RoughRiders

CEDAR RAPIDS — What does it say about the program he has built that Cedar Rapids RoughRiders Coach/General Manager Mark Carlson hadn’t receive his first congratulations for clinching a USHL playoff berth until Thursday. That’s when a local reporter gave him off-the-cuff plaudits to begin an interview. Apparently there had been nothing previously from fans, [...]

By Al Gruwell, Correspondent CEDAR RAPIDS – A flurry of three second-period goals propelled the Cedar Rapids RoughRiders over the Waterloo Black Hawks, 6-0, before 3,439 fans at the Cedar Rapids Ice Arena Saturday night. Playing Waterloo always seems to bring up the vocals at The Stable, and after a calming first period, Cedar Rapids [...]

CEDAR RAPIDS — There are good points, and this was a good point. No, the Cedar Rapids RoughRiders didn’t complete the comeback, falling to the mighty Green Bay Gamblers in a shootout, 4-3, before 2,716 green-clad fans on St. Patrick’s Day night at The Stable. But that they found enough inner strength to rally from [...]

  CEDAR RAPIDS — Jake Hildebrand played hurt Friday night. The Cedar Rapids RoughRiders goaltender bumped his knee into a metal post while playing pregame “sewerball” with his teammates. It’s like baseball “pepper,” only with a soccer ball. Hildebrand toughed it out and made his seventh straight start, taking a tough 3-2 loss to Dubuque, [...]

CEDAR RAPIDS — Sidney Crosby scared him. Scared the heck out of him. But a part of Nick Saracino always felt he would play again this season for the Cedar Rapids RoughRiders. “Yeah, it was off and on, but I tried to stay positive,” the Riders center said. “I knew I was feeling better every [...]

By Mike Condon, Correspondent CEDAR RAPIDS — The Cedar Rapids RoughRiders appeared to be peaking at the right time. With about a month remaining before the United States Hockey League playoffs begin, the Riders were playing some of their most consistent hockey of the season. That strong play continued Saturday night against Western Division leader [...]

  By Mike Condon, Correspondent CEDAR RAPIDS — They started fast and finished with a flourish. And the end result was the fifth straight victory for the Cedar Rapids RoughRiders. Cedar Rapids scored a pair of goals in the game’s first six minutes and two more in the final four to down Sioux Falls, 5-3, [...]

  CEDAR RAPIDS — Back to where it all began. The presence of the Cedar Rapids Titans professional indoor football team has forced the Cedar Rapids RoughRiders hockey team to adjust its practice schedule a tad. That’s OK with them. For instance, the Riders have been using the Olympic-sized ice sheet at the Cedar Rapids [...]

CEDAR RAPIDS — Maybe it was the spiffy uniforms, with the new logo and black numbers and letters on the back instead of green. Maybe it was getting out of town for practice this week, traveling to Coral Ridge Mall on Wednesday because the Cedar Rapids Titans had possession of their arena. Maybe the Cedar [...]

  CEDAR RAPIDS — There are two things you really notice by watching a hockey game up close and personal from the penalty box. The first is the speed. Holy cow, these kids get up and down the ice. Then there’s how much they stink. No offense, boys, but there is no more “distinct” odor in athletics than [...]