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Weekly Update: March 27, 2006

Weekly Update: March 27, 2006

<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:place w:st="on"><st1:City w:st="on">Cedar Rapids</st1:City></st1:place> 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> March 27, 2006<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:City w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Cedar Rapids</st1:place></st1:City> @ Indiana, Tuesday, March 28, 6:05PM<o:p></o:p> Game 2: <st1:State w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Indiana</st1:place></st1:State> @ Cedar Rapids, Friday, March 31, 7:05PM<o:p></o:p> Game 3: <st1:place w:st="on"><st1:State w:st="on">Indiana</st1:State></st1:place> @ Cedar Rapids, Saturday, April 1, 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 6, 6:05PM (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 8, 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> 33-21-6, 72 points, tied 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> 25-29-6; 56 points, 4th place East Division<o:p></o:p> <o:p> </o:p> COMING IN<o:p></o:p>             The RoughRiders enter the Clark Cup playoffs on the heels of their second straight East Division title.  The Riders finished tied for first in the division with the Des Moines Buccaneers.  The Riders earned the top seed in the east for the post-season by virtue of having won their regular season series with <st1:City w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Des Moines</st1:place></st1:City>.  As a result, the Riders have home ice advantage for the first and- should they advance- second round of the playoffs.<o:p></o:p> The Riders went 1-2 in the final week of the regular season.  The Riders fell to <st1:place w:st="on"><st1:City w:st="on">Sioux Falls</st1:City></st1:place> 5-2 last Tuesday and split a weekend home-and-home series with the Chicago Steel.  The Riders shut out the Steel 3-0 last Friday in <st1:place w:st="on"><st1:City w:st="on">Cedar Rapids</st1:City></st1:place>.  The Riders clinched a share of the division title and the top East Division playoff seed with that win.  <st1:City w:st="on">Chicago</st1:City> bounced back with a 3-2 win one night later in <st1:place w:st="on"><st1:City w:st="on">Bensenville</st1:City>, <st1:State w:st="on">Illinois</st1:State></st1:place>.<o:p></o:p> Rider goaltender Al Stalock made 42 saves last Friday to pick up the shutout in his final regular season appearance.  Stalock finished the campaign as the league leader in wins (28), save percentage (.931) and saves (1511).  He also set new Rider records for most wins and saves in a season.<o:p></o:p>             Rider forward Chad Costello (30-45-75) finished tied for the league point scoring title with <st1:City w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Des Moines</st1:place></st1:City>’ Trevor Lewis.  Costello also ranked third in assists and was tied for third in goals.<o:p></o:p>             Ted Purcell (18-52-70) led the league in assists and finished tied for third in points.<o:p></o:p>             Special teams may prove crucial in the opening round match-up between the Riders and Ice, as the series will feature the top two power play units in the USHL.  <st1:State w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Indiana</st1:place></st1:State> led the league in power play efficiency (21.3 percent), while the Riders ranked second (20.2 percent).  The Ice was especially potent on the man advantage on home ice, converting on one quarter of its opportunities at Pepsi Coliseum.  The Riders, meanwhile, had the best road power play in the league (21.1 percent).<o:p></o:p>             The Riders will open round one on the road despite being the higher seed because the grounds of the Indiana State Fair- where the Ice’s home rink, Pepsi Coliseum, is located- will be taken over by the Hoosier Horse Fair and Expo later this week.  <o:p></o:p>             The Riders and Ice also met in the opening round last spring.  <st1:City w:st="on">Cedar Rapids</st1:City> defeated <st1:place w:st="on"><st1:State w:st="on">Indiana</st1:State></st1:place> three games to none and went on to win the Clark Cup title.<o:p></o:p>             In fact, this is the third straight year the Riders have squared off with the Indiana/Danville organization in round one.  The Danville Wings eliminated <st1:City w:st="on">Cedar Rapids</st1:City> three games to one in the spring of 2004 before moving to <st1:State w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Indiana</st1:place></st1:State> following that season.<o:p></o:p>             This marks the Riders’ sixth straight trip to the playoffs.  They are, along with the Omaha Lancers, one of just two teams who have reached the post-season each of the last half dozen years.