RoughRiders enter final week of regular season with shot at title

CEDAR RAPIDS - It's more impressive than winning the Clark Cup in a way.

If you're not familiar with the United States Hockey League, that's the trophy awarded to the champion. We'll find out in late May who will be this season's winner.

The Anderson Cup, meanwhile, goes to the club that finishes with the most regular-season points. Anyone can get hot over a month-and-a-half stretch in the playoffs, but to persevere and grind your way through a 60-game schedule and be the best is quite an accomplishment.

One the Cedar Rapids RoughRiders hope to have in their back pocket by Saturday.

“A huge week,” said Riders defenseman Nolan Zajac. “It's almost like a do-or-die situation. The Anderson Cup is on the line. Obviously you want the Clark Cup, but (the Anderson Cup) would be a huge achievement for us.”

Cedar Rapids has won it once, sharing it with Omaha in the 2004-05 season. The RoughRiders went on to take the Clark Cup that season, too.

They go into tonight's home game against Youngstown with a two-point lead on Green Bay and Dubuque (84-82), who they host Friday night. The regular season concludes with a home game Saturday night against Team USA.

While Dubuque clinched the Western Conference championship last weekend, Cedar Rapids and Green Bay continue to slug it out for the Eastern Conference title. So there's that to worry about, too.

Green Bay has two games remaining to three for Cedar Rapids and Dubuque.

“It's definitely in the backs of our minds. We have a chance to win it,” said Riders forward Michael Parks. “But you just don't want to think about it too much. It's one game at a time.”

“Every game is important, but we know that we have a chance to do something special this weekend,” said Riders defenseman Andy Simpson. “It starts Wednesday against Youngstown. They're a great team. Then we'll just move on from there.”

Cedar Rapids (39-12-6) put itself into position for the division championship and Anderson Cup with a huge 3-2 win Sunday afternoon at Green Bay. It was a heck of a rebound from Saturday night's 4-3 overtime loss at Dubuque in which the Riders blew a 3-0 third-period lead.

They hope that lost point doesn't come back to haunt.

“We haven't really talked about it (as a team),” said Coach Mark Carlson. “We just want to continue to do what we always do. That's play on Wednesday. There's two points available, and that's what we're after.”

At the very least, the RoughRiders have clinched a first-round bye in the USHL playoffs. The top six teams in each division qualify, with the top two automatically advancing to a best-of-5 division finals series beginning April 20.

The other four begin postseason play next week in a best-of-3 series played on the home ice of the higher seed. In the Western Conference right now, it'd be Indiana hosting Waterloo and Team USA hosting Muskegon.