C.R. RoughRiders in need of a victory

CEDAR RAPIDS — The Cedar Rapids RoughRiders are in need of a victory in a bad way right now.

They're the only winless team in the United States Hockey League, falling Friday night at home to the Chicago Steel, 5-2. The Steel are the only unbeaten team in the league.

The Riders (0-7-1) went into Friday's game having allowed the most goals in the league and having scored the fewest. Zach Robbins and Aleksi Halme scored to give Cedar Rapids a 2-0 lead in the first period, but Chicago scored the final five goals.

It's still way early and there is no desperation mode anyone is in right now. But a victory would be a huge lift for this club.

And a huge relief.

'Yeah, it'd be nice to get one,' Coach Mark Carlson said.

The Riders played poorly in the preseason but a strong performance in a 2-1 overtime loss to Dubuque on opening night gave hope. But that's been the closest, by far, the team has come to winning.

Last weekend's results were a 6-0 loss at Tri-City and 5-1 at Des Moines.

'I thought we saw some guys step up their play on Saturday (against Des Moines),' Carlson said. 'It sounds so simplistic and cliche, but the bottom line is we need to play harder and we need to play the game smarter.'

The coach was asked if he was more discouraged by the lack of goals being scored or the plethora of them being given up.

'I've never thought about either one,' he said. 'We've got to play harder, we've got to play smarter. I'm not going to sit around and dwell on those things. That's in the past. We're trying to get better each and every day.

'That's the way we approach it. Every week is new, and every game is new. Every game is an opportunity.'

The club was missing several players Friday night. Goaltender Zack Larocque is out sick, his place on the roster taken by Harrison Feeney, a 2016 draft pick who has been playing in the lower-level North American Hockey League.

Touted defenseman Jakub Sirota continues to be out with a shoulder injury.

Defenseman A.J. Villella and forwards Will Garin, Matt Hudie, Matt Gosiewski and Nick Bowman also missed Friday night's game. Carlson said the quintet is serving an indefinite suspension for violating team rules.

He did not expound. Forward Matt Demelis was promoted from the club's affiliate roster for the weekend.

Carlson was asked if it was particularly disappointing that second-year players such as Gosiewski and Garin were involved in the suspensions.

'It doesn't matter if you're a first-year or a second-year guy. That has nothing to do with it,' Carlson said. 'We're just more focused on trying to get these guys ready to go, getting ready to play.'

The Riders play Saturday night at Bloomington.

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