Tuesday, December 28, 2010

Roughriders Open Richmond Midget Tournament with Back to Back Wins

Vancouver, British Columbia - The Rocky Mountain Roughrider U16 team opened the Richmond International Midget Hockey Tournament with back to back wins.

On Monday afternoon at the Richmond Ice Centre Igloo, the Rocky Mountain Roughriders squared off against the Mission Stars. Keegan McCarthy got the puck rolling for the Roughriders netting an unassisted goal at the 8:01 mark of the first period. The Roughriders had strong puck movement and showed a lot of energy during the first period considering the substantial amount of travel that was required to get the team to Vancouver.

Thomas Jarman connected with Colin Biebel at 11:45 of the first to give the Roughriders a solid 2-0 lead. The penalties in the first period were almost equal with the Stars getting called for two minor infractions and the Roughriders sitting for one. The second period was more of an equal defensive battle with neither team able to light the lamp in the second period. The Roughriders headed to the locker room after the second with a 2-0 lead.

Mark Ferguson trimmed the lead to one goal when he put the Stars on the board just 1:08 into the third period. Michael Buonincontri recovered the two goal lead when, about a minute later, he netted an unassisted goal putting the Roughriders up 3-1.

They say that a 3-1 lead is the toughest lead in hockey. You are not far enough ahead to consider the game is under control but you are far enough ahead that sometimes teams get complacent and that is exactly what happened at 6:50 of the third period when Mark Ferguson popped his second goal of the game trimming the lead back to one at 3-2.

It took the Roughriders about 6 minutes to respond when RJ Salvato took a Nathan Guymon and Hunter Clark pass and extended the lead to two goals again. With time running out in the third, Thomas Jarman took a Colin Biebel pass and sealed the win for the Roughriders.

Hunter Clark was given the game MVP award by the Tournament association. 

On Tuesday afternoon the Roughriders faced off against the Seattle Jr. Admirals. From the outset, it was apparent that the travel had finally caught up with the Roughriders. Every player's feet looked heavy and every stride was labored. However, remarkably, the Roughriders were able to get away with a 5-3 victory.

Michael Buonincontri put the Roughriders on the board first when he beat Sean Healy on the short side with passes from Adam Durkee and Yannick Crete at 0:31 of the first period. Kai Wilkins brought the game to 1 goal a piece when he snuck the puck passed Roughrider netminder Evan McCarthy. Just before the close of the first period, Yannick Crete buried a Buonincontri pass to take a 2-1 lead into the second period.

Yannick Crete worked hard and was in the right place at the right time when he grabbed a feed from Lucas Blomquist and stretched the Roughrider lead to 3-1. The Jr. Admirals were not going away and made it a one goal game at 9:56 of the second when Brad Lelievre sparked a comeback rally. The Roughriders skated into the intermission with a scant 3-2 lead.

The intermission pep talk from John Paris, Jr. did the trick as the Roughriders returned to the ice with more energy and more emotion. A slight miscue at 2:43 of the third period by the Roughriders allowed the Jr. Admirals to trim the lead back to one.  Just over a minute later at 3:56 of the third, RJ Salvato gave the Roughriders a bit of breathing room pushing the lead back out to 4-3. It wasn't until 18:01 in the third that Colin Biebel gave the Roughriders an insurance goal. The Roughriders skated out the rest of the game and were quite lucky to come away with a 5-3 victory.

The Roughriders advance to 2-0 in Round Robin play and face the Semiahmoo Ravens tomorrow at Richmond Oval North.


Game 1 Official Gamesheet

Game 2 Official Gamesheet

Monday, December 27, 2010

Roughriders Head to Vancouver, British Columbia for the Richmond International Midget Hockey Tournament

Westminister, CO - The Rocky Mountain Roughrider U16 AAA team traveled to Vancouver, British Columbia yesterday via Salt Lake City and Seattle, Washington to take part in the Richmond International Midget Hockey Tournament. The team will be in Canada from December 26th until January 1st.

The Roughriders get underway this morning with a 12:45MST start against the Mission Stars. The teams will be skating at the Richmond Ice Centre Igloo.

The complete playing schedule is as follows:

Round Robin Play
December 27: 11:45am (PST) Game 1 vs Mission Stars. Richmond Ice Centre (Igloo rink)
December 28: 12:30pm (PST) Game 2 vs Seattle Jr Admirals. Richmond Ice Centre (Igloo rink)
December 29: 1:00pm (PST) Game 4 vs Semiahmoo Ravens A1. Olympic Oval Arena (Oval rink)

Tournament Play
December 30:
Quarter Finals
10:00 am Yzerman Seed 2 @ Richmond Ice Centre (Gardens rink)
12:00 pm Yzerman Seed 1 @ Richmond Ice Centre (Igloo rink)

Consolation games (...probably will not apply to a JPJ coached team!)
2:45 pm Yzerman Seed 4 @ Minoru Arena (Stadium rink) (walk)
2:45 pm Yzerman Seed 3 @ Richmond Ice Centre (Garage rink)

Semi Finals
5:30 pm If Winner of Seed 2 game. @ Richmond Ice Centre (Pond rink)
5:30 pm If Winner of Seed 1 game. @ Richmond Ice Centre (Gardens rink)

Championship Play
December 31:
9:30 am Bronze Medal game @ Richmond Ice Centre (Coliseum rink) (hotel shuttle to rink)
11:15 am Gold Medal game @ Minoru Arena (Stadium rink) (walk to rink)

Follow all the action by clicking this Pointstreak Link.

Monday, December 13, 2010

Roughriders sputter and get lucky to tie Tbirds 2-2

Denver, CO - December 11, 2010 - It is hard to imagine that the same two teams played each other almost exactly 24 hours earlier. Neither team was the same as they were in the previous game. Where the Roughriders could do no wrong the night before, they could do no right tonight. Conversely, the Thunderbirds played exceptional hockey. There is no telling why this game wasn't a blow out in favor of the Thunderbirds, but the Roughriders maintained some semblance of composure in the third and pulled out a miraculous tie.

The Roughriders did manage to get on the board first when Felix Jarry finished what Thomas Jarman and Joey Marchese had started. Jarry found the net at 9:03 of the first giving Roughriders the early 1-0 lead. The Roughriders carried the lead early into the second when Jesse Shelton put the Thunderbirds on the board. The Thunderbirds continued to control the pace of the game and struck gold at 10:44 of the second when Carter Brodeur put the Thunderbirds up 2-1.

