The host RoughRiders scored three unanswered third period goals and Kent Patterson made 19 saves to earn the win in his first appearance of the season as the Riders defeated the Sioux Falls Stampede 5-2 Friday night.

After Sioux Falls’ Jack Connelly tipped in his second goal to tie the game at two at 6:16 of the third, the Riders bounced right back to retake the lead for good just over a minute later. Ian Slater made it 3-2 by converting a Tyler Thompson centering pass at 7:26. At 16:10 of the third Thompson would score an insurance goal himself, firing the puck in under the cross bar from the high slot.

Matt Tomassoni capped off the Rider win by scoring an empty net goal with just three seconds left. The Riders had also started the night strong, chasing Sioux Falls starting goaltender Eric Hartzell with a pair of first period goals. Nick Oddo gave the Riders 1-0 lead with a wrist shot from the high slot at 6:16 of the first. 2:44 later Doug Jones doubled the lead by sweeping a low shot home from between the circles. In the wake of Jones’s goal Max Strang replaced Hartzell in the Sioux Falls net.

Patterson, who missed the start of the season after undergoing sports hernia surgery, had no such trouble at the other end. It took the Stampede better than half the game to solve the Rider netminder for the first time. Sioux Falls was shorthanded when Connolly banked the puck in off a Rider skate to cut the Cedar Rapids lead to 2-1 at 10:03 of the second period.