Double OT misery for Cedar Rapids RoughRiders in USHL playoffs

CEDAR RAPIDS — It would have been a hell of an uplifting win for the Cedar Rapids RoughRiders and a crushing loss for their opponent.

But it turned out to be the opposite.

Andon Cerbone scored in the first minute of the second overtime to give the Youngstown Phantoms a 3-2 win over the Riders in Game 1 of their United States Hockey League second-round series.

Cedar Rapids came back from a 2-0 deficit to force OT on Jacob Kraft’s goal with 1:11 left in regulation. It came 6 on 4, as Youngstown had a player in the penalty box and the RoughRIders had pulled goalie Bruno Bruveris for an extra attacker.

Youngstown scored a goal each in the first and second periods, but the Riders seemed to get stronger as the game went on. Tyson Gross had a power-play goal assisted by Dylan Hryckowian and Ryan Walsh at the 12-minute mark of the second to make it a 2-1 game.

Kraft’s goal also was assisted by Hryckowian and Walsh. A wild scramble in front of Youngstown goalie Jacob Fowler eventually resulted in Kraft poking in a loose puck at the goal mouth.

Both teams killed off a penalty in overtime. The RoughRiders owned the first OT, outshooting Youngstown by a 16-4 margin.

Cerbone’s goal was set up after a bad turnaround at the side of the Cedar Rapids net.

The teams have Saturday off because of an Alice Cooper concert at Youngstown’s Covelli Centre. They play again Sunday at 6:05 p.m., with an if-necessary Game 3 Monday night at Covelli Centre.

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