The entire second period was marred with penalties, however neither team was able to capitalize with the man advantage. After the ice make between the 2nd and 3rd periods, the Roughriders looked to take control of the game. However they struggled to stay in the game. The Roughriders caught a fortuitous break when RJ Salvato the game tying goal at 6:15 of the third period.

The Roughriders have been on the ice 18 of the last 19 days and it finally caught up with them. This team is in need of some rest and recuperation before the push to playoffs.


Official Gamesheet

Sunday, December 12, 2010

Roughriders Blank Thunderbirds 5-0

Westminister, CO - December 10, 2010 - In their second matchup in the same number of weeks, the Rocky Mountain Roughriders U16 team blanked the Colorado Thunderbirds 5-0 in front of a sell out crowd on the green rink at the Promenade Ice Arena. The Roughriders played a very solid game with very few mistakes while the Thunderbirds couldn't establish any control on either side of the ice.

Hunter Clark got things going early when he made sure George Gruber's shot made it over the line giving the Roughriders a 1-0 lead. The Roughriders never looked back as things continued to go their way. Keegan McCarthy hoped on the scoring bandwagon when his slapshot from the point found its way to the back of the net. A ridiculous celebration ensued as the Roughriders notched up the lead to 2-0.

Colin Biebel was the Roughrider to try his hand at scoring. He pulled the trigger on a laser from the hash marks beating Chase Horton to give the Roughriders a comfortable 3 goal lead. The Roughriders and Thunderbirds exchanged penalties in the second and allowing Thomas Jarman to step in and net a power play goal with assists going to Lance Pennington and a rare assist to the goalie, Joakim Jutras. The Roughriders powerplay was 1 for 5 on the evening while the Thunderbird's usually potent powerplay went 0 for 4.

The Roughriders closed out the scoring in the third when Joey Marchese found paydirt at the 3:25 mark putting the Roughriders up for good at 5-0.

The game was a sheer pleasure to watch as almost everything seemed to be clicking for the Roughriders and the team was playing well as a unit.


Official Gamesheet

Tuesday, December 7, 2010

Roughriders go 4-1 in NAPHL Showcase in Boston

Foxboro, MA - The Rocky Mountain Roughriders U16 AAA team went 4-1-0 in showcase play improving their overall league record to 10-5-0. The Roughriders are currently tied for sixth place in the league with 20 points and must post strong numbers in upcoming Showcases in order to advance to the NAPHL playoffs. The league takes the top six teams. Currently, 3 points separates the top six teams. The battle at the top of the league is fierce and every win counts.


Roughriders 4 vs. San Jose Jr. Sharks 1

On Friday, December 3rd the Roughriders defeated the San Jose Jr. Sharks 4-1. The Roughriders were in control in all 3 of the 17 minute periods. Michael Buonincontri, Yannick Crete and Adam Durkee continued to be the hot line in this match tallying a combined 4 points. The Roughrider's outshot the Sharks 29-21 with Joakim Jutras earning the win.
Official Gamesheet

Roughriders 2 vs. Omaha 3

Later on that day the Roughriders ran into top placed Omaha who was fresh off an overtime shootout loss earlier that morning. The teams were both hungry for a win and bragging rights in NAPHL play. From the opening faceoff it was a dog-fight. Both benches were fired up. The Roughriders struck first netting the opening goal at 2:58 of the second period when Yannick Crete hit Adam Durkee with a pass in slot. Durkee made no mistake roofing the puck in the top of twine.

Omaha would answer later in the period and get the next two goals giving them a 2-1 margin. Joey Marchese brought the tilt back to even when he pounded in a Thomas Jarman rebound shot. Each team swapped momentum several times throughout the third and it looked like this one was headed for a shootout until the Roughrider's were called for an untimely infraction and Omaha converted on the ensuing powerplay putting the game away. The Roughriders drop the match 2-3 and were 1-1 in the Showcase so far.

Shots on goal were very even with Omaha putting 21 on net and the Roughriders putting up 20.
Official Gamesheet

Roughriders 6 vs. Indianpolis Jr. Ice 0

On Saturday morning the Roughriders were on the ice early and beat the Indiana Jr. Ice 6-0. The two teams had met before at the Chicago Nike Bauer Tournament in a 2-period playoff shortened game where the Roughriders got the nod and advanced to the next round sending the Jr. Ice home.

To say that the Jr. Ice wanted retribution would be an understatement. The Jr. Ice hit the ice like a cornered wolverine. They outraced the Roughriders to every loose puck, hit every check and generally put more effort on the ice for the first period, however the momentum swung 180 degrees when Yannick Crete put Lucas Blomquist's shot from the point in on the rebound. The Roughriders weathered the storm and came out in the second period with a new lease on life and turned the momentum table.

It was pretty much all Roughriders from the second period until the final buzzer. Braiden Miller and Lance Pennington topped all scorers with 2 points, however 13 of the 20 players on the Roughriders scored at least one point. That is a very balanced and potent offense.

Evan McCarthy got the start and win in net stopping all 18 shots and recording a shutout.
Official Gamesheet

Roughriders 5 vs. Texas Tornado 1

Saturday afternoon saw the Roughriders at Iorio Arena on the Olympic Rink take on the Texas Tornado. The Roughriders outshot the Tornado 41-13 and controlled the pace of play from the opening faceoff until the final buzzer.

Michael Buonincontri tallied a hat trick while RJ Salvato and Hunter Clark also buried the puck for the Roughriders. Evan McCarthy got his second start in the same day and stopped 12 of 13 shots and looked very solid in net.
Official Gamesheet


Roughriders 5 vs. Lansing Capitals 2

Sunday, December 5, 2010 Foxboro Sports Center Rink 2 the Roughriders stepped on the ice to take on the Lansing Capitals. The Capitals have struggled in NAPHL play so far this year posting a record of 1-12-2. This game would prove no different as the Roughriders had little trouble dispatching the Capitals. Michael Buonincontri, Adam Durkee and Nathan Guymon had the first three goals in the match before the Capitals got on the board.

