RoughRiders rally for win to close great regular season

CEDAR RAPIDS - Don't call it a week of rest, relaxation and recuperation. Don't dare call it that.

The Cedar Rapids RoughRiders have 11 days until their next game, but there's plenty of work to do in that time.

“What we're saying is it's not time off,” said RoughRiders Coach Mark Carlson. “We'll get the appropriate rest, time off the ice, but we want to educate everybody ... that this is getting-better time.”

Carlson's Crew concluded their USHL regular season last night with four goals in the third period for a 4-2 win over Team USA before 3,052 fans at the Cedar Rapids Ice Arena, their franchise record-tying 42nd and record-breaking 90th point.

The Anderson Cup champions (42-12-6) get a first-round bye as a reward for the regular-season points championship. They'll take a couple of days to reflect on what they've accomplished, then it's back to work for what they still want to accomplish. Winning the Clark Cup.

“I think (the time off) can actually work to our advantage,” said Michael Parks, whose 25th goal started the third-period rally. “We just finished up our regular season, we'll get two or three days off the ice, rest our legs, then we'll get back to practice and try and become a better team.”

Success this season hasn't come without trying times. Three guys, including two returnees from last season, were traded, two defensemen (Steven Hensley and Anthony DeAngelo) suffered season-ending injuries, second-year forward Peter Sakaris left about midseason to play in the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League in Canada and returning goaltender Cody Campbell left before Christmas for Niagara University.

The Riders were as many as 10 points behind Green Bay for first place in the Eastern Conference in late February but Cedar Rapids went 16-2-1 to catch the Gamblers and pass them.

"I just think our guys have worked hard all year," Carlson said. "They've worked hard in practice, they've listened, took care of themselves. Our team last year finished strong as well. They've worked at it, and they've stayed hungry."

Backup goaltender Cole Bruns won his first USHL game last night and Gage Hough scored his first USHL goal to tie it. Ryan McGrath's winner came with 3:39 left and he added an empty netter in the dying seconds.

Great win to end a great regular season.

In the Eastern Conference, it's Waterloo at Indiana and Muskegon at Team USA in best-of-3 first-round series. Cedar Rapids will play the lowest-seeded first-round winner in a best-of-5 second-round playoff series that begins April 20.

Below is a link to the game boxscore and more videos from Friday night's shootout and postgame Anderson Cup ceremony: