ALS Night special for RoughRiders’ Carlson

CEDAR RAPIDS - He remembers a long-distance phone conversation he had with his father. Mark Carlson was sobbing, his father telling him to stop it.

Never mind that Bob Carlson was dying of Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis. He didn't want anyone feeling sorry for him.

'I remember him telling me ‘Hey, you've got to be strong,'” said Mark Carlson, whose Cedar Rapids RoughRiders lost to Dubuque, 4-2, on ALS Awareness Night Saturday night at the Cedar Rapids Ice Arena. 'He was an extremely caring individual, but he was so mentally tough.”

Bob Carlson died of what is commonly known as Lou Gehrig Disease 10 years ago last November. He passed down many traits that have helped his son become one of junior hockey's best coaches.

Extremely caring, mentally tough, yeah, that's Mark Carlson.

'I was always raised to work hard. Work as hard as I possibly could in everything I did,” said Carlson, who surpassed 500 United States Hockey League victories earlier this season. 'I was taught by my mother and my father never to take the easy way out. You've got to battle every single day.”

The RoughRiders wore special green, white and black-striped jerseys that were auctioned postgame, with all proceeds going to ALS research. Carlson believed the club has raised over $100,000 over the years with the jersey auctions.

Local ALS patient Troy Musser dropped the ceremonial first puck, bought the jersey of RoughRiders captain Andrew Oglevie and got pictures taken with him postgame.

'It's always a great opportunity to help out funding for ALS research,” he said. 'And hopefully education people about the disease. Right now, it's a death sentence.

'I always have felt very fortunate that people like Tony and Jan Sdao and our other team owners supported this night.”

The RoughRiders (36-17-0, 72 points) had their four-game win streak snapped thanks to a four-goal second period by Dubuque that included a hat trick from Seamus Malone. Ross Colton and Erik Foley had the Riders' goals.

Cedar Rapids won Friday night in overtime at Madison. That marked the ninth time the team has won in extra time this season, without a loss.

That's amazing, about as amazing as Youngstown's active 16-game win streak. The Phantoms won Saturday night at Waterloo and hold a three-point lead for first place in the Eastern Conference.

Counting Saturday, both teams had eight games remaining in the regular season. Cedar Rapids plays next week at home against Waterloo and at Dubuque.

'We've just been continuing to be concerned with what we're doing, not Youngstown,” Carlson said. 'I think we've been playing real hard, playing smart for the most part. I think we've been getting contributions from several different people.”

l Comments: (319) 398-8259; jeff.johnson@thegazette.com