The offensive output from the Roughriders was still a bit apathetic as it seemed the boys did only what they needed to do to get the win. The Roughriders put up a paltry 15 shots on goal, but did manage to put 5 of those shots in goal. The Capitals, however, out performed the Roughriders in the mediocrity category by posting only 10 shots on goal.


Official Gamesheet

Wednesday, December 1, 2010

3rd Period Rally topples Thunderbirds 7-5

Roughriders beat Tbirds to win CC Showcase
Colorado Springs, CO - Sunday afternoon brought about a match up for the ages. The 13th ranked Rocky Mountain Roughriders faced the 5th ranked Colorado Thunderbirds. The Colorado Thunderbirds U16 AAA team are the reigning National Champions and have a fierce rivalry between the cross town Rocky Mountain Roughriders.

You may have had a full seat for this match but you really only needed the edge of it. The energy and pace of play in the game was nuclear! Both teams played as if it were the national championship.

Adam Durkee gave the Roughriders the lead when he took a Yannick Crete pass, bent that 87 flex stick in half and buried the biscuit where grandpa hides his dentures. 1-0 Roughriders!

The 1-0 lead only lasted a few minutes. At 13:00 of the first period Carter Brodeur found the puck on the back door and cranked it in evening the tilt at 1 goal a piece.  At 15:17 of the first period Lucas Blomquist fired a laser from the point that found its way to the back of the net catching all 12 players on the ice by surprise. An amazing slapshot opened up a 1 goal lead heading into the second period.

The second period didn't go so well for the Roughriders. Penalty trouble spoiled the tempo and opened the door for the Thunderbirds who have a lethal powerplay.  At 10:21 of the second period, Ian Mansfield netted the tying goal for the Thunderbirds.  At 17:57 of the second period, Michael Buonincontri and Nathan Guymon were both assessed penalties, roughing and hooking respectively. The Thunderbirds took advantage of these penalties scoring on the 5 on 3 advantage and scoring several seconds later on the 5 on 4 advantage.

The Roughriders went into the locker room for the icemake a bit stunned looking at a 2-4 deficit. What had just happened? In a game with such high level, high talent teams how do you comeback from a two goal deficit? Only a few people will ever know what coach John Paris, Jr. said in the locker room, but whatever it was it should be bottled and sold. It was pure gold.

The Roughriders hit the ice for the third period and right from the opening faceoff took matters into their own hands.  Just 12 seconds into the third period, Michael Buonincontri grabbed the puck off the faceoff, drove into the zone, and fired a shot beating goalie Chase Horton (the official scoresheet states the goal was scored a 3:12, but the scoresheet is based off 20 minute periods instead of the 17 minute periods played at U16AAA). The goal brought the Roughriders back to within 1 goal at 3-4.

At 6:44 of the third, Thomas Jarman struck gold on a shot from the faceoff dot beating Horton for the second time in just over 3 minutes. Horton was pulled and replaced by Jon Strand. The ensuing tirade on the bench by Horton was reminiscent of a John McEnroe meltdown.

The Roughriders found themselves on the powerplay after Thunderbirds player, Tyler Spratte, found himself in the box on an interference call.  The Roughriders setup on the powerplay and moved the puck with purpose. After Crete and Durkee cycled the puck, Buonincontri took the pass and gave the Roughriders a 5-4 lead!

Comebacks of this nature don't come along very often and they are definitely something to behold. But the Roughriders aren't done yet. At 14:15 of the 3rd period, Buonincontri finds himself all alone with the goalie and there was no razzle-dazzle just a clean shot to beat Strand giving the Roughriders a bit of insurance leading 6-4 and netting him a natural hat trick!

As with any quality team, the Thunderbirds weren't going to go away quietly. Evan Feno got the Thunderbirds back into the game with 58 seconds left on the clock. With less than a minute to play it was still a 1 goal game. The Tbirds called a timeout to strategize and rest their players. The Tbirds came out and won the faceoff and controlled the puck in the Roughriders zone. In a botched attempt to pull the goalie the Tbirds couldn't get the extra attacker on. Finally, the goalie headed towards the bench just as the puck changed possession to the Roughriders. Buonincontri scooped up the loose puck and headed towards the promised land. Just over center ice he fired the puck into the empty net to seal the win and record his 4th goal of the period.

In all the years that I have watched hockey, including Stanley Cup playoffs, CHL Championships, Frozen Four Finals this has to be one of the BEST third period comebacks I have ever witnessed. Impressive.

Shots on goal were even at 18 a piece. Joakim Jutras, however, hangs on for the win.



Official Gamesheet

Roughriders beat Tri-City Americans 3-2

Adam Durkee fires a shot on Net
Colorado Springs, CO - On Saturday evening the Rocky Mountain Roughriders U16 AAA team took on the Tri-City Americans. The Tri-City Americans are from South central Washington making them the furthest traveled team at the showcase.

The Roughriders struck first taking a 1-0 lead when Bobby Valdez buried a Colin Biebel pass with the second assist going to Felix Jarry. At 10:22 of the second period the Americans got on the board tying the game at one goal a piece. The two teams retired to the locker room after two periods tied at 1.

The score doesn't always tell the tale of the game. The Roughriders were punishing the Americans after two periods yet the game was tied. Several of the American players were so tired they could barely skate to the bench at the end of their shifts, however they soldiered on. Loren Canada, the Americans goalie, (I know the irony is amazing..right?) was simply stellar in the contest. Canada stopped everything sent his way and left only a few rebounds.

After the icemake the Roughriders got right back to work. Collin Biebel took a pass from Braiden Miller and broke free up the middle of the ice, one deke later and the Roughriders had a 1 goal lead. At 13:31 of the third period Achmat Jappie from the Americans knotted the match back up at 2.

The Roughriders continued to dominate puck possession, yet Canada continued to played amazing between the pipes. At 18:26 of the third period the Roughriders found retribution when Yannick Crete pounded in the rebound from a Lance Pennington shot from the point. The Roughriders finally had the lead that they so deserved.

The final shots in the game were 38-15 in favor of the Roughriders.


Official Gamesheet

Next Game: Roughriders vs. Colorado Thunderbirds U16 

Monday, November 29, 2010

Roughriders drop a close game to California Heat 3-4

Colorado Springs, CO - The Rocky Mountain Roughriders 12 game win streak game to a crashing halt on Saturday morning in the World Arena main ice arena when they weren't able to convert shots on wide open nets for goals.

