RoughRiders’ Colton makes most of Prospects Game invitation

CEDAR RAPIDS - Ross Colton was just happy to be invited. Pro scouts had to be happy he was.

The Cedar Rapids RoughRiders winger scored three goals and added two assists Tuesday night in the United States Hockey League/National Hockey League Top Prospects Game at Omaha's Ralston Arena. You can't get a better performance than that, or a more timely one.

Scouts from 28 NHL teams were in attendance and surely impressed by the 19-year-old University of Vermont commit. The Prospects Game featured 40 top USHL players eligible for the 2016 NHL Draft.

'I hope it does,” Colton said, when asked if his Prospects Game heroics will get him drafted. 'But I don't like to think about that right now. I'm just focused on how we do this weekend.”

The RoughRiders beat Green Bay on Friday night, 3-2. They host Chicago on Saturday night and are at Madison on Sunday afternoon.

By the way, RoughRiders teammates Sam Sternschein, Matt Filipe and Matt Gosiewski also took part in the Prospects Game, which their East team won, 6-2.

'It was a great honor to be there,” said Colton. 'I wanted to take advantage of the opportunity, prove to everybody what I could do.”

Colton scored his first goal just 2:19 into Tuesday's game. He proved to be a perfect fit with linemates Willie Knierim and Michael O'Leary, both of the Dubuque Fighting Saints.

He laughed when it was mentioned that perhaps RoughRiders Coach/General Manager Mark Carlson should try and swing a trade for Knierim and O'Leary, quickly pointing out the tremendous chemstry he has had all season with Cedar Rapids linemates Cal Burke and Hugh McGing.

'You know, we were joking before the game that we'd better get the whole rivalry thing between Dubuque and us out of the way right away,” Colton said. 'We don't want it to affect the way we play. They were great. Great players and great guys.”

Colton has had a breakout 2015-16 USHL season, entering the weekend fourth in the league in points (33) and second in goals (18), despite only playing in 27 games. He missed time playing for a United States team at the World Junior ‘A' Challenge in Canada before Christmas.

'He trained hard in the summer, built his body up,” Carlson said. 'He's got a year under his belt here. That's how you hope to see guys develop. He's not the only one. There are a bunch of guys here who have done that, too.”

Colton said he went from 180 pounds to 195 with his summer workouts. He would lift weights every day, skate and shoot pucks in his driveway two hours at a time.

'I had to get bigger, faster, stronger,” he said. 'Coach told me that I had all the tools to (be a top player). And I think you have to have confidence, too. That's something that I've gained ... Coach told me to be a leader for this team this season, on and off the ice. I've come to work every day. It's been exciting to work with Cal and Mitch (Reinke) as captains to try and be leaders.”

The Riders (21-8-3, 45 points) moved into first place in the USHL's Eastern Conference by rallying from a 2-0 hole. Gosiewski and Colton scored second-period goals, then Jack Ahcan scored on the power play with 2:54 left for the winner.

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