Feature Story
Thompson takes great leap forward
Chairman Mao would no doubt be impressed
with The Great Leap Forward taken this season by second year forward Cedar
Rapids RoughRider Tyler Thompson. The Wayzata native
has gone from fringe player to front line United States Hockey League forward
in the space of just over 12 months.
Last season, Thompson endured and learned
from the growing pains many USHLers suffer through
upon stepping into the league from the high school ranks. At times a healthy
scratch early in the campaign, by the end of the season Thompson was seeing
more and more ice time – often in important situations – as he made great
strides in adapting to the pace and intensity of the USHL as the season
progressed.
“Last year things seemed a lot faster
compared to this year,” said Thompson. “I was a year younger and I didn’t know
what to expect.”
Notwithstanding the time it took him to
get up to speed last season, Thompson finished with solid if not eye-popping
offensive totals: eight goals and nine assists for 17 points in 37 games.
An intense offseason
has played a major role in what has proven to be a superb start to Thompson’s
second season in
“I worked really hard this summer on my
speed and conditioning,” said Thompson. “I wanted to be able to come back and
have a good year after not playing a lot at times last year. This year through
working and getting faster it’s just easier to keep up”
It’s the Riders’ opponents who now have
to worry about keeping up with Thompson. Through five games he leads the Riders
in goals (5) and points (9), and is tied for the team lead in assists (4). He
is tied for third in the league point scoring race and tied for fourth in
goals.
Consistency has been one of the hallmarks
of Thompson’s early season success. He has recorded at least one point in each
of the Riders’ first five contests. The
Riders, in fact, have gotten consistently strong performances in the early
going from a host of players, including many of their first year skaters. That
being the case, it is hardly surprising that
“We have a lot of young kids who have a
lot of speed,” said Thompson, an old man of 18. “They’ve done a really good job
for us.”
Despite their relative youth, the Riders,
early on, have not been deterred when they do hit bumps in the road.
“We’ve been really composed,” said
Thompson. “We don’t get down on ourselves during the game if things don’t go
our way. We hang in there.”
Based on early indications, it would seem
the Riders could well be hanging in the race at the top of the USHL all season,
a prospect which holds great appeal for Thompson.
“Our goals this year are to keep working
hard and hopefully be there at the end of the season trying to win the division
and go far in the playoffs.”
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