Matsushima's Three Points Lead Bison over Heartlanders
Published on November 30, 2025 under ECHL (ECHL)
Bloomington Bison News Release
Coralville, Iowa - Eddie Matsushima scored a goal and registered two assists as the Bloomington Bison defeated the Iowa Heartlanders 5-1 in dominant fashion at Xtream Arena Sunday.
Shane Ott gave the Bison a 1-0 lead just 66 seconds after the opening faceoff when he slammed in a rebound from the near side of the net. Matsushima set up the play by forcing a turnover in neutral ice and creating the scramble in front. Mark Kaleinikovas dished the puck to Bloomington's captain and they each picked up assists in the ice-breaking goal. Iowa began to surge with seven minutes remaining, but after Dryden McKay made back-to-back, tricky saves, Bloomington added to its lead. Ott won a puck race past two Heartlanders from center ice and dropped it back to Brenden Datema at the blue line. Datema then sent a shot in that slowed down en route to the net and Matsushima found the twine behind an open crease at 14:02. Sullivan Mack nearly made it a 3-0 game off a great feed from Lou-Felix Denis in the final minutes, but he was turned aside. Before the horn, Datema was called for tripping, and was assessed a 10-minute misconduct when the teams came out for the second period.
The Bison completed their first penalty kill but surrendered a goal 11 seconds after returning to full strength. Two minutes and 28 seconds later, Mack buried his first professional goal with a patient backhand shot after creating countless Grade-A opportunities over his first nine games. Denis and Nikita Sedov set up the 3-1 goal at 4:01 of the middle stanza. Penalties began to mount through the frame, with each team being assessed two roughing minors, and Matsushima and Daniel Tedesco created numerous chances while four-on-four. The Heartlanders pushed late and McKay made more notable stops, one with 93 seconds left and another with one minute left on the clock. Bloomington took the two-goal lead into the third, despite being outshot 23-14.
The Bison continued to control play in the third period, and scored twice more in a one minute and 38-second span. Just over four minutes in, Matsushima was denied off a 3-on-2 rush but Jonny Evans lit the lamp on the next shift. Kyle Jackson battled to free the puck from Iowa behind the net and centered it to Evans, who was left alone in front of the net to score at 5:06. Tempers flared again after the 4-1 tally, and six penalty minutes were dished out to Iowa, and two to Bloomington on the follow-up play. Fourteen seconds after the initial flurry of penalties, the Heartlanders were called for cross-checking, which led to a two-minute, 5-on-3 powerplay for the Bison. Brett Budgell scored from Tedesco and Matsushima 33 seconds into the two-man advantage to give the visitors their 5-1 lead. Forty-four more penalty minutes were earned down the stretch in the final nine minutes and six seconds of the game but no other goals were scored. In total, McKay stopped 31 shots for at least that many in his last six games, and the Bison potted five goals on 25 attempts. The Bloomington powerplay scored once on four attempts, and the penalty kill was successful all four times it was tested.
At the conclusion of Sunday's game, Bloomington jumped into fourth place in the Central Division and improved to the fifth-highest points percentage in the Western Conference with 20 points in the team's first 16 games.
The Bison will wear specialty Peanuts-themed jerseys that will be auctioned off on DASH Auction with a portion of the proceeds benefitting charity on Teddy Bear Toss Night, presented by Beer Nuts Saturday, December 6!
Tickets to Teddy Bear Toss Night presented by Beer Nuts can be purchased for as low as $20! Visit ticketmaster.com or call 309-965-HERD to secure your seat today and be ready to throw your stuffed animals onto the ice for a great cause!
ECHL Stories from November 30, 2025
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