THIS WEEK
Wednesday, March 14, 7:05PM @ Cedar Rapids Ice Arena
Sioux City Musketeers vs. Cedar Rapids RoughRiders
Friday, March 16, 7:05PM @ Mid-America Center, Council Bluffs
Cedar Rapids RoughRiders vs. Omaha Lancers
Saturday, March 17, 7:05PM @ Cedar Rapids Ice Arena
Ohio Junior Blue Jackets vs. Cedar Rapids RoughRiders
RECORDS
Cedar Rapids
29-15-3, 61 points, tied 1st place East Division
Sioux City
28-15-3, 59 points, tied 3rd place West Division
Omaha
30-13-4, 64 points, 1st place West Division
Ohio
9-33-7, 25 points, 5th place East Division
COMING IN
The RoughRiders swept two games from the Sioux Falls Stampede last weekend. The Riders won 4-2 last Friday and 5-1 last Saturday.
The Riders have now moved into a tie for first place in the United States Hockey League’s East Division with the Waterloo Black Hawks. The Black Hawks dropped a pair of games at Lincoln last weekend. Waterloo does have one game in hand on Cedar Rapids.
The Riders are the second highest scoring team in the USHL. Cedar Rapids averages four goals per game.
The Riders’ Jacob Cepis (30-31-61) is within one of the RoughRiders’ single season goal scoring record. He is the only player in the league to have reached the 30-goal plateau this season. Cepis is also tied for third in the league in points.
Aaron Bogosian scored his fourth shorthanded goal of the season last Friday against Sioux Falls to set a new team record.
The Riders have killed off 38 of their opponents’ last 41 power plays.
This Friday’s game was to have been the finale of the regular season series between the Riders and Lancers, but bad weather forced the postponement of the scheduled March 2 game between the two teams until March 27.
The Musketeers were swept in Green Bay last weekend. Sioux City lost 3-2 last Friday and fell 5-3 last Saturday. Sioux City had won six of seven games prior to lask weekend.
The Musketeers are tied with Tri-City for third place in the West Division, two points behind second place Lincoln and five points behind first place Omaha. The Musketeers have a game in hand on each of Omaha, Lincoln and Tri-City.
The Musketeers have gone 8-10-3 in their last 21 games after going 20-5-0 over their first 25 outings.
The Musketeers rank third in the league in both goals scored (3.7 per game) and goals allowed (2.9 per game).
Sioux City is tied for second in the league in the penalty kill, having survived 85.3 percent of opponents’ power plays this season.
The Musketeers’ Phil DeSimone (20-41-61) is tied for third in the league in assists and points. Along with Max Pacioretty (19-31-50), Blake Martin (22-25-47) and Dustin Gazely (21-22-43), DeSimone is one of four Musketeers who have topped 20 goals and/or 50 points this season.
Sioux City goaltender Jerry Kuhn leads the league in save percentage (.926), is tied for second in shutouts (3) and is tied for third in wins (19).
The Lancers have gone unbeaten in regulation their last 16 games (14-0-2) to streak to the top of the league. The Lancers swept the Ice at Indiana last weekend. Omaha claimed a 7-3 victory last Friday and pocketed a 3-1 win last Saturday.
The Lancers have gone 21-2-2 in their last 25 games after going 9-11-2 in their first 22 outings.
The start of Omaha’s turnaround coincided with the December 10 acquisition of goaltender Drew Palmisano from the Ohio Junior Blue Jackets. Since joining the Lancers, Palmisano has gone 16-2-1 with a 2.34 goals against average and a .924 save percentage.
Michal Valent, the Lancers’ other goaltender, has gone unbeaten in regulation (5-0-1) since joining Omaha in January.
Mark Olver (23-27-50) is far and away the Lancers’ top point producer.
The Blue Jackets split a pair of home gamees with the Des Moines Buccaneers over the weekend. Ohio spanked the Buccaneers 6-0 last Saturday before the Bucs bounced back to whitewash the Blue Jackets 2-0 last night.
Last night’s loss came on the heels of what was just the Blue Jackets’ second set of back-to-back wins this season. Ohio downed Tri-City 2-1 on Saturday, March 4 before tacking on the win over the Bucs seven days later.
