After missing first month with mono, Jacob Kraft making impact with Cedar Rapids RoughRiders

CEDAR RAPIDS — Jacob Kraft was in the process of fully moving in with his local billet family here in town in late summer, as he prepared for preseason camp with the Cedar Rapids RoughRiders.

His mom had driven with him from their home in Rochester, N.Y., to make sure everything was good, and her mother’s intuition kicked in when Jacob complained about having a sore throat and not feeling especially well.

“It wasn’t anything super serious, but my mom was like ‘Let’s just go get a strep (throat) test before I drop you off,’” Kraft said.

He didn’t have strep, but mononucleosis. Kraft and his mother turned right back around and headed right back to New York.

“It was really frustrating because I couldn’t do anything,” he said. “I was just sitting at home. I was watching the guys in the preseason games (on video) and stuff. That was definitely a tough start. I was really excited to get out here and get going. Just a setback.”

One he has overcome. Kraft went into C.R.’s home game Friday night against the older of the two United States National Team Development Camp’s clubs at ImOn Ice with five goals and 11 points in 15 games.

He’s been on a bit of a heater of late, scoring four goals in his last five games and securing at least one point in four of the five. His shots on goal volume has increased over the last two weeks, and he’s playing good overall hockey.

“I got into the season a little later, so I guess it’s just building confidence,” he said. “The guys have been great to be around. They’ve helped me a lot, this being my first year in the league, just getting adjusted to the playing style and all that kind of stuff.”

Kraft was a fifth-round pick of the RoughRiders in the 2022 United States Hockey League Draft, Phase II.

“Mentally tough,” RoughRiders Coach Mark Carlson said. “He didn’t play for awhile, for a month or so, but we got him in the lineup, and his energy, his tenacity, have been great. He’s a mentally tough player. There is a lot that guys can take from his game.”

One is his ability to play effectively despite being a smaller player. Kraft is listed at 5-foot-8 and 165 pounds.

He gets around that by being a good skater with solid puck skills, and not being afraid to tussle with bigger opponents.

“A lot of coaches that I’ve played for and talked to say I play bigger than what I actually am,” he said. “The mentality there is probably the biggest thing. Going into a battle knowing that it doesn’t matter if you’re 6-5 or 5-7, 5-8, you are going to come out with the puck. That kind of mentality is the biggest thing.”

Kraft, 19, played prep school hockey last season for Kent School in Connecticut. He is one of the very few RoughRiders who have yet to make a college commitment, though he said that is coming along, not wishing to be especially specific.

His focus is on continuing his individual development and helping his team, which went into the weekend with a 9-9-2-1 record and 21 standings points.

That places the RoughRiders in seventh place in the eight-team Eastern Conference, though just six points out of second in the tightly-packed division.

“Definitely room for improvement, and I think we’re definitely taking strides to get there,” Kraft said. “Hopefully we’ll get on track in the hunt for the playoffs and hit that peak at the right time. You don’t want to peak too early. I like where we’re headed, and we’re working hard at getting better.”

Comments: (319)-398-8258, jeff.johnson@thegazette.com