<o:p></o:p>             The Ice outlasted the Waterloo Black Hawks to claim the fourth and final East Division playoff spot.  The Ice played its final three regular season games on the road, starting with a crucial 2-1 overtime win over <st1:City w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Chicago</st1:place></st1:City> last Tuesday.  <st1:State w:st="on">Indiana</st1:State> clinched a post-season berth last Friday- in its second to last regular season game- by earning one point for a 3-2 overtime loss at <st1:City w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Sioux City</st1:place></st1:City>.  The Ice suffered a meaningless 8-5 loss to the Musketeers in last Saturday’s regular season finale <o:p></o:p>             Jack Bowkus piloted the Ice into the playoffs after taking the head coaching reins from Dean Grillo on January 25.  The Ice went 12-11-1 under Bowkus after posting a 13-18-5 record under Grillo.<o:p></o:p>             The Ice enters round one without leading goal scorer Garrett Roe (21-32-52).  Roe missed <st1:place w:st="on"><st1:State w:st="on">Indiana</st1:State></st1:place>’s final six regular season games after suffering an ankle injury in a March 14 loss to the Riders.<o:p></o:p>             John Kemp (7-48-55) was <st1:State w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Indiana</st1:place></st1:State>’s top regular season point scorer.  Kemp finished second in the league in assists.<o:p></o:p>             Eddie Del Grosso (19-29-48) led USHL defenseman in goals, ranked third in points and finished fourth in assists.<o:p></o:p>             Todd McIlrath boosted the <st1:State w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Indiana</st1:place></st1:State> attack when he returned from a long-term knee injury midway through the season.  McIlrath scored 20 goals and totaled 32 points in just 33 games this season.  He was especially valuable during the Ice’s late playoff push, scoring six goals in <st1:State w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Indiana</st1:place></st1:State>’s last five games and notching ten during the last eleven games of the campaign.<o:p></o:p>             Steve Jakiel established himself as <st1:place w:st="on"><st1:State w:st="on">Indiana</st1:State></st1:place>’s number one goaltender after coming over to the Ice in a January trade with the Lincoln Stars.  Jakiel was unbeaten in regulation (3-0-1) in his final four starts and went 8-1-1 over his last 11 starts.<o:p></o:p>             Notwithstanding Jakiel’s stalwart work down the stretch, <st1:State w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Indiana</st1:place></st1:State> gave up the second most goals in the league.  The Ice allowed more goals- 224, for an average of 3.7 per game- than any other playoff team.  <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> Tuesday, March 21: Sioux Falls 5  Cedar Rapids 2<o:p></o:p> David Strathman and Jordan Pietrus provided the <st1:City w:st="on">Cedar Rapids</st1:City> goals as the Riders fell despite out shooting <st1:City w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Sioux Falls</st1:place></st1:City> 36-28.<o:p></o:p> <o:p> </o:p> Friday, March 24: <st1:City w:st="on">Cedar Rapids</st1:City> 3  <st1:place w:st="on"><st1:City w:st="on">Chicago</st1:City></st1:place> 0<o:p></o:p> Al Stalock made 42 saves to blank the Steel.  Dustin Cloutier scored shorthanded to give the Riders a first period lead and third period goals from Brett Dickinson and Kevin Wehrs finished off <st1:City w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Chicago</st1:place></st1:City>.<o:p></o:p> <o:p> </o:p> Saturday, March 11: <st1:City w:st="on">Chicago</st1:City> 3  <st1:place w:st="on"><st1:City w:st="on">Cedar Rapids</st1:City></st1:place> 2<o:p></o:p> The Riders were unable to hold a 2-1 third period lead.  Second period goals from Ian Slater and Jacob Cepis staked <st1:City w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Cedar Rapids</st1:place></st1:City> to the advantage.  Pat McGann made 32 saves while taking the loss in goal.<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> Tuesday, March 21: <st1:State w:st="on">Indiana</st1:State> 2  <st1:place w:st="on"><st1:City w:st="on">Chicago</st1:City></st1:place> 1 (OT) <o:p></o:p> Todd McIlrath’s power play goal 31 seconds into overtime gave the Ice the win.  <st1:State w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Indiana</st1:place></st1:State> led 1-0 until the Steel’s Chris Clackson scored on a penalty shot to tie the game with just 43 seconds left in regulation.  The Ice first took the lead on Ron Cramer’s goal at 19:35 of the second period.