CRANBERRY TOWNSHIP, Pa. — How’s that for a United States Hockey League debut?
Robby Newton picked up a hat trick Thursday afternoon as the Cedar Rapids RoughRiders won their regular-season opener at the Fall Classic in suburban Pittsburgh, 6-2, over the Youngstown Phantoms.
Newton is an 18-year-old forward from Milwaukee who was a fifth-round pick of the Riders in the 2019 USHL Draft, Phase II. He scored in all three periods, giving his club a 3-0 lead with a goal at 9:37 of the first period, a 4-1 edge with a goal at 10:37 of the second and a 5-1 lead with a goal 1:50 into the third.
Cedar Rapids dominated this game, winning the shots-on-goal battle by a decisive 42-19 edge. Donte Lawson and Ben Meehan also had goals in the first period, with returnee Jack O’Leary picking up the RoughRiders’ other marker.
Alex Gagne was the only Cedar Rapids player with multiple assists (two). Derek Mullahy notched the victory in net.
The Riders conclude their portion of the Fall Classic by playing Omaha at noon Friday.