RoughRiders give up 4 unanswered goals in 3rd period and lose to Des Moines, 4-1

CEDAR RAPIDS — Somehow this one got away.

You felt pretty good about the Cedar Rapids RoughRiders' chances after two periods Wednesday night. They were playing well, getting good goaltending again from Drew DeRidder and leading Des Moines, 1-0.

Then it all fell apart. The Buccaneers scored four times in the third period and skated away with a 4-1 win at the Cedar Rapids Ice Arena.

'I thought we just played OK tonight,' said RoughRiders Coach Mark Carlson. 'We knew we only had five 'D.' We didn't really follow the plan, as far as getting pucks deep and keeping the game simple. I think we've played pretty good hockey the past couple months, but I didn't think we were great tonight. But credit Des Moines. They came in and found a way. We've got to get back to work tomorrow and find a way to get better.'

As Carlson mentioned, the RoughRiders were short-handed for this one, with five scratches and only 17 skaters dressed, five defensemen. Illness is going around the locker room right now.

Perhaps that played a part in the third-period collapse. Getting worn down and everything.

Carlson wasn't buying that, though.

'Sickness is no excuse,' he said. 'We are not in the excuse business, not in the excuse business.'

Bobby Hampton had the game's first goal for Cedar Rapids, three minutes into the second period. He and linemates Eric Linell and Robert Arrak created good pressure in the Des Moines zone, which eventually led to Hampton hopping on a loose puck at the side of the net after a rebound and scoring past Bucs goalie Jan Ruzicka.

It was Hampton's eighth goal of the season.

Des Moines tied it four minutes into the third period on a bad C.R. giveaway in front of its own net. Reed Lebster got the goal, deking Riders goalie Drew DeRidder down and depositing the puck into the gaping net.

Then back-to-back penalties allowed back-to-back power plays that the Bucs capitalized on. Matt Jones scored off a rebound off a deflected point shot to put Des Moines up at the 9:57 mark, then defenseman Mario Ferraro sniped one over DeRidder's shoulder from the circle at 12:26.

The Riders pulled DeRidder in the closing couple of minutes and had a 6-on-4 power play. But Lebster foiled that with an empty net goal with 1:04 left.

The 16-year-old DeRidder continues to develop and played better than his final line looked. Jan Ruzicka of Des Moines was terrific, making 30 saves.

Cedar Rapids plays this weekend at Madison and Waterloo. The next home game is Feb. 18 against Lincoln, a game televised live on KCRG 9.2

l Comments: (319) 398-8259; jeff.johnson@thegazette.com