Third-period shoot mentality pulls one out for Riders

CEDAR RAPIDS - It's not cool to dangle the puck. OK, it looks cool, but the Cedar Rapids RoughRiders are told it's cooler to shoot.

They took that mentality into the third period of last night's game against the Sioux Falls Stampede and it worked.

Left winger Ryan McGrath took a breakout pass from defenseman Tommy Fallen, bolted by a Sioux Falls defender and threw a wrist shot between goalie Stephon Williams' legs for a 4-3 lead just 31 seconds into the third period.

The Riders (32-10-5) made it stand, winning 5-3 in a matchup between 60-plus point teams in the United States Hockey League.

“It's not cool to do a bunch of fancy things with the puck, but it is cool to shoot it,” McGrath said. “We took that into the third period. We wanted to get pucks on the net.”

McGrath's game-winner was textbook “shoot” mentality. Williams stopped the Riders all night on better chances than the low wrist shot McGrath unleashed from the boards.

“Ryan's playing well,” Riders Coach Mark Carlson said. “We want him to shoot the puck more and he made that work for himself in the third period.”

A wild first period settled in the second, when Cedar Rapids held Sioux Falls to just two shots on goal, taking a 25-13 lead in shots. Sioux Falls (28-16-6) finished with 18 shots, getting off just seven after the first period.

“We had a couple chances to block shots in the first period and didn't,” Carlson said. “We contested more after that.”

McGrath finished with a goal (his 10th) and two assists. Right wing Michael Parks scored two first-period goals. Center Cason Hohmann had a goal and assist.

“We've got some good chemistry going,” McGrath said. “We talk a lot out there and that showed up tonight.”

The Riders jumped on the board just 36 seconds off the puck drop.

Parks took a feed from McGrath and beat a couple Sioux Falls defenders to his right and through the slot. He drew Williams left and fired a wrister into the open net on the right. It was Park's 20th goal this season.

The momentum didn't last long.

Sioux Falls tied it with 14:48 left in the first when right winger Ryan Jacobson set up in front of Riders goalie Brady Hjelle and tipped inClark Cristifoli's slap shot from the point.

Later, after McGrath gave C.R. the lead in the first minute of the third, center Jayson Megna scored his team-high 27th goal of the season, a quick wrister from the far wing, for a 5-3 lead with 9:45 left.

[nggallery id=491]