I was surprised to see that there were actually photographers on hand at the "Battle of Iowa" this past weekend. There's some great pictures available on the USHL Website.
I want to know who can come up with the best caption for photo #2. Geesh.
September 22, 2009
It's time for the Fall Classic!
Following this last weekend's "Battle of Iowa" the USHL's fall classic tournament is taking place this weekend. It should be a really interesting tournament...every year each team has something about them that stands out from the others. It's kind of neat to be able to see how each team works and what their strategy for the season is going to be. I'm interested to find out how the west division plays. For some reason they always seem to have some of the strongest teams...especially in Sioux Falls and Omaha. I suppose good coaching, solid organizations and a great fan base make for teams that can dominate. In the east I'm obviously looking to see how Cedar Rapids does (Waterloo...hopefully they lose), and then Greenbay. It's not to say that this weekend will necessarily determine which team will be the powerhouse this season, but I think it's a pretty realistic game atmosphere. Hopefully none of the players freak out under the pressure. Another nice thing will be that B2 networks are broadcasting the games online. The schedule is as follows:
Thursday, September 24th
Indiana vs. Lincoln, 10:00 AM
Green Bay vs. Des Moines, 1:00 PM
Team USA vs. Tri-City, 4:00 PM
Cedar Rapids vs. Sioux City, 7:00 PM
Friday, September 25th
Green Bay vs. Lincoln, 10:00 AM
Waterloo vs. Sioux Falls, 1:00 PM
Indiana vs. Fargo, 4:00 PM
Team USA vs. Sioux City, 7:00 PM
Saturday, September 26th
Youngstown vs. Tri-City, 10:00 AM
Indiana vs. Sioux Falls, 1:00 PM
Chicago vs. Waterloo, 4:00 PM
Omaha vs. Sioux City, 7:00 PM
Thursday, September 24th
Indiana vs. Lincoln, 10:00 AM
Green Bay vs. Des Moines, 1:00 PM
Team USA vs. Tri-City, 4:00 PM
Cedar Rapids vs. Sioux City, 7:00 PM
Friday, September 25th
Green Bay vs. Lincoln, 10:00 AM
Waterloo vs. Sioux Falls, 1:00 PM
Indiana vs. Fargo, 4:00 PM
Team USA vs. Sioux City, 7:00 PM
Saturday, September 26th
Youngstown vs. Tri-City, 10:00 AM
Indiana vs. Sioux Falls, 1:00 PM
Chicago vs. Waterloo, 4:00 PM
Omaha vs. Sioux City, 7:00 PM
September 21, 2009
Riders place well in "Battle of Iowa"
This weekend officially kicked off the hockey preseason in Cedar Rapids. The Riders defeated arch-rival Waterloo 4-2 on Saturday night but fell to the tournament-winning Sioux City. Second place isn't too bad considering it's so early in the process for a lot of these guys and they really played their hearts out.
The rink's new atmosphere looked great too. The renovations are complete and now the RoughRider staff is working out all of the technical kinks before the season actually starts. It's good that they're using this time efficiently so we don't have any screwups during the home opener that brings in a big crowd.
Marketing is finally starting to think about selling tickets this year and has come up with new ideas including the creation of the "Rider Town USA" song. I'm not quite sure what to think. Corny? Somewhat. I don't think it'd be a bad thing to just have playing while people are filing in though. Definitely wouldn't use it pre-intro...it's kindof an excitement killer.
The rink's new atmosphere looked great too. The renovations are complete and now the RoughRider staff is working out all of the technical kinks before the season actually starts. It's good that they're using this time efficiently so we don't have any screwups during the home opener that brings in a big crowd.
Marketing is finally starting to think about selling tickets this year and has come up with new ideas including the creation of the "Rider Town USA" song. I'm not quite sure what to think. Corny? Somewhat. I don't think it'd be a bad thing to just have playing while people are filing in though. Definitely wouldn't use it pre-intro...it's kindof an excitement killer.
September 18, 2009
Let the trades begin...
A true testament that the season is right around the corner: trades are already occuring in the USHL. Cedar Rapids has just aquired another new goaltender. Now the competition for playing time will be very tight.
