Cedar Rapids RoughRiders fall in Game 1 of USHL playoff series on late goal

CEDAR RAPIDS - Kind of the story of the season. Unfortunately.

The Cedar Rapids RoughRiders played a good Game 1 of their United States Hockey League first-round playoff series Monday night. You could make the argument they outplayed the Muskegon Lumberjacks.

But Vaclav Nestrasil scored a goal with 1:08 left in regulation that downed the Riders, 2-1. Close, definitely competitive but no result.

Again. The teams play Game 2 of their best-of-3 series Tuesday night at 6:10 at Muskegon’s Trinity Health Arena.

The winning play came when Nestrasil forced a turnover behind the Cedar Rapids net from RoughRiders goaltender A.J. Reyelts, who had control of the puck and was looking to feed a teammate. Nestrasil sent a centering feed to an open Jack Galanek skating between the circles.

Reyelts got back in net in time to make a terrific save on Galanek, but the puck caromed directly to Nestrasil at the side of the net for the slam dunk.

“It’s obviously great. The first game is the most important, especially in a two-win series,” Nestrasil said in an on-ice postgame interview over the public-address system. “I’m glad we got this win. We’ve got to focus on tomorrow.”

Galanek had Muskegon’s first goal late in the first period. David Klee cleanly won a faceoff, drawing the puck directly to Galanek, whose immediate wrist shot beat Reyelts.

Amine Hajibi tied it for Cedar Rapids at the 4:56 mark of the third. A Muskegon turnover behind its net went to Daniel Astapovich of the RoughRiders, who passed to Hajibi in the circle, his wrist shot cleanly beating Lumberjacks goaltender Stephen Peck.

The RoughRiders had four empty power plays in the game to Muskegon’s one. Cedar Rapids ended up outshooting its opponent by a 32-28 margin.

“Liked a lot of our game,” said RoughRiders Coach Mark Carlson. “Proud of the effort. We just need work on a few things for Game 2.”

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