Corridor Cross Checks: Cedar Rapids RoughRider hit the holiday break on an upswing

CEDAR RAPIDS - A good way to go into the holiday break. A real good way.

The Cedar Rapids RoughRiders took a pair of games last week from the Chicago Steel, winning Friday night in Illinois, 4-1, and Saturday night at home, 2-1.

The United States Hockey League takes a week and a half off for Christmas, returning to action Friday, Dec. 27. Cedar Rapids comes back for a home-and-home series against the rival Dubuque Fighting Saints.

The Dec. 27 game is at Dubuque, with the teams playing the following night at ImOn Ice Arena.

“Just kind of the usual thing, game by game” RoughRiders Coach Mark Carlson said. “Our focus was on Friday, and we were able to win Friday. Then the focus was on Saturday, and it was good to win on Saturday. We’re not putting too much emphasis on who the opponent is, or where the game is, or anything like that. We’re just going out there hoping to do our best every single night.”

A.J. Reyelts was named Monday as the USHL Goaltender of the Week for the second time in three weeks. Reyelts backstopped both wins against Chicago, saving 37 of 39 shots faced.

The Lindenwood University commit has been the goalie for C.R.’s last 12 games.

“I knew when I watched him play last year (in high school), you could see his poise, his calmness, his competitiveness, his athleticism, that he was a good goaltender. We knew that going in,” Carlson said. “That’s why we drafted him where we did (fourth round of USHL Phase II Draft). We felt right from the get go, from day one, that it was only a matter of time before he was going to play an awful lot of games for us.

“Good goalie, but so much of it is his character, his work ethic, the type of teammate that he is. All of those kinds of things.”

Amine Hajibi had two goals and two assists for Cedar Rapids in Friday’s game. He leads the Riders with 19 points in 22 games.

Daniel Astapovich had a goal and set up Kole Hyles’ game-winning short-handed goal early in the third period of Saturday’s game. The RoughRiders have a 10-12-1-1 record for 22 standings points, which places them in sixth place in the eight-team Eastern Conference.

The club has scored the second-fewest goals in the league and helped address that Monday by picking up forward Robert Chlan. He’s a 19-year-old from Czechia who was leading his junior league back home in points (42 in 28 games).

“I don’t know if you’re ever OK (with where you’re team is at,” Carlson said. “I’m happy with our improvement. We’ve made a lot of strides, played a lot of real good hockey. There are definitely a lot of positives there, for sure.”

He was asked what message he gave his boys after Saturday night’s game, as everyone dispersed to go home.

“You’ve got to keep working hard here on your training over the break,” Carlson said. “Enjoy time with friends and family over the holiday season and then come back and be ready to roll. Pretty simple.”

The ECHL club sure is busy this week.

The Heartlanders play four games in five days in three different cities. That’s a pretty brutal schedule.

Things begin Tuesday night at Cincinnati against the Cyclones (6:35 opening puck drop). Then it’s another game Wednesday night at Cincy.

Iowa has Thursday off, then plays Friday night against the Bloomington Bison in Illinois (7 p.m. puck drop). Then it’s a home game Saturday night at 6 at Xtream Arena against Bloomington.

The Heartlanders split a pair of games last weekend against Toledo, winning at home in the annual kids day game, 2-0, then losing to the Walleye, 6-3, ending a six-game win streak. They have a 13-6-3-0 record for 29 standings points, good for a second-place tie with Fort Wayne in the Central Division.

Toledo is in first place in the division with 35 points, though Iowa and Fort Wayne have three games in hand.

By the way, Cincinnati has just a 3-15-3-0 record and just nine standings points, by far the fewest in the ECHL. Bloomington is on a six-game losing streak, all of which means Iowa has a chance to make some hay this week.

Matthew Sop and Will Calverley lead the Heartlanders with seven goals apiece, though Sop is up with the Iowa Wild of the American Hockey League right now.

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