Roughriders on win streak after 3-2 win over Waterloo

CEDAR RAPIDS - Remember that doom-and-gloom feeling from last week? Forget about it.

Amazing what a little three-game win streak will do to lift everyone's spirits. That's what the Cedar Rapids RoughRiders have after last night's 3-2 win over the rival Waterloo Black Hawks before a sold-out house of 4,320 at the Cedar Rapids Ice Arena.

“It was a good weekend,” RoughRiders Coach Mark Carlson said. “But in this league, you move on to the next game. We're concerned with the Indiana Ice now.”

That the Riders' next opponent Friday night. Cedar Rapids (29-10-5, 63 points) leads Indiana by four points for second place in the USHL East with two games in hand.

The RoughRiders seemed on the verge of being passed by the Ice a week ago after three straight tough losses. But they've rebounded, building a 3-0 lead early in the second period last night and holding on.

“I didn't think we hung on at all,” Carlson said. “I thought we did a good job of keeping things to the outside. We played real strong there when they pulled the goalie. Like I've said all along, Waterloo's a good club.”

The Black Hawks (15-21-7, 37) are suffering an uncharacteristically tough season and have some significant injuries.

They hung tough, however, after Michael Parks, Justin Kovacs and Andy Simpson scored goals to end goaltender Jay Williams' night just a minute into the second period. Gunnar Hughes scored a power-play goal late in the second, then the Hawks ended a 5-on-5 scoring drought of about 200 minutes with another Hughes goal midway through the period.

Waterloo held a shots on goal edge of 43-25, although most of the shots were innocuous ones goalie Brady Hjelle had no problems with.

“Scoring chances are obviously the most important thing,” Carlson said. “Obviously we need to do some things better not to give up 42 shots. You don't want to give up 42. But I thought we did a good job of keeping them to the outside.”