Corridor Cross Checks

Former Waterloo Black Hawks forward Yuki Miura practices on the ice with the Iowa Heartlanders ECHL hockey team at the Xtream Arena in Coralville on Monday, Oct. 11, 2021. The new pro team announced in June that it will be affiliated with the NHL's Minnesota Wild. (Rebecca F. Miller/The Gazette)

CEDAR RAPIDS — On their seventh try, the Iowa Heartlanders finally got it done.

The ECHL hockey club won its first-ever road game Sunday night when it toppled the Fort Wayne Komets, 5-1, in Indiana.

That salvaged a weekend that saw the Heartlanders lose twice Friday and Saturday nights at Toledo, 5-1 and 6-1. In four games this season against the Walleye this season, all losses, Iowa has been outscored by a 30-5 margin.

But back to Sunday.

Yuki Miura, Bryce Misley, Bryce Gervais, Adrien Beraldo and Ben Sokay had goals as the Heartlanders won away from Xtream Arena for the first time. In their previous six road games, they hadn’t come closer than two goals in any game and had been outscored 33-12.

Iowa is 3-8-2 overall, its eight standings points last overall in the 27-team ECHL. The Heartlanders’ other two wins came at home: 7-4 in the opener against Kansas City and 5-3 over Indy.

Miura, by the way, joined the team this week when his immigration status was approved, though he was with it in the preseason. The Tokyo, Japan, native played one season in the USHL with the Waterloo Black Hawks and four college seasons at Lake Superior State.

Team captain Kris Bennett continues to lead the Heartlanders offensively. He’s got six goals and 10 points in seven games.

Cedar Rapids RoughRiders

Just one game this weekend for the USHL club. Sam Lipkin scored with 2:57 left to give the league-leading Chicago Steel a 3-2 win over the RoughRiders in suburban Chicago.

Cedar Rapids actually outshot Chicago by a 33-24 margin, rallying from deficits of 1-0 and 2-1. Nate Hanley tied things at 2-2 with a goal with 6:52 left in the third period.

Chicago has a 13-2-4 record. The RoughRiders are 7-7, their 14 standings points placing them fifth in the eight-team Eastern Conference.

Cole Burtch continues to lead Cedar Rapids in scoring, with eight goals and six assists in 10 games. Combining his C.R./Youngstown stats, the Canadian forward has nine goals and seven assists in 16 games this season.

Burtch was acquired in a trade with the Youngstown Phantoms, along with defenseman Cole Teleki, in exchange for defenseman T.J. Schweighardt. Teleki was sent this week to Wichita Falls of the North American Hockey League.

This week

For the RoughRiders, it’s the annual home-and-home series with the rival Waterloo Black Hawks.

The teams play their traditional Thanksgiving night game Thursday at Young Arena in Waterloo. The return game at ImOn Ice is Saturday night at 7:05.

It’s Teddy Bear Toss night, with fans encouraged to bring a stuffed animal to the game that they can throw onto the ice following the first Cedar Rapids goal. The animals will be collected to give to needy local children for Christmas.

The Heartlanders are home three times this week.

The Kansas City Mavericks return to Coralville for a Wednesday night game (6 p.m. opening faceoff). The Wheeling Nailers come back to Iowa for a pair of weekend games Friday and Saturday nights (also 6 p.m. starts).

Comments: (319)-398-8258, jeff.johnson@thegazette.com