Over their last ten games, the Blue Jackets have gone 5-5-0 to climb out of the league basement.
The Blue Jackets head into a weekend trip that will start with a game in Waterloo Friday night having picked up a league-low three road wins all season.
The Blue Jackets are the only team in the league that scores fewer than two goals per game (1.9) and are one of just two clubs that allow four or more per contest (4.0).
The Ohio attack has not been much livelier on the power play. The Blue Jackets rank last in the league on the man advantage (9.7 percent).
Tim Hall (14-10-24) leads the Blue Jackets in goals and points.
Goaltender Corson Cramer has given up just nine goals in six games since joining Ohio last month.
LAST WEEK
Cedar Rapids
Friday, March 9: Cedar Rapids 4 Sioux Falls 2
Kent Patterson made 45 saves and Tommy Wingels snapped a 2-2 tie with a second period power play goal. Tyler Thompson, Danny Dries and Aaron Bogosian (empty net) also scored for the Riders.
Saturday, March 10: Cedar Rapids 5 Sioux Falls 1
Kent Patterson made 46 saves and Tyler Thompson scored twice for the Riders. The Riders took control of game thanks to second period goals from Brett Dickinson, Mike Seidel and Aaron Bogosian.
Sioux City
Friday, March 9: Green Bay 3 Sioux City 2
The Musketeers surrendered three goals in a decisive ten minute span in the second and third periods. Eddie Olczyk and Travis Oleksuk scored for Sioux City.
Saturday, March 10: Green Bay 5 Sioux City 3
The Musketeers played catch up after falling behind 2-0, but despite goals from Max Pacioretty, Phil DeSimone and Joe Sova, still fell to Green Bay.
Omaha
Friday, March 9: Omaha 7 Indiana 3
Barry Almeida and Andrew Conboy scored two goals apiece to lead the Omaha attack.
Saturday, March 10: Omaha 3 Indiana 1
Andrew Conboy scored two goals- including the game winner- and Patrick Schafer provided the other for Omaha while Drew Palmisano stopped 37 Indiana shots.
Ohio
Saturday, March 10: Ohio 6 Des Moines 0
The Blue Jackets broke the game open with four second period goals and got a 36-save effort from goaltender Corson Cramer.
Sunday, March 11: Des Moines 2 Ohio 0
The Blue Jackets could not bounce back after surrendering a pair of second period goals.
COACHES
Cedar Rapids
Mark Carlson, 8th year (246-175-40)
Mark Carlson has been the RoughRiders’ coach since the team arrived in Cedar Rapids in 1999. In 2005-06 he led the Riders to their second straight East Division title.
He has also piloted the Riders to six straight winning seasons and six straight Clark Cup playoff berths. The Riders are one of just two USHL teams to have reached the postseason each of the last six years.
The Riders are the only team to have advanced at least as far as the Clark Cup semi-finals/East Division finals each of the last two springs and four of the last five years. On December 3, 2005 Carlson picked up his two hundredth career coaching win as the Riders defeated Omaha 2-1 in a shootout. Carlson’s RoughRiders went 218-159-38 in his first seven seasons with the club.
The high point of his tenure was leading 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 in 2004-05. The Riders went 42-13-5 during the regular season- the best record in club history- and swept through the first two rounds of the playoffs before defeating Sioux City three games to two in the finals. For his efforts, Carlson was named the 2004-05 USHL Coach of the Year.
Carlson, a native of Lawrenceville, New Jersey, is a graduate of the University of Massachusetts-Lowell where he earned a B.S. in Business Administration and Marketing. Also while at Lowell, Carlson skated in the highly competitive Hockey East conference as a forward on the River Hawks’ hockey team. His on-ice talent was recognized even before he arrived in Lowell when he was taken in the 1987 National Hockey League draft by the Pittsburgh Penguins.
After graduating from UML, Carlson spent one season as an assistant coach at Lawrenceville School before returning to Lowell to serve as an assistant to head coach Bruce Crowder. After helping the River Hawks to a berth in the 1996 NCAA tournament, Carlson spent another three seasons beside Crowder as an assistant at Northeastern University in Boston, where he also acted as recruiting coordinator. He earned a master’s degree in education from N.U.
