TAMING THE ROUGHRIDERS: The U17s will face-off against the Cedar Rapids RoughRiders in the Eastern Conference First Round of the Clark Cup playoffs starting on Monday, Apr. 15 at Cedar Rapids Ice Arena. All three games in the best-of-three series will be hosted by the higher seeded Cedar Rapids RoughRiders.

Team USA’s season series record against the RoughRiders was 0-2-0-1 (W-L-OTL-SOL)..

The RoughRiders finished their season with a record of 36-21-3-2 (W-L-OTL-SOL) for 62 points, fourth in the Eastern Conference. They are 3-2-0-0 in their last five games.

The RoughRiders have the tenth-ranked offense, recording 188 goals for, and hold thes second best defense, allowing 161 goals against. Jason Polin is tied for seventh in goals scored with 30. Nathan Smith is fifteenth in assists with 35.

Cedar Rapids has the twelfth best power play, scoring 17.7% of the time, and they have scored the tenth most power play goals with 42. Jason Polin is fourth in power play goals with 12. The RoughRiders have allowed the sixth most short-handed goals against at eight, and they are ninth for the fewest short-handed goals for, only scoring five all season.

Cedar Rapids has outscored Team USA, 12 to 4, over their three-game season series. Team USA also trails in shots, recording 52 versus Cedar Rapids’ 87. Cedar Rapids has been better on the power play against Team USA scoring on two of their ten opportunities while Team USA did not record a goal on their nine opportunities.

In the most recent matchup on Mar. 16, Landon Slaggert (South Bend, Ind.) scored in the U.S. National Under-17 Team’s 2-1 shootout loss. Ty Smilanic (Elizabeth, Colo.) and Dylan Peterson (Roseville, Calif.) tallied assists on the goal, while Drew Commesso (Norwell, Mass.) made 22 saves in net. The RoughRiders ultimately took the game in a seven-round shootout.

RoughRiders Top Scorers

Nathan Smith (18-35-53 in 59 GP)
Jason Polin (30-20-50 in 59 GP)
Liam Walsh (25-19-44 in 62 GP)

RoughRiders Plus/Minus Leaders

Nathan Smith (+35)
Grant Silianoff (+14)
Aidan McDonough (+12)

RoughRiders Goaltender

Blake Pietila (30-13-3-1 in 47 GP, 2.30 GAA, .912 SV%)

2018-19 Results/Schedule vs. RoughRiders

Nov. 16, 2018, U17s vs Cedar Rapids RoughRiders (L, 4-3)
Mar. 15, 2019, U17s @ Cedar Rapids RoughRiders (L, 6-0)
Mar. 16, 2019, U17s @ Cedar Rapids RoughRiders (SOL, 2-1)

NTDP All-Time Record vs. Cedar Rapids RoughRiders
15-25-3 (W-L-OTL)
Home: 11-11-0
Road: 4-14-3