In a game that is difficult to describe in words, there were a few bright spots. The Roughriders controlled the pace of play throughout most of the game. The Heat goalie, Jackson Germaine, was solid in net stopping the first shot on virtually every attempt, however he did leave a few rebounds sitting on the doorstep that the Roughriders couldn't bang home.

Michael Buonincontri got things started off pounding the first goal home at 15:28 of the first period with assists from Yannick Crete and Lucas Blomquist. The Heat answered back a few minutes later to tie he game at 1 goal a piece.

The Roughriders jumped up 2-1 when at 13:41 of the second period, Lance Pennington ripped a slapshot top corner with assists going to Buonincontri and Durkee. Once again the Heat answer back a few minutes later sending both teams into the locker room with a 2-2 tie.

At 7:29 of the third period Chandler Madry got the game winner for the Heat. The Roughriders had at least 4 solid chances of tying the game, but just couldn't get the puck in the net.


Official Gamesheet

Saturday, November 27, 2010

Roughriders Trample TeamOZ 15-0

Evan McCarthy Stopped All Shots he faced
Colorado Springs, CO - The startup team from Billings, Montana, TeamOZ, were no match for the Roughriders when they stepped on the ice Friday afternoon in Colorado Springs. TeamOZ was outshot 43-11 while only having 11 players on the bench and skating 8 of them.

Scoring was the name of the game and the Roughriders had little trouble in that department. Yannick Crete led the team with 5 points tallying 2 goals and 3 assists. Collin Biebel 4 points along with Michael Buonincontri and Thomas Jarman. Every forward on the team was involved in the scoring and it was a solid team effort from top to bottom.

Evan McCarthy was solid between the pipes stopping every shot he faced.

The Roughriders meet a much tougher California Heat team tomorrow morning on the Main ice sheet at World Arena.


Official Gamesheet

Next Game: Roughriders U16 AAA vs. California Heat

Roughriders U16 top Pikes Peak Miners 3-1

RJ Salvato Carries the Puck Into the Zone
Colorado Springs, CO - In the 4th meeting this year between these two teams the Rocky Mountain Roughriders once again got the upper hand in the matchup and lead the series 4-0. Each game has been well contested, however the Roughriders have been able to get the win in every meeting.

Yannick Crete put the Roughriders up early with a goal at the 5:25 mark of the 1st period. Lance Pennington and Adam Durkee get the assists. The Roughriders seemed to control the pace of play for most of the first period. Things kept going right for the Roughriders when Adam Durkee busted the twine netting the second goal and his second point of the contest at 8:03 of the 1st giving the Roughriders a 2-0 lead.

In AAA hockey mistakes usually cost goals and Alec Butcher made no exception to this rule when he put the biscuit passed Joakim Jutras short-handed at 10:15 of the 2nd period and bringing the Miners back into the game down just 2-1.

The two teams skated fairly evenly throughout the remainder of the second period with both teams trading scoring opportunities.

The third period found the Roughriders playing pretty solid hockey except for a handful of penalties. At the 11:01 mark of the 3rd period Michael Buonincontri roofed the puck for the insurance goal after excellent passes from Crete and Durkee.

The Roughriders were outshot 32-26 in the match.

The Roughriders open up 1-0 in the Colorado College Cup.


Official Gamesheet

Next up: Roughriders U16AAA vs. Team OZ

Tuesday, November 23, 2010

Roughriders U16 head into Thanksgiving Tournament

Head coach John Paris, Jr.
Westminister, CO - Coach John Paris, Jr. takes his Rocky Mountain Roughriders into the weekend to start the Colorado College Showcase tournament in Colorado Springs. The games kick off on Thanksgiving day with the Roughriders taking on the Pikes Peak Miners at 1pm at the Sertich Ice Arena.

Friday afternoon the Roughriders take on Team OZ at the World Arena on the Olympic sheet at 2:15pm. The Roughriders face the California Heat on Saturday morning at 8am on the World Arena main sheet. The team doesn't play again until Saturday evening at 7:30pm when they take on The Americans on the NHL rink at World Arena.

Sunday morning brings about perhaps the most anticipated game of the year to date. The 14th ranked Rocky Mountain Roughrider's take on in-state rival and 4th ranked Colorado Thunderbirds at 11:30am on the World Arena NHL rink. If you are anywhere near the area, be sure to stop in and watch!

Wednesday, November 17, 2010

Roughriders U16 AAA move up to 14th in the Nation

Westminister, CO - The latest polls have come out and the Rocky Mountain Roughriders U16 AAA move up two spots to 14th in the Nation. MyHockeyRankings has moved the Roughriders up this week thanks in part to the Pikes Peak Miners tying Shattuck St. Mary 4-4 and losing the other two games with them by only 2 goals. That is a pretty solid performance against the number 1 team in the Nation.

The teams AGD or Average Goal Differential increased to 2.17 and the Strength of Schedule went up to 11.94. The Roughriders overall record is 19-4-0.

Sunday, November 14, 2010

Roughriders defeat Thunderbirds U15 AAA 6-1

Westminister, CO - The Rocky Mountain Roughriders squared off against in state rivals the Colorado Thunderbirds U15 AAA this morning at the Promenade beating them 6-1 in their first matchup of the season. The Roughriders got straight to work scoring the first goal at 6:00 into the 1st period. Hunter Clark fired a shot onto net and a melee ensued ended with Braiden Miller putting in a Bobby Valdez shot.

The Roughriders continued to move the puck well and were rewarded with more points. At 13:16 of the first period, Lucas Blomquist squeezed the puck past Hayden Hawkey with assists going to Felix Jarry and Thomas Jarman which ended up being the game winner. Almost 15 seconds later Yannick Crete hoped on the scoring bandwagon with tic-tac-toe passing from Michael Buononcontri and Lucas Blomquist.

The Roughriders only netted one goal in the second when Max Ross took a Thomas Jarman pass and beat the goalie on the short side.

After just 1:40 into the final frame, Collin Biebel's shot eluded Hawkey and put the Rougriders up 5-0. The Tbirds weren't ready to go away just yet and after working hard they were rewarded with a Matt Meier goal. The puck kicked off the back boards in an unusual manner and fell right on the stick of Meier.

