Cyclones defenseman Kevin Roeder (Cathy White/CNATI.com)
Kevin Roeder could not have found a better fit than the Cincinnati Cyclones.
Like the franchise he plays for, the defenseman seems to encounter endless hurdles, yet he always manages to clear them and hit the ground as strong as ever, preparing for the next obstacle.
He is best known for being a victim of arguably the unluckiest goal in college hockey history. Playing for Miami University last season in overtime of the national title game, a seemingly innocuous shot by Colby Cohen deflected off his shoulder and into the net to give Boston University an NCAA championship.
But 13 months later, Roeder has again put himself in position to win a major hockey title. The Cyclones beat Idaho, 3-2 on Thursday to take a 3-games-to-1 lead in the Kelly Cup finals.
Game 5 will be played at 7:30 p.m. on Friday at U.S. Bank Arena.
"Anytime you can have a guy that's been in that winning environment - they've got a great program up at Miami," Cyclones coach Chuck Weber said. "That was one of the reasons we brought him here is that he's used to winning, and his being able to contribute to our culture here is huge."
Roeder, who grew up in the Chicago suburb of Glenview, Ill., began his Miami career in the fall of 2005. Immediately he became one of the most intimidating hitters in college hockey, as well as an outstanding stay-at-home defenseman.
He scored five goals and dished for 31 assists as a RedHawk. As a junior, he led the team with a plus-27 rating and helped Miami finish with the highest penalty killing percentage in the country.
Roeder was an assistant captain his senior season, finished second on the team in blocked shots (41) and played in Miami's first-ever national championship game.
Roeder, playing for Miami in 2008-09 (Cathy White/CNATI.com).
But with a two-goal lead and less than a minute left in regulation in that game, a nightmare scenario unprecedented in college hockey unfolded. Boston U. scored twice with an extra attacker, forcing overtime.
Just over halfway through the extra session, that fateful shot hit Roeder, who was playing his position properly, and the deflected puck floated, end-over-end through the air and over the shoulder of Miami goalie Cody Reichard.
The clip was repeatedly aired on highlight reels nationwide.
"It was an unlucky bounce off of me for BU to win, but it's part of the game," Roeder said.
Roeder missed several games down the stretch prior to that game due to multiple injuries, and rumor had it he would require surgery after the season. Many wondered aloud if he would pursue a professional career.
After all, at 5-feet-9, even a healthy Roeder is considered undersized for professional hockey at any position, much less defense.
But last fall, there was Roeder, competing for a job with Syracuse, the Columbus Blue Jackets' AHL affiliate. He was one of the final cuts, and Roeder ended up in Cincinnati.
"It's part of the job," Roeder said. "I understand the situation that I was in, and if I had to start here in Cincinnati, that's OK, but you know what? You have to work to get to the top."
Weber said that Roeder's work ethic was never affected after he came to the Cyclones.
"It was get-down-to-work - he definitely put a workmanlike attitude in," Weber said.
Roeder was recalled by Syracuse during the regular season, but he never played in a game and was sent back to Cincinnati three days later.
Then he got hurt. Roeder identified the injury only as "lower body", but it was uncertain if he would ever return in 2009-10.
Roeder had played only 23 professional games, recording a goal and two assists, and now faced the possibility of a season-ending injury.
"I thought I was going to be out for the year, but I did a lot of rehab on it and let it heal, and got some time off, so that helped," Roeder said.
"And now I'm back out playing."
He played in seven games before the end of the regular season, and has been in the lineup for all 23 of the Cyclones' postseason games.
"It was disappointing - when he finally got his feet under him, he got hurt," Weber said. "Hopefully, he can use this playoff run to springboard him for next year."
That 2008-09 Miami team nearly missed the NCAA Tournament because of a late regular-season and conference-tournament drought, and the RedHawks were written off by experts because of their youth.
The Cyclones faced their own mortality in the conference finals, when they fell behind, three-games-to-none to Reading.
But this franchise has played the underdog role far too often to be fazed. The Cyclones became the first team in ECHL history to rally from a 3-0 hole to win a series, defying overwhelming odds.
Like when the team was declared dead in April 2004 when it announced it was going dormant.
Then again two years later when it re-emerged in the ECHL and was the only team in the league to average less than 2,000 fans per game in 2006-07.
The Cyclones' response? All they did was win a Kelly Cup in 2007-08, giving Cincinnati its first professional hockey league title since the Swords in 1973.
The deciding Game 6 was played in front of 12,722 fans, also with Weber behind the bench.
Apparently no one told the Cyclones that the Bengals, Reds, University of Cincinnati and Xavier basketball are king here, and hockey is an afterthought.
It is no coincidence that the Cyclones are playing for their second ECHL championship in three years. And it is also not random luck that Kevin Roeder is on the team.
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