Cranberry Township, Pa. — In a hard-fought battle for the first win of the season, the Des Moines Buccaneers (0-1-0) fell to the Cedar Rapids RoughRiders (1-0-0) 2-3 Friday evening at the UPMC Lemieux Sports Complex in Cranberry Township, Pa. Des Moines goalie Max Weilandt (0-1-0) suffered a loss with 19 saves on 22 shots. RoughRiders goalie Ryan Cameron (1-0-0) notched a win with 15 saves. The Bucs cap off their weekend at the Fall Classic with a game against the Tri-City Storm on Saturday, Sept. 20, at 8:00 p.m. at the UPMC Lemieux Sports Complex.
The RoughRiders tallied the lone goal of the opening frame on the power play, as forward David Bosco's breakaway chance snuck its way past Weilandt's glove. Bosco's goal was assisted by defenseman Mason Minor and goaltender Ryan Cameron and brought Cedar Rapids ahead 1-0.
RoughRiders forward Noel Ohgren opened the scoring of the second period, giving Cedar Rapids the 2-0 advantage at 6:27. Ohgren tapped in a rebounded shot by Grant Young, slipping the puck past a crowd of Buccaneers in front of the net. Bucs forward Nathan Delladonna responded with his first goal of the season, sending in defenseman Henry Chmiel's rebounded shot from the top of the left-wing circle off the faceoff. Forward Harper Searles also assisted on Delladonna's goal 10:06 into the middle frame.
Bucs forward Rhys Wallin evened the score 7:14 into the third period. Forward Riley Zupfer skated the puck into the offensive zone, which was picked up by defenseman Becker Wenkus. Wenkus' shot on net was tapped in by Wallin to bring the score to 2-2. Cedar Rapids forward Kyle Rohrer redirected defenseman Hawke Huff's shot to give the RoughRiders the final lead 12:23 into the final frame. Bosco also notched an assist on Rohrer's goal that brought the final score to 3-2.
Tomorrow night, the Buccaneers return to the UPMC Lemieux Sports Complex to finish their weekend at the USHL Fall Classic with a match up against the Tri-City Storm at 8:00 p.m. ET. They then head to Waterloo for a single-game weekend Saturday, September 27, at 6:35 p.m. The Bucs' opening weekend is October 3 and 4, a double-header against the Chicago Steel. October 3 is the home opener, with a schedule magnet giveaway, 2-for-1 beer, and Fireball Friday. October 4 is Kids' Opening Day, with kid-run promotions, Mug Club, and Tito's Saturday. Purchase tickets for opening weekend here.
About the Buccaneers
Founded in 1980, the Des Moines Buccaneers are a proud member of the United States Hockey League (USHL), the nation's premier junior hockey league. The Bucs have a history of success in the USHL, including 4 Clark Cup Championships, 4 Anderson Cup Championships, and 54 alumni drafted to the National Hockey League, including Stanley Cup Champions Kyle Okposo, Alex Chiasson, Trevor Lewis, Davis Drewiske, and Erik Cole. The organization is committed to developing young players on and off the ice, preparing them for a future in collegiate and professional careers. Known for their passionate fan base, the Bucs play their home games at The MidAmerican Energy Company RecPlex, a multi-sport complex in West Des Moines, Iowa.
To learn more, visit www.bucshockey.com or follow the Bucs on social media: @bucshockey on X and Instagram, @desmoinesbuccaneers on TikTok, and Des Moines Buccaneers on Facebook. For more information about ticket packages, including season and group outings, please contact (515) 278-2827.