Hunter Clark tallied the final goal at the 9:05 mark on Felix Jarry's third assist of the game.

The Roughriders outshot the Thunderbirds 35-22. Joakim Jutras and Evan McCarthy shared duties in net for the Roughriders.

Official Gamesheet

Friday, November 12, 2010

Roughriders Rank 16th Nationally after Big Weekend in Chicago

Westminister, CO - The Rocky Mountain Roughrider U16 AAA team moved up to 16th in the country after a big weekend in Chicago. The team went 7-0 and are on a 9 game win streak. The team takes on the Thunderbird U15 AAA team this weekend at the Promenade Ice Center at 11am on Sunday morning.


MyHockeyRankings.com

Thursday, November 11, 2010

Rocky Mountain Roughriders WIN Chicago Nike Bauer Invitational Tournament!!

Rocky Mountain Roughriders U16 AAA Champions
Orland Park, IL - The Rocky Mountain Roughriders entered the Championship game with a perfect 6-0 record. The Tampa Bay Alliance also qualified by going 6-0 in the tournament.

The opening faceoff brought a brisk tempo to the game and entertained fans, family and scouts with back and forth play. Each team shared possession time throughout the first period, until finally at the 12:44 mark of the first period, Michael Buonincontri got the Roughriders on the board first. The teams skated fairly evenly for the next 1/2 period with the Roughriders outworking the Alliance. The Roughrider attack was relentless, however, and by the middle of the second period the Alliance were running on fumes.

Hunter Clark Celebrates an important goal
At 6:11 of the second period, Hunter Clark buried a pass from Bobby Valdez to give the Roughriders a 2-0 tilt in the match. Buonincontri got back into the action when he rifled a shot passed the Alliance goal tender after getting a dirty pass from Adam Durkee. Lucas Blomquist nearly bent his stick in half on a slapshot from the point that went top shelf up where grandma hides the peanut butter!

The Roughrider scoring machine caught fire again midway through the third when Braiden Miller threaded the puck through a narrow gap on a shot from just above the goaline. That line wasn't quite through yet as Miller and Valdez worked the puck over to Clark who tallied his second goal in as many periods to put the Roughriders up 6-0.

Joakim Jutras pitched another shutout stopping every shot he faced. He played well behind a solid defensive core. The Roughrider blueliners were solid from the opening faceoff to the final whistle!

The Roughriders finished the weekend 7-0, outscoring their opponents 41-4 and took away the Nike Bauer Invitational Tournament Cup. Joakim Jutras was awarded the tournament goalie MVP and Yannick Crete was awarded the MVP for forwards.




Official Gamesheet

Wednesday, November 10, 2010

Rocky Mountain Roughriders Advance to Semi-Finals at Chicago Nike Bauer 2010

Max Ross and Yannick Crete Celebrate
Darien, IL - The Rocky Mountain Roughriders advanced to the semi-final round at the 2010 Chicago Nike Bauer Invitational tournament by beating the New Jersey Freeze 3-0.  Next on the radar were the Indianapolis Jr. Ice. The Jr. Ice were undefeated coming into the matchup and had outscored their opponents 21-6 in the seeding round. Drew Doyon and Joe Chitwood tallied up the bulk of the scoring for the Jr. Ice and John Paris, Jr. was keen on keeping those two guys off the scoreboard.

The Roughriders struck first when Yannick Crete slid the puck past Alex Zion. Crete was assisted by Adam Durkee and Michael Buonincontri to take the early 1-0 lead at 2:00 of the first period. Exactly 34 seconds later Drew Doyon squeezed the puck past Joakim Jutras nullifying the Roughriders lead.

At 9:37 in the first, Adam Durkee nabbed a pass from Yannick Crete buried the puck and grabbed the lead back from the Jr. Ice. The Roughriders showed a lot of patience and discipline playing in the shortened playoff format. Both teams managed to stay out of the penalty box for the entire match.

Joey Marchese poured the heat onto the Jr. Ice when his linemate RJ Salvato fed him a pass in front of the net to put the Roughriders up 3-1. Six seconds later Durkee nabbed another goal putting the Roughriders up by 3.

The Jr. Ice weren't going to go away quietly and in fact had played a really great game, but were unable to put the points on the board when it counted. At 11:15 of the second, Cory Day pulled the Jr. Ice a goal closer to narrow the gap to 4-2.

With just over a minute left to play in the game, the Jr. Ice pulled their goalie to get the extra attacker on the ice. The extra attacker was able to help get a few final shots on goal, however a turnover in the neutral zone found the puck on Joey Marchese's stick and he was able to carry it into the empty net to seal the win for the Roughriders.

The Rocky Mountain Roughriders U16 AAA team advances to the Championship game to take on the winner of the Tampa Bay Alliance and Hatfield Ice Dogs.  The Tampa Bay Alliance ended up winning that game 2-1 in an Overtime shootout.


Official Gamesheet

Tuesday, November 9, 2010

Rocky Mountain Roughriders Enter Playoffs at Chicago Nike Bauer 2010

Lance Pennington and Joakim Jutras Protect the Net
Darien, IL - Early Sunday morning the Rocky Mountain Roughriders started playoff play when they faced the New Jersey Freeze on the Darien Sportsplex Wales arena. The Freeze entered the playoff match undefeated in the tournament just as the Roughriders.

The NJ Freeze were a well disciplined, strong skating hockey club but were unable to match the pace of the Roughriders. The playoff system was a bit unusual in that the quarter-final and semi-final rounds were played as two 15-minute halfs. Having 406 teams in a tournament equates to some strange ice times and some unique scheduling situations.

Since the games were so short, each team had to be diligent in getting the puck in the net and not taking any penalties. The Roughriders were successful on both counts. Yannick Crete continued his scoring streak when he put the Roughriders on the board first at 7:10 of the first period with an assist from Lance Pennington.  The first period ended with the Roughriders leading 1-0.

At the 6:31 mark of the second period, Yannick Crete once again struck gold with a fantastic rebound shot from Michael Bouincontri.

With time expiring in the game, Adam Durkee sealed the win with a world class shot snipe from just outside the hash marks from a nice feed from Austin Shick.