<o:p></o:p>                                                                    <o:p></o:p> Friday, March 24: <st1:City w:st="on">Sioux City</st1:City> 3  <st1:place w:st="on"><st1:State w:st="on">Indiana</st1:State></st1:place> 2 (OT)<o:p></o:p> <st1:City w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Sioux City</st1:place></st1:City>’s Chris Miniella scored the game winner at 3:47 of overtime after the Musketeers rallied from a 2-0 deficit to tie the game with a pair of goals in the final of the minute and a half of regulation.  Eddie Del Grosso and Mike Hull scored the <st1:State w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Indiana</st1:place></st1:State> goals.  Steve Jakiel stopped 38 <st1:City w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Sioux City</st1:place></st1:City> shots to help the Ice to one point.<o:p></o:p>                                                                              <o:p></o:p> Saturday, March 25: <st1:City w:st="on">Sioux City</st1:City> 8  <st1:place w:st="on"><st1:State w:st="on">Indiana</st1:State></st1:place> 5<o:p></o:p> The Ice never quite recovered after falling behind 3-0 less than midway through the first period.  <st1:State w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Indiana</st1:place></st1:State> would later close the gap to 4-3 in the second period and 6-5 in the third, but could not produce a tying goal.  Todd McIlrath led the <st1:State w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Indiana</st1:place></st1:State> attack with two goals and one assist.<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> <st1:country-region w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Chad</st1:place></st1:country-region> Costello               59         30         45         75<o:p></o:p> Ted Purcell                    55         18         52         70<o:p></o:p> Nik Sellers                     59         15         26         41<o:p></o:p> Phil Axtell                     47         22         15         37<o:p></o:p> David Strathman           58         13         19         32<o:p></o:p> <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> Garrett Roe                   48         21         32         53<o:p></o:p> John Kemp                   45         7          40         47<o:p></o:p> Eddie Del Grosso         50         18         26         44<o:p></o:p> Jay Sprague                 49         16         14         30<o:p></o:p> Brian Gifford                 50         12         13         25<o:p></o:p></DIV> <DIV class=Section3> 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> <st1:place w:st="on"><st1:City w:st="on">Goals-</st1:City> <st1:country-region w:st="on">Chad</st1:country-region></st1:place> Costello (30)<o:p></o:p> Assists- Ted Purcell (52)<o:p></o:p> Points- Chad Costello (75)<o:p></o:p> Plus/Minus- Sergei Kolosov (+9)<o:p></o:p> Penalty Minutes- Phil Axtell (192)<o:p></o:p> Power Play Goals- Phil Axtell (14)<o:p></o:p> Shorthanded Goals- Gary Steffes, Ray Kaunisto (2)<o:p></o:p> <o:p> </o:p> Costello finished tied for the league lead in points, third in assists, tied for third in goals and tied for fifth in power play goals (12)…Purcell led the league in assists and finished fourth in point scoring (70) …Axtell finished second in power play goals and in penalty minutes…David Strathman finished tied for tenth in power play goals (10) and, among defensemen, ranked fourth in goals (13), ranked fiffth in points (32) and was tied for ninth in assists (19)<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- Garrett Roe (21)<o:p></o:p> Assists- John Kemp (48)<o:p></o:p> Points- John Kemp (55)<o:p></o:p> Plus/Minus- Todd McIlrath, Garrett Roe, Ryan Scott (-2)<o:p></o:p> Penalty Minutes- Ryan Scott (111)<o:p></o:p> Power Play Goals- Eddie Del Grosso (12)<o:p></o:p> Shorthanded Goals- Eddie DeGrosso, Mike Hull, Jay Sprague (2)<o:p></o:p> <o:p> </o:p> Kemp ranked second in assists…Del Grosso finished tied for sixth in power play goals and, among defensemen, led the league in goals, ranked third in points and ranked fourth in assists…McIlrath was tied for ninth in power play goals (11)…Eric Olimb was tied for ninth among defensemen in goals (8)<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> Alex Stalock                  44         2641:21 2.54      28-13-3             4          .931<o:p></o:p> Pat McGann                  17         998:14              2.95      5-8-3                 1          .910<o:p></o:p> <o:p> </o:p> Stalock led the league in wins, save percentage and saves (1511), ranked second in minutes played, was tied for third in shutouts and ranked sixth in goals against average<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> Cody Reichard              35         1874:46 