Young women vie for a spot on the RoughRiders' new dance team

With a new owner and a new season, the Cedar Rapids RoughRiders are trying something else new.

More than 20 women came to flex their muscle and their moves Tuesday night at the open tryouts for the new “Rider Girls” dance team.

Grant it, when most people think of hockey, they're more likely to think of missing teeth than pirouettes and pom-poms, but Rob Schreurs, a spokesman for the RoughRider organization, thinks they're a perfect fit for the hockey team.

“We hope the Rider Girls will be able to represent and promote the team,” Schreurs said. “And if they can skate and dance, then that's a plus.”

Schreurs said that four other United States Hockey League teams have a cheerleading team, and says the Rider Girls will be just as involved in public relations as they will be with cheering and dancing.

Jenny Thielman, 31, of Cedar Rapids, signed on as the captain of the new cheer-squad, and ran the auditions for this year's crop of future members. She isn't sure just how a dance squad will work on a hockey rink but said they'll figure it out as they go along.

“We'll be in the stands and doing some things on the ice,” Thielman said. “So any skating experience is a plus.”

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