ECHL Game Recap: Iowa Heartlanders vs Rapid City Rush | 03/15/2025

Photo Credit: Rapid City Rush

The Rapid City Rush and the Iowa Heartlanders were back in action Saturday night to wrap up their three game series. Both teams once again made changes in net as the goalie matchup went back to Thursday night’s matchup with Rapid City starting Connor Murphy and Iowa starting Kyle McClellan.

First Period

The two teams did not see much action in the first period, as neither was able to find the back of the net. Both had time on the power play and generated chances, but neither could convert, with both goaltenders protecting their respective nets.

The score remained 0-0 at the end of the first, with the Heartlanders outshooting the Rush 12-9.

Second Period

The two teams continued a slow-paced game into the second period. However, at 11:08, Nathan Noel was assessed a five-minute major and a game misconduct for cross-checking. While on the ensuing five-minute power play, the Rush took the lead. Trevor Janicke passed the puck from the top of the left faceoff circle down to Ryan Wagner at the bottom of the circle. Wagner then fed the puck to Deni Goure in front of the net. After his initial deflection didn’t go in, Goure collected his own rebound and buried it. His goal came at 12:09 of the period, assisted by Wagner and Janicke.

The Rush held a 1-0 lead at the end of the first period, with both teams recording 13 shots.

Third Period

Similar to the first period, the third period saw no scoreboard action as tempers started to flair. Neither team had to put their special teams to work, but both teams got a few chances in between the many mini scrums.

The Rush were outshot 15-4 by the Heartlanders in the third period.

Final Stats

The Rush secured a 1-0 victory despite being outshot 40-26. Rapid City went 1-for-5 on the power play and was a perfect 2-for-2 on the penalty kill, while the Heartlanders went 0-for-2 on the power play and 4-for-5 on the penalty kill. Rush goaltender Connor Murphy stopped all 40 shots he faced, earning a shutout, while Heartlanders goaltender Kyle McClellan made 25 saves on 26 shots for a .962 save percentage.

Three Stars of the Game

  1. Rush goaltender Connor Murphy (40 saves on 40 shots)
  2. Rush forward Deni Goure (one goal, two shots)
  3. Rush forward Ryan Wagner (one assist, three shots)

Iowa will be back at home next, taking on the Fort Wayne Komets in a three-game series. The series will begin on Friday, March 21, continue on Saturday, March 22, and conclude on Sunday, March 23. Puck drop is scheduled for 7:00 p.m. CT on Friday, 6:00 p.m. CT on Saturday, and 3:00 p.m. CT on Sunday.

Rapid City will return to action to finish off its homestand against the Wichita Thunder. The series will begin on Friday, March 21. The Rush will host Rush Fights Cancer Night for the second game on Saturday, March 22, before wrapping up the series with Sensory Friendly Night on Sunday, March 23. Puck drop is set for 7:05 p.m. MT on both Friday and Saturday, and 4:05 p.m. MT on Sunday.


Discover more from Inside The Rink

Subscribe to get the latest posts sent to your email.

Felicity Harding

Hello! I'm Felicity and I mainly cover the Rapid City Rush in the ECHL here at Inside the Rink. You can find me on Instagram and X/Twitter at @fharding05

Leave a Reply

ECHL: Ty Farmer Heads Overseas

Indy Fuel defenseman Ty Farmer is heading overseas to Denmark to join the Aalborg Pirates after spending the last three seasons in the ECHL. The O’Fallon, Missouri, native played in all 72 games last season for the Fuel, putting up seven goals and 20 assists for 27 points. He was the only member of the […]

Read More

ECHL: Indy’s Kyle Maksimovich Signs with Herning Blue Fox

The Herning Blue Fox have made a notable addition to their 2025–26 roster, signing Canadian forward Kyle Maksimovich. The 27-year-old from Hamilton, Ontario, brings speed, skill, and a proven scoring touch to Denmark’s top professional league after a strong showing in both the ECHL and AHL. Offense That Speaks for Itself Maksimovich spent the last […]

Read More

AHL: Laval Rocket Sign Four Players

The Laval Rocket announced on Saturday that they’ve signed four players to contracts for the 2024-25 season. Three of the four players signed had spent time in either Laval or Trois-Rivières last season. One-Way Deals Laval has signed forward Xavier Simoneau and defenseman Josh Jacobs, each to one-year, one-way deals for the 2024-25 season. Simoneau, […]

Read More