Shortage of players doesn’t prevent Riders from continuing to win

CEDAR RAPIDS - It's unfair to say they didn't miss a beat with a large chunk of their team gone. The Cedar Rapids RoughRiders were sluggish and mistake prone a lot of Wednesday night.

But the end result was sure the same as it's been all season. Andrew Gaus scored the go-ahead goal with 5:38 left, and the RoughRiders took down Green Bay, 6-3, before 2,197 fans at the Cedar Rapids Ice Arena.

Cedar Rapids (19-3) built a three-goal lead, watched it evaporate but won it late. Same old, same old, as far as the bottom line.

More importantly, this was a successful first go-around without four key cogs. Andrew Oglevie, Adam Gaudette, Charlie Curti and Mitch Reinke are away for two weeks, representing the United States on a team participating in an international tournament in Canada.

The guys still here picked up the slack. Six players scored goals.

'I thought we were really good at times tonight,” Gaus said. 'At other times, we needed to (be better). But at the end of the day, I think everybody should be excited by this opportunity. Embrace this opportunity and respond to it.”

The RoughRiders (19-3) actually are five guys short, counting forward Alex Jasiek, who has been out with a broken wrist. Coach/General Manager Mark Carlson called up forward Sam Craggs and defenseman Alex Semandel from the team's affiliate roster of younger players to help out Wednesday.

Semandel practiced with the team Tuesday. Craggs didn't but still scored the first goal of the game late in the first period.

Carlson said the pair – who are high-schoolers in suburban Chicago – won't play this weekend, as Cedar Rapids travels for games at Fargo and Sioux City, but will return the following weekend.

'I thought it was a real character win,” Carlson said. 'We got the lead, and they came back and tied it. We didn't get rattled by that, stayed on an even keel. Our compete level has got to get way higher consistently. I thought there were a couple of times when we got outcompeted, and that is something we've got to get way, way better at consistently.”

The winning goal came thanks to the good work of another newcomer. Joey Marooney beat his man to a dumped-in puck in the corner of the Green Bay zone and fed Gaus at the hashmarks, his one-timer beating Green Bay goalie Jason Pawloski far post.

Marooney was acquired last week from Sioux Falls in a trade and was playing his first RoughRiders game. Cal Burke scored with 3:53 left, and Ross Colton had an empty netter in the final minute to cap off the night.

'It's funny because about 10 seconds before that shift, Coach got us all together as forwards and said the forecheck was going to win us this game,” Gaus said. 'Marooney got in there and beat that guy to the puck, found me, and I was able to bury it.”

'That was great we were able to pull out the victory,” Marooney said. 'I love the guys. The team worked hard, battled back after they tied the game. This is a great, hard-working group of guys we've got here. I love it here so far.”

Craggs, Tyler Gernhofer and Hugh McGing scored 2:56 apart late in the first period to put Cedar Rapids on top. The RoughRiders were outshot in the period, 18-8, with goaltender Ryan Larkin looking especially sharp.

Green Bay scored twice in the second, including a short-handed goal, to make it a game. Another goal in the opening minute of the third tied it.

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