Indiana smacks Riders, 6-1; Grosenick injured

There are no goal lights at Pan Am Plaza in downtown Indianapolis. Goal judges signify when they see a puck go into the net by waving a towel, believe it or not.

Towel waves, towel waves, way too many last night for the Cedar Rapids RoughRiders. The Indiana Ice scored four times on the power play and steamrolled them, 6-1, in Game 4 of this first-round USHL playoff series.

Facing elimination twice, the Ice took full advantage of their temporary home (main arena Pepsi Coliseum has been unavailable because of a horse show) and have forced a deciding Game 5 Wednesday night at 7 back at the Cedar Rapids Ice Arena. Presumably, the goal lights will be available and functioning.

“Our guys continue to battle,” said RoughRiders Coach Mark Carlson. “Now it's a one-game scenario. You know us, we're going to look at the positives.”

Simply put, the RoughRiders are running out of opportunities and players. Goaltender Troy Grosenick is the latest casualty, injuring his knee in a goal-mouth pile up midway through the first period.

He was replaced by Cody Campbell, who gave up the final five Ice goals. It's been an almost absurd string of bad luck for the RoughRiders, who lost defenseman Mac Bennett with a broken foot and winger Sam Warning with a broken collarbone in a Game 2 win.

“We don't know for sure, but we think there's a good chance he can play Wednesday,” Carlson said. “But we'll have to see.”

Indiana went 4 for 6 on the man advantage, getting two goals from Max Cook and one each from Antti Roppo and Anthony Bittetto. Eric Robinson scored Cedar Rapids' lone goal at 10:06 of the first period to make it a 1-1 tie, but Indiana went back ahead by period's end and scored twice more each in the second and third.

Cedar Rapids outshot Indiana by a 42-28 margin in the misleading statistic of the night. Casey DeSmith was terrific again in his second straight start in net for Indiana, stopping at least two breakaways.

The RoughRiders also had an apparent goal by Stu Wilson in the second period disallowed.

“I was happy that we threw a lot of pucks at the cage tonight,” Carlson said. “We just didn't get them to go in.”