RoughRiders win again, beat Fargo in shootout

CEDAR RAPIDS - Their post-holiday run just keeps getting better and better.

Jeff Costello scored as the fifth and final shooter in an exhilirating shootout, as the Cedar Rapids RoughRiders outlasted Fargo, 3-2, in an exhilirating USHL game last night before 3,626 fans at The Stable.

Zach Lehrke, David Boehm and Eric Robinson also connected to help Cedar Rapids win the shootout, 4-3. Costello and Bryce Aneloski scored in regulation.

“We'll take it,” said RoughRiders Coach Mark Carlson. “We've said all year that we've had a team concept ... We threw a lot of pucks at the cage, and we found a way to win in the shootout.”

How good have the Riders been since the holiday break? Check these numbers out.

Cedar Rapids is 17-3-1, with all four losses coming by just one goal. The RoughRiders have won six in a row and 13 of 14 (the only loss coming in overtime) to improve their point total to 63 on a 30-15-3 record.

Just as amazing is Cedar Rapids is still 11 points behind East Division leader Green Bay. The Gamblers are 35-8-4.

"We're playing as a team," said Riders goaltender Troy Grosenick. "Everyone is playing for the guy next to them. That's a really powerful thing."

"It takes awhile for teams to come together," said RoughRiders Coach Mark Carlson. "The kids have put more work into that, I think. Getting to know each other, spending more time with each other. We've done some activities, had some discussions on what it means to be a team. That's how you become successful."

Cedar Rapids scored first, with Aneloski netting his 14th of the season at 14:54 of the second period. Aneloski went deep into the Fargo zone from his defense position and punched home a rebound of an original shot by Cason Hohmann that was saved by goalie Dayn Belfour, son of former NHL netminding great Ed Belfour.

The lead was short lived, however, as Fargo's Chase Grant tied things at 1-1 just 1:32 later. In front of the net, Grant took a centering feed from behind the goal from J.P. Burkemper and directed it past Grosenick.

Cedar Rapids went ahead, 2-1, in the opening minute of the third period. In the dying seconds of a power play, defenseman Tommy Fallen took a shot that Belfour saved, but Costello was unchecked in front and poked the puck past Belfour.

But the RoughRiders couldn't close it out in regulation. A failure to clear the puck at the bottom of the faceoff circle resulted in Matt Leitner feeding Grant, alone in front, with the Fargo captain tying the game with 56 seconds remaining.

Here's video of the fifth shootout shooters for both clubs: Marek Hrbas of Fargo (who misses) and Costello.