Joakim Jutras recorded another tournament shutout turning away every Freeze shot he faced. The Roughriders advanced to the semi-final round to face the Indianapolis Jr. Ice.


Official Gamesheet

Next Game: Semi-Finals - Roughriders vs. Indianapolis Jr. Ice

Sunday, November 7, 2010

Rocky Mountain Roughriders U16 get past Atlanta Fire 3-2

Thomas Jarman tests the flex of the Bauer TotalOne
Darien, IL - In the second game in just a few hours, the Rocky Mountain Roughriders hit the ice to face the fresh Atlanta Fire. The Roughriders faced their toughest competition of the tournament with the relentless attack from the Fire. The Roughriders maintained control for a majority of the game, however fatigue and a departure from the 1-2-2 forecheck system left them scrambling for the last 5 minutes of the third period.

RJ Salvato got things on track for the Roughriders after a scoreless first period when he undressed the goalie with a couple dirty dangles and left the puck in the back of the net with assists from Gruber and Guymon. At 3:17 of the second period, Adam Durkee threaded the needle from the bottom of the circles to give the Roughriders a 2-0 lead.

Michael Buonincontri capped the Roughriders scoring at the 10:24 mark of the 3rd. The Atlanta took the reigns for the next 7 minutes scoring 2 goals and making an otherwise comfortable game into a real battle for the win.

With the win the Roughriders go undefeated in round robin play and advance to the playoff bracket.


Official Gamesheet

Next Game: Roughriders vs. New Jersey Freeze

Rocky Mountain Roughriders U16 defeat Mercer Chiefs 4-1

Yannick Crete Takes the Faceoff
Darien, IL - The Rocky Mountain Roughriders continued their quest for the tournament champions on Saturday morning when they stepped on the ice to face the Mercer Chiefs. The Mercer Chiefs came out with one mission and that was to beat the Roughriders. After a scoreless first period George Gruber VII broke the tie when he made no mistake putting the puck in the back of the twine at 7:39 of the second period. Felix Jarry found redemption at 10:59 of the second after he picked up Thomas Jarman's rebound to beat Hayden Richards on the short side.

The Chiefs tried to mount a short-lived comeback in the third when Matt Liebers snuck the puck past Jutras for the first goal against the netminder this tournament. Bouincontri and Crete rounded out the scoring to end the game 4-1.


Official Gamesheet

Next Game: Rougriders vs. Atlanta Fire

Saturday, November 6, 2010

Roughriders outscore opponents 20-0 after 2 games

Nate Guymon strikes first for the GWG
Orland Park, IL - In what can only be called total domination, the Rocky Mountain Roughriders U16AAA sent a clear message to the Nike Bauer Invitational officials that they belong in the Elite division. The Roughriders applied to be in the Elite bracket, were denied, appealed and were denied again and were forced to play in the lower division U16AAA bracket. For a team that is currently ranked 20th in country to not be allowed to play with the top 40 teams in the country is more than an oversight.

On Friday night the Roughriders laced up the skates to face the TPH Thunder American from Tennessee. These two teams were mismatched from the start as the Thunder struggled in every aspect of the game. The Roughriders had possession of the puck roughly 95% of the game.  Joakim Jutras coasted to a shutout blocking all 4 shots he faced.

Nathan Guymon scored first, in what would end up being the Game Winning goal at the 4:45 mark of the first period on a brilliant shot from the point. Thomas Jarman banged home 2 more goals as the Roughriders cruised to a 9-0 win.


Game 1 Official Scoresheet

Game 2
Orland Park, IL - Several hours later the Roughriders lace up the blades and hit the ice for the second game of the day. With a 9:25pm start, the Roughriders only had a few hours to rest, recuperate and get ready to play again. The Dallas Ice Jets Prep team is made up of mostly 15 year olds and 14 year old goalie. Austin Benz got the start in net for the Ice Jets and played very well, however the Roughriders were able to squeeze 5 goals passed him before they put the backup goalie in.

Collin Biebel scored first and got the game winning goal thanks to a shutout performance from Evan McCarthy who was nothing short of stellar in net.  RJ Salvato and Braiden Miller had 3 point outings and were complimented by strong play from Felix Jarry and Hunter Clark who buried his first goal of the series.


Game 2 Official Scoresheet

Up Next: Rougriders vs. Mercer Chiefs

Tuesday, November 2, 2010

Chicago Nike Bauer Invitational Tournament 2010

The Chicago Nike Bauer Invitational Tournament is set to kickoff on Friday, November 5, 2010.  There will be 40 teams battling it out in the AAA division. There 8 divisions of 5 teams each. The Rocky Mountain Roughriders are in the ECAC College Cup Division.

They faceoff against the TPH Thunder American, TN on Friday at 3:05pm Chicago time, 2:05pm Mountain time. Unfortunately it does not look like the games will be broadcast on FastHockey.com.

The Roughrider's following game is against Dallas Ice Jets Prep, TX at 9:25pm Chicago time, 8:25pm Mountain time on Friday night.

5x7 Trader/Post Card
I try not to use this blog as a means of self-promotion and perhaps even to my own detriment, however I did want to take this opportunity to let people know of some new products I am offering and also to let them know that I will be traveling to Chicago and will be taking photos of the games whenever there is not another paid tournament photographer covering the game. As a professional courtesy I will not shoot a hockey game that is being covered by a tournament photographer. I have been in the tournament photography business for a long time and I know that it is a very tough and grueling business to be in and the last thing you need is somebody showing up at the rink undershooting and underselling your business.

So that being said, I will be taking photos when I can and have some new products that I am offering. If there is any interest I can do a follow up post with more pricing and sizing options, but I have 5x7 action  shots starting at $5 with no templates and then template shots starting around $12 and going up depending upon size and number of shots.

I have included two samples to give you an idea what is available.

8x10 2-shot Memory
















Thanks for listening and if you are interested feel free to leave a comment here or email me at crossbarphoto@gmail.com.

Sunday, October 24, 2010

NAPHL Showcase San Jose: Roughriders 4 Pittsburgh Viper Stars 2

Roughriders Celebrate the Win!
San Jose, CA - Sunday morning brought together a much anticipated rematch between the Rocky Mountain Roughriders and the Pittsburgh Viper Stars. The last time these two team met, September 16, 2010 in Blaine, Minnesota, they skated to a regulation tie at 1-1. What followed next was unbelievable as each team had to send out 20 shooters to decide a shootout. In the end of that match, Colin Biebel grabbed the game winner.