3.84      12-18-2             2          .875 <o:p></o:p></DIV> <DIV class=Section4> Steve Jakiel                  21         1069:52 2.75      11-5-2               2          .910<o:p></o:p>   (TOTALS)                    39         2151:28 3.07      21-11-4             2          .898<o:p></o:p> <o:p> </o:p> Jakiel was tied for seventh in wins and ranked seventh minutes played<o:p></o:p> <o:p> </o:p> 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> <st1:country-region w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Chad</st1:place></st1:country-region> Costello: 24 points (ten goals, 14 assists) in his last 19 games<o:p></o:p> Ted Purcell: 27 points (six goals, 21 assists) in his last 22 games<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> John Kemp: 12 assists in his last nine games…19 points (one goal, 18 assists) in his last 14 games<o:p></o:p> Todd McIlrath: five game point scoring streak (6-2-8)…16 points (ten goals, six assists) in his last 11 games<o:p></o:p> Steve Jakiel: unbeaten in regulation in his last four starts (3-0-1)…8-1-1 in his last 11 starts<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: 15-13-2               Home: 14-14-2               <o:p></o:p> Away: 18-8-4                 Away: 11-15-4   <o:p></o:p>             <o:p></o:p> vs. East: 23-11-1           vs. East: 13-20-2                                               <o:p></o:p> vs. West: 10-10-5          vs. West: 12-9-4                        <o:p></o:p> <o:p> </o:p> GOALS<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: 3.27 (3)         Goals For: 3.10 (6)                     <o:p></o:p> Goals Against: 2.83 (3)   Goals Against: 3.73 (10) <o:p></o:p></DIV> <DIV class=Section5> <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:       20.2  66/326  (2)            Power Play:       21.3  73/342  (1)<o:p></o:p> Penalty Kill:       84.7  42/274  (5)            Penalty Kill:       82.0  58/323  (7)<o:p></o:p> <o:p> </o:p> Shorthanded Goals For: 7                       Shorthanded Goals For: 11<o:p></o:p> Shorthanded Goals Against:14                Shorthanded Goals Against: 9<o:p></o:p> <o:p> </o:p> SERIES<o:p></o:p> vs. <st1:place w:st="on"><st1:State w:st="on">Indiana</st1:State></st1:place><o:p></o:p> 11/15/05            <st1:City w:st="on">Cedar Rapids</st1:City> 6 at <st1:State w:st="on">Indiana</st1:State> 4                   2/24/06             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> 2<o:p></o:p> 12/10/05            <st1:State w:st="on">Indiana</st1:State> 3 at <st1:City w:st="on">Cedar Rapids</st1:City> 0                   3/7/06               <st1:State w:st="on">Indiana</st1:State> 3 at <st1:place w:st="on"><st1:City w:st="on">Cedar Rapids</st1:City></st1:place> 5<o:p></o:p> 12/17/05            <st1:City w:st="on">Cedar Rapids</st1:City> 7 at <st1:State w:st="on">Indiana</st1:State> 3                   3/14/06             <st1:City w:st="on">Cedar Rapids</st1:City> 4 at <st1:State w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Indiana</st1:place></st1:State> 2<o:p></o:p> 1/28/06             <st1:State w:st="on">Indiana</st1:State> 4 at <st1:place w:st="on"><st1:City w:st="on">Cedar Rapids</st1:City></st1:place> 1<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             7          5-2-0                 10         2-2-0     3-0-0                 2-5-0                 6<o:p></o:p> All-Time                        15         13-2-0               26         6-2-0     7-0-0                 2-12-1               5<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></DIV> <DIV class=Section6> <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                    7          6          7          13<o:p></o:p> <st1:country-region w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Chad</st1:place></st1:country-region> Costello               7          2          7          9<o:p></o:p> Ray Kaunisto                7          4          3          7<o:p></o:p> <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> Jay Sprague                 7          2          4          6<o:p></o:p> (three players tied with five points)<o:p></o:p>                                     <o:p></o:p></DIV> 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> Alex Stalock                  6          358:38  2.68      4-2-0                 0          .926<o:p></o:p> Pat McGann                  1          60:00    4.00      1-0-0                 0          .882<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> Cody Reichard              7          374:39  3.04      2-4-0                 1          .911<o:p></o:p> Steve Jakiel                  1          22:13    8.10      0-1-0                 0          .700<o:p></o:p> Jay Clark                   &nbsp