21-9-2               44            11-5-0            10-4-2               11-19-2             24<o:p></o:p></DIV> <DIV class=Section6>  <o:p></o:p> Top Point Scorers/Season Series (2004-05)<o:p></o:p> Cedar Rapids                GP            G            A            PTS<o:p></o:p> Rob Ricci                      8            4            4            8<o:p></o:p> Ted Purcell                    7            3            5            8<o:p></o:p> (two players tied with seven points)<o:p></o:p>  <o:p></o:p>  <o:p></o:p> Chicago                       GP            G            A            PTS<o:p></o:p> David Marshall               7            3            2            5<o:p></o:p> Chris Clackson              8            3            2            5<o:p></o:p> Matt Clackson               8            2            3            5<o:p></o:p></DIV>  <o:p></o:p> Goaltenders/Season Series (2004-05)<o:p></o:p> Cedar Rapids                GP            MIN            GAA            W-L-SOL      SO            SPCT   <o:p></o:p> Dan Tormey                   4            242:27            1.73            4-0-0                 1            .949<o:p></o:p> Al Stalock                     4            239:07             2.26            2-2-0                 0            .909<o:p></o:p>  <o:p></o:p> Sioux City                    GP            MIN            GAA            W-L-SOL      SO            SPCT   <o:p></o:p> Shane Connelly             4            189:37            2.53            1-2-0                 0            .909<o:p></o:p> Billy Sauer                    5            290:16            3.72            1-3-1                 0            .894<o:p></o:p>  <o:p></o:p> COACHES<o:p></o:p> Cedar Rapids<o:p></o:p> Mark Carlson, 7th year (190-139-32)<o:p></o:p> Mark Carlson has been the RoughRiders’ coach since the team arrived in Cedar Rapids 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 wi