Coralville, Iowa- as the clock started to wind down in the third period, Iowa fans were ready to celebrate their first win of the season and give standing ovations to Goalkeeper Peyton Jones and Forwards Jesse Jacques and Pavel Novak. A blink of an eye later, Heartlanders fans were sluggishly making their way towards the exits after a 4-3 loss.
Defenseman Jarrod Gourley was able to put one back for the Rapid City Rush with a beautiful setting pass from former Heartlander Logan Nelson to tie the game and send it to overtime. Gourley then finished the job two minutes into overtime to end a period where Iowa was unable to touch the puck.
Iowa opened the game with aggressive possessions and a full-ice defense that the Rush struggled to break. Iowa was controlling the game early but let off a few shots against the momentum of play. This was not a big deal until Rapid City was able to convert on a power play.
This isn’t the Iowa Heartlanders from last year. This team had a fire lit under them that hasn’t been seen since 2021-22 Rookie of the Year Kris Bennett. After successfully defending against yet another power play given up, Jesse Jacques was able to break away with the puck while coming out of the penalty box and find Novak for a goal.
Iowa suffered from penalties committed all game. Iowa gave up 10 minutes of power play time and 1 penalty shot goal and was only able to earn 6 power play minutes and missed their respective penalty shot. Iowa also suffered from not being able to finish the job when chaos erupted in front of the Rapid City net.
Jacques recorded two assists, and Novak was able to get two goals. Other top performances included Liam Coughlin scoring in the second, with Will Calverley, Jules Boscq, and Kevin McKernan also tallying assists.
Two Positives for Iowa:
- Peyton Jones is ready for Iowa hockey. Jones was able to keep his eye on the puck like no backup goalie in franchise history, was able to control madness in front of his goal, and got a standing ovation for a late save.
- Czechian Junior International talent Pavel Novak recorded his first and second professional goals tonight. Beyond just scoring, Novak paired well with Odeen Tufto to make crisp passes and help one another on defense.
Two Improvement Points:
- Control the Chaos. Hockey is an unpredictable, action-packed game. Being able to get that extra touch on the puck or not make extra contact with the opposition can put the puck in the opponent’s net or keep your guys out of the box. If Iowa can make those happen, next weekend’s games in Wichita will feel much more winnable.
- Score First. Iowa had to play from behind in both games this series. In the historical series with Rapid City, the team that scored first has won every game. Iowa will have a chance to even the season series up against Rapid City at the end of December and many more opportunities to score first before then.
ITR 35: Round One – Inside The Rink
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