Cedar Rapids RoughRiders move on in USHL playoffs

PLYMOUTH, Mich. — This full week on the road continues for the Cedar Rapids RoughRiders. No need to come home, yet, boys.

The Riders assured both those things Wednesday night with a 3-1 win over the United States National Team Development Program’s U17 club in a deciding Game 3 of their first-round United States Hockey League playoff series at USA Hockey Arena.

Martins Lavins had a pair of goals, Jack Musa one and Bruno Bruveris was very good in goal as the Riders advanced to a second-round series against the Youngstown Phantoms this weekend. It’ll also be best of three and all on the road Friday night, Sunday night and Monday night, if necessary.

Youngstown is the second-seeded team in the Eastern Conference and had a first-round bye. Cedar Rapids is the sixth seed, which means, well, a week on the road and no home playoff games.

Top-seeded Chicago hosts No. 5 seed Dubuque in the other East second-rounder.

“This means a lot. It means a lot, for sure,” said RoughRiders Coach Mark Carlson. “It’s extremely difficult to win one game in this league against anyone, let alone win a series. It’s an accomplishment against a very good opponent in Team USA.”

The RoughRiders won Monday night’s Game 1 by a 5-2 score, but lost Tuesday night’s Game 2 late, 6-4. Lavins got them in front early Wednesday, taking a feed from Jack Musa in front of the net and scoring at the 3:46 mark of the first period.

He scored again 13 minutes into the period, deftly deflecting into the net a shot from the right point by defenseman Colin Grable. The Program pushed in the second period, but Musa’s goal 10:35 into it made it an ultra-important 3-0 lead.

Musa’s wrist shot from the left circle was roofed into the top part of the net past Program goaltender Jack Parsons. The winger was acquired in a late-season trade from Madison.

“Marty’s been important for us all year,” Carlson said of Martins, the 20-year-old Latvian. “We thought going into the playoffs that we had a handful of guys that were going to raise their game. He was on that list, for sure.”

“Just an incredible team effort,” Lavins said. “Bruno was outstanding. As Coach said, this is the way the 2022-23 RoughRiders will do it in Game 3. We were so focused, just dialed in. There was no chance we were going home tonight. No way.”

The only goal The Program scored against RoughRiders goaltender Bruveris was a fluky one in the third period in which a pass from behind the C.R. net by a C.R. player deflected off a teammate and somehow made its way into the net.

Bruveris was terrific in making 24 saves. He rebounded from an average-at-best Game 2, after having a strong Game 1.

“When he’s relaxed, he’s one of the best goalies in the league hands down,” Carlson said. “He was awesome tonight.”

The team concluded its final week of the regular season with three games, two at home and a roady to end things this past Saturday night in Des Moines. They got back on the bus Sunday and made the lengthy journey to Michigan.

They were to spend Wednesday night in Plymouth before making about a three-hour journey Thursday to Youngstown. This is a professional hockey schedule, for sure.

“It’s the best life in the world,” Carlson said. “We’re really fortunate today to be able to do it. It’s all hockey every day with a great group of guys and coaching staff and Ipper (trainer/equipment manager Chris Ispon). “We’re just happy to be keep playing, keep playing games.”

Lavins said the team craves an opportunity to play at least one more game at ImOn Ice before this season concludes. If Cedar Rapids can beat Youngstown, the conference finals would be a best-of-5 series in which both teams would get to play at home.

“One of our short-term goals is to play back at The Stable. We’re 50 percent there,” Lavins said. “The road back to The Stable is still alive. That’s what we’re going for. That’s our motivation.”

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