Corridor Cross Checks: Cedar Rapids RoughRiders find a pair of radio stars

CEDAR RAPIDS — It was as if they actually had played in the game.

Radio ain’t easy, particularly when you’ve never done it before, which Cedar Rapids RoughRiders players Josh Karnish and Andy Moore found out after being thrown into emergency duty for their team’s Saturday night home game against the Chicago Steel. As broadcasters.

With regular play-by-play man Brad Oistad sick and unavailable, Karnish and Moore, both out of the lineup with injuries, called C.R.’s thrilling 6-5 shootout win. The club streams games on their website.

“It was exhausting. So exhausting,” Karnish said. “I had to drink a lot of water. I honestly felt like part of the team doing it. I felt like I was just as exhausted as them, even though it was not even close. But it was draining, giving out as much energy like that.”

Karnish did play by play, a decision the pair made because he’s a bit more extroverted. Moore threw in his commentary during stoppages of play and things.

This isn’t the first time players have stepped up to help out at the last second. Max Sasson volunteered to sing the national anthem prior to a RoughRiders home game in 2019.

Both ideas came from Tammy Carlson, the club’s Director of Business/Sales & Community Service and the wife of Riders Coach/General Manager/Team President Mark Carlson.

“Great idea from her side. Josh and I were excited to step up to the plate,” Moore said. “It was great, a lot of fun. It was great feeling part of the team, even though we’re hurt. Really happy to see them win. A cool opportunity.”

“At first, we were like ‘Oh, my God, no way, this is going to be really cool,’” Karnish said. “Then we started getting a little nervous. Once we started going, it just felt natural. We had a really fun time doing it.”

Karnish and Moore are anxious to get back on the ice, in part because their team is playing really well. The RoughRiders (6-5-1-1, 14 standings points, fourth in USHL’s Eastern Conference) are 5-1-1 in their last seven games, and that’s despite a number of key pieces out with injury.

The club has lost first-year forward Connor Smith for the rest of the season after the Union College commit tore the ACL and MCL in his knee last week at practice. Smith had two goals and six assists in 10 games.

Ryan Walsh had a pair of goals and an assist in the win over Chicago, which was clinched by Dylan Hryckowian’s successful shootout attempt. The RoughRiders play Friday and Saturday nights in Ann Arbor, Mich., against the USNTDP.

The Iowa Heartlanders

It was a rough weekend for the Heartlanders, who dropped a pair of road games at Kansas City (8-5) and Wichita (3-2 in overtime).

The loss to Wichita was particularly galling. Iowa had a 2-0 lead but gave up a power-play goal with 3:37 left in regulation, then a game-tying goal with 1:01 left. Jake Wahlin’s goal just 16 seconds into overtime won the game for the Thunder.

The Heartlanders and Kansas City were tied at 4, with the Mavericks scoring four times in the third period to win. Matthew Boucher had two goals and two assists for Iowa, with Michael Pastujov adding two goals and an assist.

Pastujov leads the Heartlanders with three goals and six assists in four games. Boucher has five goals in six games.

Iowa has a 1-7-1 record for three standings points, last in the seven-team Central Division of the ECHL. Only the Norfolk Admirals (1-11 record) have fewer standings points.

The Heartlanders have only one game this week, that coming Sunday afternoon at 2:05 at Xtream Arena against the Kalamazoo Wings.

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