RoughRiders’ “OFF Line” rolls despite missing one of its members

CEDAR RAPIDS – The 'OFF Line” turned into the 'OF Line” for the second half of Saturday night's game. But the production definitely continued to be 'on.”

Andrew Oglevie and Jiri Fronk combined for three goals, including Oglevie's winner early in the third period as the Cedar Rapids RoughRiders topped Team USA, 4-2, before 2,959 fans at the Cedar Rapids Ice Arena.

Erik Foley, the third member of what has become one of the USHL's most potent forward trios, ended up having to visit the hospital after taking a nasty tumble into the boards in the second period. He appeared to go face first, suffering a cut above his left eye that gushed blood onto the ice.

He received several stitches and was being checked for a possible concussion. Oglevie and Fronk picked up his slack.

By the way, the 'OFF Line” comes from taking the first letters of their respective last names, if you didn't figure it out.

'I think we've got three solid guys there that work hard every day,” Oglevie said. 'We don' think of ourselves like (one of the best). We just go into practice every day, we're hard on each other. We expect a lot of each other when we're on the ice. We know what to expect from each other. We're doing well so far, but we've got to keep it going.”

How good have these guys been since Coach Mark Carlson put them together in early November?

Right-winger Fronk has 20 goals, 36 points and has a plus-minus rating of plus-20. Left-winger Foley has 16 goals and 30 points, coming in at plus-13. Center Oglevie has nine goals, 24 assists and is a USHL-best plus-26.

You have the feeling they're going to score every single time they hit the ice together.

'Sometimes you just find that chemistry,” Carlson said. 'You look back over the years … we've had some good lines here.”

Oglevie scored on the power play late in the first period to forge a 1-1 tie, then Fronk hopped on a rebound to make it a 2-2 game late in the second. Good work behind the net by Casey Jerry led to the winner four minutes into the third, as he fought for a puck with a Team USA defender, knocked it loose to Fronk, who passed to an open Oglevie in front for a one-timer.

Hugh McGing converted a seeing-eye goal-mouth feed from the right-wing corner by Dylan McLaughlin a minute later for the final margin. The RoughRiders (24-8-0) have won three in a row and continue to lead the United States Hockey League with 48 standings points.

'I thought in the third we were good,” Carlson said. 'We need to play a better 60 (minutes) overall, I think. But we found a way to get it done.”

Ryan Larkin made 19 stops for the win in net. This was the second win in as many nights for Cedar Rapids over the United States National Team Development Program's 17-Under team.

Cedar Rapids plays a home-and-home series with Green Bay next weekend, the opener Friday night at Green Bay.

FIRST STAR – Andrew Oglevie (RoughRiders): Pair of goals for the fourth-year center, who is having a dominant season.

SECOND STAR – Jiri Fronk (RoughRiders): Three-point night for the Czech winger: a goal and two assists.

THIRD STAR – Casey Jerry (RoughRiders): Assisted on Oglevie's winning goal in third and drew a penalty shot with good work short handed.

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