Riders reflect on terrific season, look ahead to 2011-12

CEDAR RAPIDS - The day after wasn't any easier for the Cedar Rapids RoughRiders.

“It hurts worse today than it did yesterday,” Riders winger Nick Saracino said Tuesday afternoon. “I think everyone has come to the realization that it's over.”

Riders players cleaned out their lockers at the Cedar Rapids Ice Arena, said their goodbyes and waited in a long line to have a season-ending one-on-one chat with head coach Mark Carlson. Their season ended Sunday with a 3-1 loss to Green Bay in Game 4 of the USHL playoff semifinals.

It was a great winter, for sure, as Cedar Rapids won the Anderson Cup for most regular-season points in the league, setting a franchise record with 42 wins. Their 90 points tied the franchise record.

But they couldn't get the Clark Cup, and that hurts them.

“The Anderson Cup was great, all the records we broke were great,” said Riders winger Ryan McGrath. “We just didn't get that final banner.”

“We won the Anderson Cup, won the Eastern Division, so I think we had a really, really good year,” said Riders center Cason Hohmann. “One of the best years in RoughRiders history. I love all the guys, they played great. But we're disappointed we didn't win it all. We had the talent.”

A lot of which could be back next season. Seventeen players are expected to return and fight for roster spots at June's tryout camp and next fall's training camp. The USHL Entry Draft is next week.

The eight guys moving on to college will be sorely missed, particularly goaltender Brady Hjelle (Ohio State), who set a USHL record with 40 wins this season. The top five scorers also head to college: Justin Kovacs (Northeastern), Jayson Megna (Nebraska-Omaha), Hohmann (Boston University), Sam Warning (Minnesota) and Michael Parks (North Dakota).

Like Hjelle, Megna was a first-team postseason all-star. Two-year defensemen Andy Simpson (Dartmouth) and Tommy Fallen (Yale) need to be replaced as well.

McGrath highlights the list of returnees, as he scored 18 goals as a USHL rookie. Look for Saracino to make a big jump offensively, too. Versatile forward Stu Wilson is expected to return for a third season and is likely the 2011-12 captain.

Cole Bruns and Alex Lyon will fight for goaltending spots, though they have little USHL experience. Bruns played in just two games this season, Lyon (a Yale commit) one.

Defense should be a strength, with expected returnees including third-year player Nolan Zajac, Denver commit Josiah Didier, Nebraska-Omaha commit Ian Brady, Greg Amlong and Michael Holland. Steven Hensley should be fully recovered from shoulder surgery by the start of the season and factors in, too.

Then there's 15-year-old defenseman Anthony DeAngelo, the youngest player ever in the USHL (14 at the start of the season). He broke a kneecap in a game in late January and missed the final three and a half months.

DeAngelo is probably the highest-end player the RoughRiders have ever had, a potential first-round NHL draft pick if he continues to progress. He said Tuesday he would likely return to Cedar Rapids, though the Major Junior Ontario Hockey League is a possibility.

Rumors also abound that the U.S. National Team Development Program is very much interested, though DeAngelo shot that down.

“I haven't really thought too much about it, yet,” he said. “But as of right now, I'm a RoughRider. That's the way I look at it.”

“Obviously this year has set the bar high,” Saracino said. “I think next year we can do the same thing and even go farther. I have all the confidence in the world (in the guys coming back).”