Jeri-Leon Nets Game Winner, Rousseau Stops 29 to Backstop Iowa to 2-1 Win
ECHL Iowa Heartlanders

Jeri-Leon Nets Game Winner, Rousseau Stops 29 to Backstop Iowa to 2-1 Win

Published on January 9, 2026 under ECHL (ECHL)
Iowa Heartlanders News Release


Toledo, OH - The Iowa Heartlanders got a game-winning goal from Keltie Jeri-Leon with 11 minutes to go and came from behind to spike the Toledo Walleye, 2-1, Friday at Huntington Center. William Rousseau made 29 saves and stopped 24 straight shots to end the game.

On the game-winning strike from Jeri-Leon, Liam Coughlin dished from the trapezoid to an open Jeri-Leon at the right post. Jeri-Leon one-timed in his eighth of the season and second of the season series.

Jaxon Nelson tied the game at one with a power-play goal at 2:25 of the second period. Rasmus Kumpulainen set up at the right circle and unleashed a waist-height wrister that rattled off Nelson's stick and in. Matthew Sop earned the secondary assist.

Rousseau made 14 saves in the first period. Denis Smirnov opened the scoring on Toledo's fifth shot five minutes into the first.

Carter Gylander took the defeat with 18 stops.

Iowa visits Kalamazoo for back-to-back games Jan. 10 at 3:30 p.m. and Jan. 11 at 2:00 p.m. Saturday's game will be broadcasted on 1630 AM KCJJ, the KCJJ Mobile App and 1630KCJJ.com. Iowa is next at home Wed., Jan. 14 at 7:00 p.m. vs. Kalamazoo.

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