Waterloo shuts out RoughRiders, 4-0

WATERLOO - Maybe the Cedar Rapids RoughRiders just wanted to get it out of the way now. The playoffs are rapidly approaching, of course.

Get rid of that bad game. Get it out of your system.

And it was a bad game, or at least a bad result, for the Riders last night at ear-splittingly loud Young Arena. Waterloo scored twice in the first period and never gave Cedar Rapids a chance in a 4-0 victory.

“They worked harder than we did,” said Riders Coach Mark Carlson. “It's pretty simple ... Sometimes it's good to get a reminder of that, you know?”

This was the first time since the holiday break (30 games) that Cedar Rapids (36-18-3, 75 points) has lost a game by more than a goal.

A matter of 32 seconds in the first period was the difference. A miss for the Riders was countered by a 3-on-2 Waterloo rush that was finished off by a laser of a one-timer from the slot by defenseman Nick Ebert into the top left corner of the net past Riders goalie Cody Campbell. Tyler Barnes set up the goal, which came at 13:49.

On the ensuing shift, an innocuous-looking play turned deadly for the Hawks, with Soren Jonzzon poking in a loose puck at the left side of the net through Campbell's pads. Jonzzon was surrounded by three RoughRiders defenders but was left unchecked.

It was deja vu for the Riders midway through the second period. Brett Wamsganz appeared to bat a puck into the net off the stick of Campbell as he attempted to play the puck at the side of the net.

Jimmy Siers scored in the third period on another weird play in front. Just that kind of game.

“Hey, you make your own bounces, right?” Carlson said.

The Black Hawks outshot Cedar Rapids by 36-33. Willie Yanakeff picked up his second straight shutout for Waterloo. The RoughRiders host Fargo in their home finale Wednesday night, then end the regular season next weekend at Youngstown.