LANCERS TRADE GOALTENDER ROHRKEMPER TO CEDAR RAPIDS Thursday, September 17, 2009 - Submitted by Dan Fremuth The Omaha Lancers of the United States Hockey League (USHL) completed a trade today sending goaltender Eric Rohrkemper to the Cedar Rapids RoughRiders in exchange for defenseman Jacob Downing. Downing, a second round selection in the 2009 USHL Futures Draft, will be placed on Omaha’s 1993 protected list and is expected to compete for a spot on the 2010-2011 Lancers roster.Meanwhile, Rohrkemper, a 6’0”, 170 pound netminder from Grosse Point Woods, Minnesota will head to Cedar Rapids where he will look to compete for one of the goaltending jobs this season with the RoughRiders. With the departure of Rohrkemper, the Lancers have just two remaining goaltenders in veteran Jeff Teglia and newcomer Joe Phillippi.
LANCERS TRADE GOALTENDER ROHRKEMPER TO CEDAR RAPIDS Thursday, September 17, 2009 - Submitted by Dan Fremuth The Omaha Lancers of the United States Hockey League (USHL) completed a trade today sending goaltender Eric Rohrkemper to the Cedar Rapids RoughRiders in exchange for defenseman Jacob Downing. Downing, a second round selection in the 2009 USHL Futures Draft, will be placed on Omaha’s 1993 protected list and is expected to compete for a spot on the 2010-2011 Lancers roster.Meanwhile, Rohrkemper, a 6’0”, 170 pound netminder from Grosse Point Woods, Minnesota will head to Cedar Rapids where he will look to compete for one of the goaltending jobs this season with the RoughRiders. With the departure of Rohrkemper, the Lancers have just two remaining goaltenders in veteran Jeff Teglia and newcomer Joe Phillippi.
Ice Hawks hockey almost here!
With only a week before the Ice Hawks begin their season there's many questions to be answered. Will the black team flourish under the direction of a new coach? Will the gold team continue their success of last year? Who will be the breakout team player? Who will fall off the bench? Only time will tell but it's exciting to think about!
September 17, 2009
Sometimes it so hard to walk away...
After having a mild breakdown today while talking to a Professor, I've begun to think more about sports injuries and how they affect an athlete's psyche. There has to be something in one's chemistry that makes them so passionate about a certain aspect of their life that they can't imagine living without it. I guess that's what hockey was for me.
It seems stupid and childish that I still find myself crying (or at least wanting to cry) whenever I think about not being able to play competitive hockey ever again, but now I finally realize that I'm not the only one who has had to overcome the emotional pain of walking away. For awhile I refused to accept that my injuries weren't healing and tried to play anyway. I suppose this was counterproductive because now the memories of my last season on the ice are of a horrible wins record and a despicable GAA.
The first person that I thought of who has gone through the same things is Cedar Rapids hockey director Kevin Brooks. I see him on the ice skating all the time with the kids and coaching. In my mind I still see Kevin playing hockey just as I did when I was a 12-year-old fan of his, but in truth he is actually retired from the sport because of multiple concussions. For some reason I had never stopped to think that he's gone through the same feelings that I have.
For us, hockey isn't just a game. It's always been a way of life. The one constant that you're always working towards and you don't even think twice about until it's gone. I still wake up in the mornings at 6 a.m. to run and lift weights. I still (try) to watch my diet. I still do skating drills and use the BOSU ball to quicken my butterfly. Training becomes a part of you and losing the game leaves a void in your heart. It's hard to explain until you're there...and in hockey it's not a rare occurrence.
Take the hockey great Al Macinnis' story as an example. His career ended with an eye injury. I bet he didn't see that coming.
Alright that was a horrible joke. Just had to lighten the mood.
It seems stupid and childish that I still find myself crying (or at least wanting to cry) whenever I think about not being able to play competitive hockey ever again, but now I finally realize that I'm not the only one who has had to overcome the emotional pain of walking away. For awhile I refused to accept that my injuries weren't healing and tried to play anyway. I suppose this was counterproductive because now the memories of my last season on the ice are of a horrible wins record and a despicable GAA.