The Viper Stars entered the game with a record of 4-3-2 while the Roughrider's record sat at 5-4-0. The two teams skated pretty evenly throughout the first period until the 13:26 mark when Clayton Bouchard threw the puck of off Joakim Jutras back and into the net for the first goal of the game.

The Roughriders got on the board early in the second period when Yannick Crete got a beautiful power play goal at 4:27 of the second from a great setup from Lance Pennington.

Things started heading south for the Roughriders just after the intermission ice make. As a sidebar, the NAPHL Showcases are a little different than most tournaments, in that there is an ice make exactly halfway through the game. At the 8:30 mark of the second period, the game is stopped, the teams exit to their respective locker rooms and the ice is remade. Just after both teams resumed play in the second period the Roughriders were on a power play. After a bit of trouble getting the power play setup, Peter Karney poked the puck free for the Viper Stars and ran the length of the ice for a short-handed goal. Momentum had swung strongly in favor of the Viper Stars for the remainder of the second period.

The third period, however, brought out the Roughriders that we have come to love. They attacked the ice with passion and enthusiasm and a will that would not be denied. The Roughriders were rewarded on the scoreboard. After missing a wide open net on his previous attempt, Michael Bounincontri made no mistake on his second chance at paydirt when he buried his shot at 4:39 into the third period. A few shifts later Bounincontri is blessed with an exceptional pass up the boards from Maxwell Ross just as he is coming onto the ice from an expired penalty. All alone on the far boards he scoops up the pass and comes into the offensive zone all alone, three dekes and one toe drag later and he is dancing up the ice celebrating the go ahead goal giving the Roughriders a 3-2 lead.

With just over a minute left to go in the game, the Viper Stars pull their goalie to get the extra attacker on. The Viper Stars rifle a few shots at Jutras before Lance Pennington grabs the puck, flicks it up to Crete who finds Robert "RJ" Salvato streaking through the middle of the ice. Salvato breaks through 2 Viper defenders and leaves the puck in the empty net for a nice insurance goal.

The Rocky Mountain Roughriders U16 AAA ends the weekend with a respectable 3-2-0 record. For all the Showcase information check out the NAPHL Showcase website here. The Roughrider's currently sit in 7th position after 10 games with 12 points. The Motor City Metaljackets sit atop the leader board after ten games with 17 points.

Official Gamesheet

Saturday, October 23, 2010

NAPHL Showcase San Jose: Roughriders 7 Detroit Falcons 5


San Jose, CA - In what can only be described as perhaps the wildest last minute of hockey in the NAPHL Showcase, the Rocky Mountain Roughriders beat the Detroit Falcons 7-5. The Falcons entered the game with a NAPHL record of 4-2-1 while the Roughriders came in at 5-3-1.

The game had all the billings of a great rivalry. The last time the two teams met was back in September when the Roughriders came out on top 6-2.

Joey Marchese buries one of his Hat Trick Goals.
The Roughriders jumped out to a good lead early with 3 goals in the first period. Yannick Crete got the scoring started at 4:49 of the first with a power play goal on a feed from Lucas Blomquist. Joseph Marchese got on the board with another power play goal at 11:03 of the first setup by Robert "RJ" Salvato.  Marchese netted the third goal of the game at 13:04 of the first.

The second period settled down into a defensive battle with the Falcons getting the only goal of the period with a shot from Austin Romzek sneaking past Joakim Jutras.  The second period buzzer sounded with the Roughriders up 3-1.

The third period  started with the Falcons closing the gap to 3-2 with a goal from Tommy Marchin at 3:22 of the period. The Roughriders responded when Yannik Crete redirected a Keegan McCarthy slapshot to the Roughriders back on top 4-2. Bryan Lubin brought the Falcons back to within one on a power play goal at 11:22.

The Roughriders weren't going to be denied in this contest and Yannick Crete made sure of it getting his second goal of the game on an awesome setup by Joseph Marchese. Joseph Marchese wasn't done yet as he finished the Hat Trick for the Roughriders at 16:01 of the third giving the team a 6-3 lead and essentially squashing any chance of a comeback for the Falcons with only 59 seconds left in the game.

This is AAA hockey and the Falcons aren't going to rollover easily. The Falcons line up for the faceoff and quickly get their goaltender off the ice for the extra attacker, however before Drew Galasso can even make it to the bench, Brandon Delekta gets the puck in the net to bring the Falcons within two. Immediately off the ensuing faceoff the Falcons get the puck into the Roughriders zone and net another goal trimming the lead to one at 6-5.  The Falcons win another faceoff at center ice and once again get into the Roughriders zone and setup to get the extra attacker. Felix Jarry pokes the puck free and Robert "RJ" Salvato takes the puck down and burries it in the empty net insuring the win for the Roughriders.

The Rocky Mountain Roughriders U16 team currently sits in 6th place in the NAPHL standings as they prepare to square off with the Pittsburgh Viper Stars tomorrow morning.


Official Gamesheet

Up Next: Roughriders vs. Pittsburgh Viper Stars

Friday, October 22, 2010

NAPHL Showcase San Jose: Roughriders 0 Motor City Metaljackets 2

San Jose, CA - The Rocky Mountain Roughriders struggled again on offense this morning as they dropped their second game in a row losing 0-2 to the Motor City Metaljackets. The Roughriders played well as a team this morning, but couldn't get the puck passed Vladyslav Slyusarchuk as he stopped all 14 shots he faced.

Evan Mccarthy got the start between the pipes for the Roughriders and played stellar. The only goal he gave up actually came off of his own defenseman's skate.

The Roughrider's had a chance to tie the game with 1:00 left in the 3rd when they pulled the goalie for the extra attacker, however a turnover in the neutral zone gave Jesse Macintyre and easy empty net dump in, closing out any chance at a comeback. 