During his time at N.U. Carlson also acted as recruiting coordinator. Among those he recruited for the Huskies were Jim Fahey, who now skates for the National Hockey League’s San Jose Sharks, and Mike Ryan, who would later be the top draft pick of the NHL’s Dallas Stars.
Sioux City
Dave Siciliano, 14th year (484-206-49); 7th year Sioux City (235-129-39)
Dave Siciliano is the second winningest coach in USHL history. The Musketeers finished with a winning record in each of his first six seasons with the club. He has twice piloted the Muskies to the Clark Cup finals, falling to the Riders in 2005 and winning the title in 2002.
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 Thunder Bay native was named USHL Coach of the Year in 1987, 1989 and 1991.
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.
Omaha
Mike Hastings, 13th year (478-187-47)
Mike Hastings is third all-time among USHL coaches in career wins. Hastings earned his four hundredth career USHL coaching win on January 29, 2005 when the Lancers defeated the Sioux City Musketeers 3-2 in a shootout.
Hastings steered the Lancers to the Clark Cup (playoff) championship in both 1997-98 and 2000-01 and to the Anderson Cup (regular season) title in 2001-02 and a share of the Anderson Cup (along with the RoughRiders) last season. He was named both USHL Coach of the Year and General Manager of the Year in 1996-97 and 2001-02. Hastings has posted a remarkable .701 career winning percentage. None of his Lancer teams has ever finished a season fewer than 14 games above .500.
Hastings served as an assistant coach for Team USA at the 2003 and 2005 World Junior Championships.
Hastings played college hockey at St. Cloud State after a standout USHL career with the Austin Mavericks and Rochester Mustangs. Prior to that, he skated for Minnesota’s Crookston High School.
Ohio
Jack Fritsche, 1st year (9-34-7)
Jack Fritsche became the first head coach of the Ohio Junior Blue Jackets in June after spending one season as coach of the Cleveland Barons of the junior A North American Hockey League. He led the Barons to a 35-19-4 record and an NAHL North Division playoff title last year.
Prior to taking over behind the Barons’ bench, Fritsche was associate head coach of Ambri-Piotta in the Swiss Nationalliga. He also served as coach of the Ambri-Piotta junior team.
Fritsche enjoyed a lengthy playing career, spending much of it in Switzerland, where he skated for Zug, Lugano and Ambri-Piotta. He also played for the Moncton Hawks- then the American Hockey League affiliate of the Winnipeg Jets- in 1993-94. Fritsche represented the United States at the 1990 World Hockey Championships.
Fritsche is the uncle of Columbus Blue Jackets forward Dan Fritsche and Ohio State forward (and Colorado Avalanche draft pick) Tom Fritsche.
HISTORY
Jacob Cepis is now within one of the RoughRiders goal scoring record. Cepis scored his thirtieth goal of the season on February 24 in Sioux City. Chad Costello set the club record with 31 goals last season.
Aaron Bogosian scored his fourth shorthanded goal of the season last Friday against Sioux Falls to break the team record originally set by Brandon Svendsen. Svendsen scored three times while shorthanded in 2004-05.
Robin Bergman has scored 13 power play goals this season- one shy of the team record set by Phil Axtell, who scored 14 on the power play last season.
Last season was the Riders’ third straight 30-win campaign and also the fifth time in the last six years that the Riders have picked up at least 30 victories.
The Riders went 42-13-5 on the road over the last two seasons combined. The Riders’ road record was superior to their home record both last season season and in 2004-05.
The Riders are, along with the Omaha Lancers, one of just two teams who have reached the playoffs each of the last six years. As all 12 USHL teams will qualify for the postseason this year, that streak will be stretch to seven consecutive playoff berths in April.
The Riders are the only USHL team to advance at least as far as the division finals each of the last two years. Furthermore, Cedar Rapids is also the only team to reach the league’s final four in four of the last five years. Only one team (Sioux City) has even reached the second round three times in the last five years.
Sioux City’s 2002 Clark Cup title was the third in club history. The Musketeers won the Anderson and Clark Cups in both 1982 and 1986.
