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Iowa Heartlanders fall at Fort Wayne in Game 6, 6-1
Clubs play a winner-take-all Game 7 of their first-round ECHL playoff series Tuesday night in Indiana
Apr. 27, 2025 7:47 pm
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CEDAR RAPIDS - They say you’ve got to have a short memory in the playoffs.
It should be pretty easy for the Iowa Heartlanders to forget this one.
The Fort Wayne Komets dominated Game 6 of this ECHL first-round playoff series Sunday afternoon at Fort Wayne’s Memorial Coliseum, 6-1, setting up a winner-take-all Game 7 Tuesday night in Indiana. Opening puck drop is 6:35.
“It’s the best two words in hockey: Game 7,” said Heartlanders Coach Derek Damon. “It’s what you live for as a player. It’s what you live for, to be a part of it. I’ve been through quite a few in my day as a player, this is my first as a coach, so I’m excited. It’s a big opportunity. This group is a special group, and I know that we are going to be ready to play a big game on Tuesday.”
The Heartlanders traveled east with a lot of momentum after winning Game 4 at Xtream Arena last week in double overtime, then Game 5 a couple of nights later, 5-2. But Fort Wayne was the better team here, outshooting Iowa by a 36-19 margin, including 16-5 in the first period.
Alex Aleardi got the game’s first goal late in the first, with Nolan Volcan’s breakaway short-hander against Iowa goalie William Rousseau with 1:58 left a real back breaker. A Jack Gorniak goal eight minutes into the second period made it a 3-0 game, with Jonny Sorenson countering for the Heartlanders two minutes later.
It was Sorenson’s first goal of the series.
But Fort Wayne’s Ethan Keppen then went into action. He scored at the 14:39 mark to give his team a 4-1 lead and assisted on a Zach Jordan goal two minutes later.
That ended Rousseau’s night, with Kyle McLellan replacing him in net for the Heartlanders.
Brannon McManus provided the final margin, with Keppen getting the primary assist on a centering feed through the crease. Aleardi also assisted.
The Heartlanders played without top forward Matthew Sop because of injury, though forward Will Calverley did return from the injury list.
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