The Cedar Rapids RoughRiders (36-17-5, 77 points) enter the final weekend of the regular season one point behind the Waterloo Black Hawks both in the race for first place overall in the United States Hockey League and in the battle for the top spot in the USHL’s East Division.

The Riders will visit the Indiana Ice tomorrow evening before returning home to wrap up the regular season with a potentially decisive clash with Waterloo Saturday evening at 7:05.

The Riders are gunning for their second Anderson Cup (USHL regular season title) in three years and their third straight East Division title. The Riders are one of five teams separated by just four points entering the final weekend- Cedar Rapids is tied with the Omaha Lancers for second place overall, is two points ahead of the Lincoln Stars and is three points ahead of the Tri-City Storm.

While a host of scenarios could play out over the weekend, the RoughRiders do control their own destiny. If the Riders win both of their games this weekend, they guarantee themselves at least a share of both the Anderson Cup and East Division titles. If the Riders couple a win of any sort (regulation, overtime or shootout) tomorrow night in Indianapolis with a regulation victory over the Hawks Saturday evening, Cedar Rapids will lock up sole possession of the East Division crown. If the Riders pick up fewer than four points this weekend, they would still have a chance to claim the top spot both in the league and in the East Division, but would be dependent on other results going their way.

The Black Hawks (37-17-4, 78 points) will host the Green Gamblers tomorrow night before heading south to meet the Riders Saturday evening. The Black Hawks moved into sole possession of the top spot in the league by picking up one point for a 4-3 shootout loss to Lincoln Tuesday night.

Omaha (36-17-5, 77 points) will close out the regular season with a pair of home games. The Lancers host Sioux City tomorrow night and Lincoln Saturday night. The Stars finish with back-to-back road games. Lincoln (36-19-3, 75 points) will visit Sioux Falls tomorrow evening before traveling to Council Bluffs one night later.

The Storm (34-18-16, 74 points) also finishes with two on the road. Tri-City visits Des Moines tomorrow night and Sioux Falls Saturday evening.

If the Riders and Black Hawks finish tied for first place in the East Division- which would happen only if the two teams came away from their games on Friday night with identical results and if the Riders then defeated the Black Hawks in overtime or a shootout Saturday evening (a result which would earn the Riders two points and the Hawks one)- the Black Hawks would win the tie breaker (most points in head-to-head meetings) and would be the top playoff seed in the division, while the Riders would be consigned to the second seed.

If the RoughRiders finish first in the division they will face the sixth place Chicago Steel in the best-of-seven opening round of the playoffs. Should the Riders finish second, they will meet the fifth place Ohio Junior Blue Jackets in round one. Cedar Rapids will have home ice advantage in the first round. Both potential schedules for the RoughRiders’ first round playoff series are included below.

Tickets for RoughRiders first round Clark Cup playoff games go on sale beginning at noon today at the Cedar Rapids Ice Arena ticket office. Playoff tickets are available for purchase over the phone at (319) 261-4625, in person at the ice arena and 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. Playoff ticket prices range from $8 to $18.

The first round will open next Tuesday if the RoughRiders face Ohio and will begin next Thursday if the Riders meet Chicago. The opening round will end no later than Saturday, April 28. Because the RoughRiders’ opening round playoff schedule and opponent will only be finalized after either the Riders’ game at Indiana this Friday or this Saturday’s regular season finale against Waterloo, playoff tickets will be designated as good for “game A”, “game B”, etc. Tickets to the Riders’ first four playoff games are already included in season ticket holders’ packages.

To further raise the stakes for the Riders’ regular season finale, the i wireless Corridor Cup- the trophy awarded to the winner of the Cedar Rapids-Waterloo regular season series- is also still up for grabs entering Saturday night’s game.

The Hawks have the edge in the season series entering Saturday evening’s contest, having won four of the first seven meetings between the two teams and earned eight points to the Riders’ six. Should the Riders win in regulation Saturday to even the season series, Cedar Rapids would win the tie breaker by virtue of having outscored the Black Hawks in head-to-head meetings this year and would maintain possession of the Corridor Cup for a third straight year. If the Black Hawks win Saturday or lose in overtime or a shootout, they will take the cup back to Waterloo.

RoughRiders’ Potential First Round Playoff Schedules RoughRiders vs. Chicago Steel (if RoughRiders finish first in East Division) Game One: Chicago @ Cedar Rapids, Thursday, April 19, 7:05PM Game Two: Chicago @ Cedar Rapids, Saturday, April 21, 7:05PM Game Three: Cedar Rapids @ Chicago, Sunday, April 22, 7:35PM Game Four: Cedar Rapids @ Chicago, Tuesday, April 24, 7:35PM Game Five: Chicago @ Cedar Rapids, Wednesday, April 25, 7:05PM (if necessary) Game Six: Cedar Rapids @ Chicago, Friday, April 27, 7:35PM (if necessary) Game Seven: Chicago @ Cedar Rapids, Saturday, April 28, 7:05PM (if necessary) RoughRiders vs. Ohio Junior Blue Jackets* (if RoughRiders finish second in East Division) Game One: Cedar Rapids @ Ohio, Tuesday, April 17, 6:05PM Game Two: Cedar Rapids @ Ohio, Wednesday, April 18, 6:05PM Game Three: Ohio @ Cedar Rapids, Friday, April 20, 7:05PM Game Four: Ohio @ Cedar Rapids, Saturday, April 21, 7:05PM Game Five: Ohio @ Cedar Rapids, Monday, April 23, 7:05PM (if necessary) Game Six: Cedar Rapids @ Ohio, Wednesday, April 25, 6:05PM (if necessary) Game Seven: Ohio @ Cedar Rapids, Saturday, April 28, 7:05PM (if necessary) *- Ohio home games would be played at Dispatch Ice Haus