Official Gamesheet

Next Up: Roughriders vs. Detroit

NAPHL Showcase San Jose: Roughriders 1 Las Vegas Storm 2

San Jose, CA - The Rocky Mountain Roughrider U16 AAA team dropped the second game of the NAPHL Showcase to the Las Vegas Storm with by a score of 2-1. The Roughriders hit the ice at 9pm MST last night in what can only be described as an uninspired skate. The Roughriders struggled to get any momentum going right from the start.

After a scoreless first period, Jack Petrino of the Las Vegas Storm found a way passed the Roughrider's netminder, Joakim Jutras for a power play goal. Penalties were pretty even in the second with the Storm called for 2 minor infractions and the Roughriders were called for 3.

The third period looked a little more inspired for the Roughriders as they began to mount a rally when Michael Buonincontri squeezed a slapshot to the top corner to get the Roughriders on the board at 12:48 of the third period with a nice assist from Colin Biebel. The rally was short lived, however as Joseph Sullivan gave the Storm the go ahead goal at 17:00 of the third. The Roughriders pulled their goalie for the extra attacker with 1 minute left in the game but could not get setup in the zone for a valid scoring chance.

The Roughriders gear up to take on the Motor City Metal Jackets at 10am this morning.

Official Gamesheet

Next Up: Rocky Mountain Roughriders vs. Motor City Metal Jackets

Thursday, October 21, 2010

NAPHL Showcase San Jose: Roughriders 3 California Titans 1

The Rocky Mountain RoughRiders U16 team beat the California Titans 3-1 in their first game of the NAPHL Showcase in San Jose, CA today. The RoughRiders and Titans equaled each other in shots on goal at 18 a piece.

The Roughriders struck paydirt first at 3:15 of the 1st period when Michael Bouincountri went unassisted to beat the goalie on the short side at 5:07 of the 1st period. Robert "RJ" Salvato got things going at the opening faceoff of the second period when he put the Roughriders up 2-0 on a tremendous effort coming through the zone. He was not going to be denied and with help from his teammates Max Ross and Braiden Miller, they extended the Roughrider's lead.

George Gruber battled in front of the net to grab the 3rd goal for the Roughriders with help from Colin Biebel and Felix Jarry. The Titan's leading scorer, Tyler Moy, snuck the puck passed Joakim Jutras at the 9:53 mark of the third period to bring the Titans to within 2 goals. That is as close at the Titans would get as the Roughriders defense came up big with solid efforts from Lance Penington and Keegan McCarthy and the entire defensive crew.

The Roughriders are back on the ice at 9pm MST tonight as they face the 3-3 Las Vegas Storm.


Official Gamesheet

Next Up: Rocky Mountain Roughriders vs. Las Vegas Storm

Monday, October 18, 2010

Rocky Mountain Roughriders prepare for NAPHL San Jose

Westminister, CO - The Rocky Mountain Roughrider U16 team prepares for the NAPHL Showcase in San Jose, CA this week. The team leaves Wednesday afternoon and begins play on Thursday morning. The Roughriders have 5 games over 4 days and the schedule is as follows:




Tournament Times are Pacific Time:

California Titans 16U Rocky Mtn Roughriders 16U Thu, Oct 2112:00 pm Sharks East
Las Vegas Storm 16U Rocky Mtn Roughriders 16U Thu, Oct 218:00 pm Sharks East
Motor City Metal Jackets 16U Rocky Mtn Roughriders 16U Fri, Oct 2210:00 am Sharks Center
Rocky Mtn Roughriders 16U Detroit Falcons 16U Sat, Oct 237:00 am Sharks South

Rocky Mtn Roughriders 16U Pittsburgh Viper Stars 16U Sun, Oct 247:00 am Sharks South

For those that are not traveling with the team, the games are available online at FastHockey.com for about $6/game.

Thursday, October 14, 2010

Rocky Mountain Roughriders U16 move up to 21 in MyHockeyRankings

With a solid weekend of play and back to back wins against the Colorado Rampage, the 8-2-0 Rocky Mountain Roughrider U16 AAA team moved up 5 spots to the 21st spot in the MyHockeyRankings. Last week the Pikes Peak Miners U16 AAA team tied the Colorado Thunderbirds U16 team 4-4 which helped push the Roughriders up a few more spots since they had beaten the Miners in back to back games. As more games get played the rankings will start settling out and be more consistent and more accurate.


As of this week the standings for the Colorado based U16 AAA teams looks like this:

Rank Team/Website Record Rating AGD Sched Details
7 Colorado Thunderbirds 16U AAA 5-1-3 15.30 1.55 13.75
21 Rocky Mountain Roughriders 16U AAA 8-2-0 13.70 1.20 12.50
32 Pikes Peak Miners 16U AAA 4-8-2 12.89 -0.07 12.96
51 Colorado Rampage 16U AAA 0-7-2 11.77 -2.55 14.32



Sunday, October 10, 2010

Rocky Mountain Roughriders U16 Squash Rampage 5-0

Westminister, CO - On a dreary fall day friends and family gathered at the Promenade Ice Center for the second game in a weekend series versus the Colorado Rampage. Thomas Jarman #88, after breaking two sticks in 5 minutes in last nights game, came prepared with the all-new Bauer Total One hockey stick and came out swinging. On a blistering slapshot from the point, Jarman rifled the puck past the Rampage's Jacob Bryant the put the Roughriders on the board first at the 14:37 mark of the first period with a power play goal.

The second period was littered with penalties again, but unlike Saturday's game, on Sunday the Roughrider's power play was really working well as they went 3 for 7 on the man advantage. Joey Marchese netted the second power play goal at 2:55 of the second period putting the Roughriders up 2-0. Michael Buonincontri lit the lamp on a great individual effort at 7:09 of the second. Yannik Crete tallied the 3rd power play goal of the evening at 12:37 of the third period as Mitchell Snyder sat in the box for the Rampage for crosschecking infraction.

The Roughriders have struggled this season putting in a full game. Several times this season the boys have had the other team down but have never put them out. Tonight the Roughriders skated from opening whistle to the final buzzer. Yannik Crete put the final exclamation point on the game as he buried a pass from Thomas Jarman with 1 second on the clock.

Joakim Jutras was impressive again getting a shutout stopping all 24 shots and improving his season save percentage to .952.


Official Gamesheet

Next up: Roughriders vs. Thunderbirds U15. Sunday Oct. 17, Promenade Blue rink @ 3:15pm