Carlson, RoughRiders proud of their USHL record

CEDAR RAPIDS – Mark Carlson isn't afraid to show how impressed he is by this one.

Notorious for never over praising anything or anyone, part of his even-keel coaching approach, his Cedar Rapids RoughRiders drew Carlson kudos for the United States Hockey League record they set last weekend. A come-from-behind shootout win at Fargo was the club's 12th consecutive on the road to begin the season.

That broke a mark the Riders shared with the defunct Rochester Mustangs from 1986. A loss at Sioux City the following night ended the streak, but not its significance.

'A pretty good record, you know?” Carlson said.

A really good record considering the parity in this day and age of the USHL and how difficult it is to win away from home in any sport. The RoughRiders (20-4) conclude the pre-Christmas portion of their schedule with a home-and-home set with Madison, including a home game Thursday night.

They have a chance to start another road win streak Friday night.

'A pretty cool thing for the kids, I have to admit,” Carlson said. 'These guys just don't quit. They battle.”

'It's awesome, especially being here for three years now,” said Riders forward Dylan McLaughlin. 'We've won in so many different ways, too. That shows some toughness out of us. Just getting it done. That record means a lot to us.”

The RoughRiders began their streak with a 6-2 win at always-tough-to-play Waterloo on Oct. 17. There were two wins each at Chicago and Team USA (Ann Arbor, Mich.), two overtime wins and two in a shootout.

The record breaker was the first time all season the team trailed in a game, home or away, after two periods. They rallied from deficits of 3-1 and 4-3 to send it to extra time.

McLaughlin's shootout goal was the difference.

'I think more than anything, and I told them this today, we talked (internally) all summer that we liked this team,” Carlson said. 'We thought we might have a lot of guys who love hockey. I know that sounds weird to some people, but not every guy ‘loves it, loves it.' We've got a group here that just really loves the game.”

To accentuate that point, it was a good half hour since Wednesday practice had concluded when Carlson said that. Over three-fourths of the team was still on the ice working on their respective games and hanging out with each other.

'They are like that all the time,” Carlson said.

'We've got a bunch of young guys that are excited to be here and love the game, and that's awesome,” McLaughlin said.

The Riders played road games last weekend with only 17 skaters, two shy of maximum, because four players are away from the team participating in the World Junior ‘A' Challenge international tournament in Canada. They'll have a full lineup against Madison, as affiliate roster players Alec Semandel and Sam Craggs – who played a game last week – will rejoin the team.

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