Charlie Curti has played hockey since he was 4 years old, but he knew he wasn't in Mound, Minn., anymore when he played his first game for the Cedar Rapids RoughRiders last Friday.

The occasion was the USHL season opener in Lincoln, Neb.

"It was something else," Curti said Thursday after practice at the Cedar Rapids Ice Arena. "I mean, 4,000 people is the most I've every played in front of. It definitely got loud.

"The first couple of shifts we were kind of thinking, 'What are we doing here?' But then you settle in and you just play hockey. It was great."

Curti, 18, made a strong debut as the RoughRiders clipped Lincoln, 6-3. The defenseman collected two assists and finished the game with a rare "plus-5" rating, the only "plus-5" rating in the USHL this season.

Curti was on the ice when the RoughRiders scored five of their goals, and conversely Lincoln did not score during any of his shifts. That's how you get a "plus-5" rating.

"I didn't know I was a plus-5. That's a surprise to me," he said. "We were fortunate not to give up any goals when we were out there."

The RoughRiders lost their home opener to Sioux Falls last Saturday night, 6-5, and will take a 1-1 record into Friday night's home game against Youngstown at 7:05 p.m.

Curti picked up another assist against Sioux Falls and is tied for fourth in the USHL with three assists.

Cedar Rapids Coach Mark Carlson likes what he's seen of the 5-foot-11, 192-pound defenseman so far.

"He's been good. He's really adapted well," said Carlson. "He worked really hard in the summer. We stress to our guys all the time: The summer is when you really make yourself a player.

"Lifting weights, eating right, doing your sprint work, shooting pucks, working on your skating. He gained about 10 or 12 pounds and got a lot stronger. As a rookie, that's an unbelievable summer.

"He skates, he's smart, he sees the ice extremely well," said Carlson. "And his work ethic has been great. There are a lot of positives in Charlie for sure. He's got tremendous potential and a great opportunity."

Curti graduated high school last spring and wants to spend a year or two in the USHL before playing in college. He's talked to a few colleges, but wants to make sure he's ready when the time comes.

"I think it's smarter to play two years (in the USHL), because you don't get those years back, ever," he said. "I'm definitely having a lot of fun here."

Curti began skating when he was 3 years and played in a midget league when he was 4. "It was always a blast," he said. "I always had a stick in my hands when I was younger. It came natural, I guess."

He also played baseball and football, but hockey was No.1. "I loved them all," he said, "but I just had to focus a little bit on hockey."

He made the big jump to Tier-1 hockey in the USHL this year and is loving it.

"It's awesome," he said. "It's so much faster than what I'm used to. It's way more fun, especially since you have better guys (on your team).

"It's faster, but it's almost easier in a way because you're playing with better players who are always in the right spot."

He's glad he gained those 10 or 12 pounds of muscle after getting a close look at USHL opponents last weekend. "I haven't gotten hit too hard yet," he said with a grin.

Curti has gotten off to a good start, but knows there's still room for improvement.

"Getting bigger, stronger, faster. All that," he said. "That just comes with what we're doing, working out and working hard every week."

The RoughRiders hopped on the bus after winning at Lincoln last Friday and returned to Cedar Rapids at approximately 3:30 a.m. Saturday, with a game that night.

"That was a new experience for me," said Curti. "Go to bed, wake up at 11, get ready for another game."

His legs felt a little heavy at the beginning Saturday night, but he said that's normal when you play back-to-back games. "Once you get the crowd behind you at The Stable, you kind of forget about it and just play," he said.