The first person that I thought of who has gone through the same things is Cedar Rapids hockey director Kevin Brooks. I see him on the ice skating all the time with the kids and coaching. In my mind I still see Kevin playing hockey just as I did when I was a 12-year-old fan of his, but in truth he is actually retired from the sport because of multiple concussions. For some reason I had never stopped to think that he's gone through the same feelings that I have.
For us, hockey isn't just a game. It's always been a way of life. The one constant that you're always working towards and you don't even think twice about until it's gone. I still wake up in the mornings at 6 a.m. to run and lift weights. I still (try) to watch my diet. I still do skating drills and use the BOSU ball to quicken my butterfly. Training becomes a part of you and losing the game leaves a void in your heart. It's hard to explain until you're there...and in hockey it's not a rare occurrence.
Take the hockey great Al Macinnis' story as an example. His career ended with an eye injury. I bet he didn't see that coming.
Alright that was a horrible joke. Just had to lighten the mood.
...and it begins...
The RoughRiders faced off with arch-rival Waterloo on Wednesday night. Sure, the game was preseason and more or less to get a feel for the skill level of other teams, but it was taken just as seriously as a third round playoff game by the players and fans.
Whether it's a distance of only 60 miles or the difference in crowd attitudes, I just don't think Cedar Rapids fans will ever like Waterloo fans, and the players will certainly never get along. Last night's game wasn't any different than any other match-up there's been: lots of penalties and fighting. I suppose it's good for getting fans pumped up as long as the game doesn't turn into a goon match.
Cedar Rapids ended up winning 6-3 over the Hawks, and I have to admit as a Cedar Rapids fan, I really can't complain about much. I try to be fair to both sides, but I'm a hockey fan. I just really don't like Waterloo and never will. There's a slew of other words and phrases I could use to describe my feelings but I'll just resort to letting this youtube video to say what I think Waterloo accomplished last night.
Major fail!
Boxscore from pointstreak:
Whether it's a distance of only 60 miles or the difference in crowd attitudes, I just don't think Cedar Rapids fans will ever like Waterloo fans, and the players will certainly never get along. Last night's game wasn't any different than any other match-up there's been: lots of penalties and fighting. I suppose it's good for getting fans pumped up as long as the game doesn't turn into a goon match.
Cedar Rapids ended up winning 6-3 over the Hawks, and I have to admit as a Cedar Rapids fan, I really can't complain about much. I try to be fair to both sides, but I'm a hockey fan. I just really don't like Waterloo and never will. There's a slew of other words and phrases I could use to describe my feelings but I'll just resort to letting this youtube video to say what I think Waterloo accomplished last night.
Major fail!
Boxscore from pointstreak:
| GAME DETAILS | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
| | ||
|
| PENALTIES |
| Period 1 |
| Waterloo - Colton Warner - (Slashing), 2 min, 8:11 Cedar Rapids - Zach Carriveau - (Checking from Behind), 2 min, 8:50 Cedar Rapids - Nick Lappin - (Interference), 2 min, 13:08 Waterloo - Blake Thompson - (Holding), 2 min, 16:33 Waterloo - Tony Turgeon - (Cross Checking), 2 min, 17:00 Cedar Rapids - Stephen Collins - (Slashing), 2 min, 19:13 |
| Period 2 |
| Cedar Rapids - Derek Deblois - (Tripping), 2 min, 8:53 Cedar Rapids - Thomas Mahoney - (Hooking), 2 min, 12:17 Waterloo - Nick Ebert - (Roughing), 2 min, 19:24 |
| Period 3 |
| Cedar Rapids - Peter Sakaris - (Roughing), 2 min, 3:50 Waterloo - Steven Hoshaw - (Roughing), 2 min, 3:50 Waterloo - J.T. Brown - (Fighting Major), 5 min, 5:11 Cedar Rapids - Thomas Mahoney - (Fighting Major), 5 min, 5:11 Waterloo - Patrick Divjak - (Slashing), 2 min, 5:59 Cedar Rapids - Jayson Megna - (Slashing), 2 min, 12:24 Cedar Rapids - Nick Lappin - (Tripping), 2 min, 14:55 Waterloo - Dan Sova - (Roughing), 2 min, 18:58 Cedar Rapids - Thomas Mahoney - (Delay of Game), 2 min, 18:58 |
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