RoughRiders trade goalie Birdsall

CEDAR RAPIDS - The Cedar Rapids RoughRiders traded goaltender Chris Birdsall to the Youngstown Phantoms on Sunday for a fifth-round draft pick in the second phase of the upcoming United States Hockey League Draft.

Phase One of the draft is Monday, Phase Two Tuesday.

Birdsall, 17, is a Boston College commitment who signed a pre-draft tender with the RoughRiders in spring 2012. He was 17-22 with a 3.50 goals against average and .877 save percentage in 43 games the past two seasons.

Danny Tirone took over the unquestioned number one goalie spot for the Riders the second half of the 2013-14 season and will return for 2014-15. The RoughRiders will pick up a fifth-round draft pick in 2015 if Birdsall's save percentage is .901 or better this coming season.

The United States Hockey League officially announced Sunday what everyone already knew. The Indiana Ice are going dark.

Officially the word is 'dormant.” The bottom line is the team will not play the 2014-15 season while its ownership tries to find financing for a new facility.

The Ice are the Eastern Conference champions and will play the Waterloo Black Hawks in the Clark Cup finals. Included is the USHL press release about the dormancy.