The Lancers have won the Clark Cup (playoff) championship a USHL record six times (1990, 1991, 1993, 1994, 1998 and 2001). The Lancers shared the Anderson Cup with the RoughRiders in 2004-05, marking the fourth time Omaha has taken the regular season title (1990, 1993, 2002 and 2005).
The expansion Blue Jackets won the first regular season game in team history, defeating the Waterloo Black Hawks 3-2 in overtime on October 7.
COLLEGE COMMITMENTS
Cedar Rapids (12)
Richard Bachman (Colorado College), Robin Bergman (Notre Dame), David Boehm (Massachusetts), Aaron Bogosian (St. Lawrence), Rob Bordson (Minnesota-Duluth), Jacob Cepis (Bowling Green), Brett Dickinson (Quinnipiac), Evan Stephens (Dartmouth), Matt Tomassoni (Miami of Ohio), Kevin Wehrs (Minnesota), Scott Wietecha (Ferris State), Tommy Wingels (Miami of Ohio)
Sioux City (10)
Mike Beck (New Hampshire), Phil DeSimone (New Hampshire), Dustin Gazley (Michigan State), Jerry Kuhn (Western Michigan), Kevin Lohry (Princeton), Blake Martin (Nebraska-Omaha), Kyle Medvec (Vermont), Travis Oleksuk (Minnesota-Duluth), Max Pacioretty (Michigan), Andrew Rowe (Michigan State)
Omaha (15)
Barry Almeida (Boston College), Brett Bruneteau (North Dakota), Andrew Conboy (Nebraska-Omaha), Robby Dee (Maine), Jack Downing (Vermont), Chris Hepp (St. Cloud State), Nick Larson (Minnesota), Jake Marto (North Dakota), Travis Novak (St. Cloud State), Will O’Neill (New Hampshire), Mark Olver (Northern Michigan), Nick Petrecki (Boston College), Patrick Schafer (Ohio State), Matt Thurber (Wisconsin), Corey Toy (Ohio State)
Ohio (4)
Charles Brockett (Yale), Danny Hobbs (Massachusetts), Danny Markowitz (Dartmouth), Chris Reed (Ohio State)
NHL DRAFT PICKS
Cedar Rapids Year Round Overall Team
Sergei Kolosov 2004 5th 151 Detroit
Richard Bachman 2006 4th 120 Dallas
Sioux City Year Round Overall Team
Kyle Medvec 2006 4th 102 Minnesota
UPCOMING EVENTS
Fans will be able to take advantage of “Buck-a-Cup” drink specials Wednesday night when the RoughRiders take on the Sioux City Musketeers at the Cedar Rapids Ice Arena. $1 beer and slushies will be available during the game.
On Saturday night fans can celebrate St. Patrick’s Day by taking to the ice to skate with the RoughRiders’ following the game between the Riders and Sioux City. Fans will also be treated to a fireworks display outside the arena after the game.
COMMUNITY
RoughRiders players will visit Polk Elementary School Thursday morning at 11:15.
TICKETS
The RoughRiders are again this season offering the Flex Plan, which enables fans to purchase books of ten ticket vouchers that can be redeemed in any quantity for any regular season home game during normal box office hours. Fans who purchase the flex plan receive a significant discount ($21 off game day ticket prices) by investing in bulk tickets and can still enjoy the games of their choice in the seats they want.
Single game tickets are now on sale. Tickets can be purchased in person at the Cedar Rapids Ice Arena ticket office, over the phone at (319) 261-4625 or on line 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/ON LINE
RoughRiders regular season and playoff games are broadcast on AM-1360 The Fan in Cedar Rapids. Courtesy of B2 Networks, free audio webcasts of Riders games will also be available at www.roughridershockey.com. Brian Lavelle provides play-by-play.
The RoughRiders and B2 have also teamed up to 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 watch and listen to the game. 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.
The RoughRiders Coach’s Show with Mark Carlson airs Wednesday nights at 6:00 live from Union Station on 16th Avenue SW in Cedar Rapids on AM-1360 The Fan. There will be no coach’s show this week because of the Riders’ game against the Indiana Ice Wednesday evening. The coach’s show will return on Wednesday evening, February 28.
Real time updates of all USHL games are available on line at www.pointstreak.com/prostats.