Anderson Cup race comes down to final weekend for C.R. RoughRiders, Green Bay

CEDAR RAPIDS — The biggest weekend of the season, and the Cedar Rapids RoughRiders had to travel 20 miles down the road to practice and prepare for it.

The 2016 National Collegiate Roller Hockey Championships have taken over the Cedar Rapids Ice Arena. Schools from as far away as California-Santa Barbara, Nevada-Las Vegas and Texas Tech have made their way to the city.

It forced the Riders to practice at Coral Ridge Mall in Coralville, reminiscent of the club's very first season (1999-2000), when the Ice Arena was still being constructed.

'It was good, actually,' RoughRiders Coach Mark Carlson said. 'Setting up shop in Coralville all week was a nice change of pace, especially this time of year. The guys have enjoyed it.'

The chase for the United States Hockey League's Anderson Cup for most regular-season standings points has become too tight if you're the Riders. They go into the final weekend just two points ahead of Green Bay (81-79).

The clubs finish on the road: Green Bay at Lincoln for two games Friday and Saturday nights, Cedar Rapids at Waterloo on Friday night and at Sioux City the following night. If there is a tie, the teams will be declared co-winners of the Anderson Cup, though the RoughRiders likely would win a tiebreaker for home-ice advantage throughout the upcoming Clark Cup playoffs.

Those begin next week, with Cedar Rapids already clinching home ice in the first round against either Bloomington or Dubuque. Speaking of Dubuque, two Riders losses last weekend to the Fighting Saints, coupled with three Green Bay wins, is what has made the fight for the Anderson Cup come right down to the wire.

'Those were real battles last weekend,' Carlson said. 'Dubuque is a really experienced team that played very well. Saturday was a good hockey game. They just found a way to get that third goal.'

Dubuque scored a four-on-four goal with 1:26 left and added two empty net goals for a 5-2 victory.

On an individual basis, winger Ross Colton scored twice last weekend to bring his season goal total to 33. That's one behind Jacob Cepis' club record, set in 2006-07.

The RoughRiders announced this week the signing of forward T.J. Walsh to a pre-draft tender. Walsh's signing counts as C.R.'s first pick in the upcoming USHL Draft, Phase I.

Walsh played this past season at Cushing Academy prep school in Massachusetts. Two seasons ago, he scored 71 goals and 136 points in 66 games for the famed Shattuck-St. Mary's program in Minnesota.

He is a Boston College commit.

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