Script Flipped on Heartlanders in Final Two Periods, 7-2
ECHL Iowa Heartlanders

Script Flipped on Heartlanders in Final Two Periods, 7-2

Published on March 21, 2026 under ECHL (ECHL)
Iowa Heartlanders News Release


Bloomington, IL - The Iowa Heartlanders scored the first two goals, but the Bloomington Bison rallied in a penalty-filled affair, 7-2, Saturday at Grossinger Motors Arena. The Bison scored three times in the second and four in the third, with goals from Brendan Detema, Grant Porter, Parker Lindauer and Mikhail Abramov in the third. The teams combined for 66 penalty minutes, more than half of which came in the third.

Iowa opened the scoring with a bat out of the air from Jaxon Nelson on the power play, providing the Heartlanders a 1-0 edge four minutes in. On the rush from the right circle, Cameron Butler clicked it off a Bison stick and it ricocheted for Nelson's slam in. Nelson leads Iowa with 16 goals.

Keltie Jeri-Leon ripped in his 13th of the season to make it 2-0 at 2:36 of the second, taking a cross-ice pass on a three-on-two rush and beating Ollas to the far post.

After that goal, the Bison flipped the momentum with three goals in a row in a four-minute span. Ayden MacDonald (PPG, 8:47), Riku Ishida (11:17) and Eddie Matsushima (12:12) scored the next three on four shots.

Riley Mercer blocked 28 shots in defeat. Hugo Ollas won with 20 stops.

The Heartlanders and Bison play one more time in Bloomington this weekend - Sunday at 4:00 p.m. Iowa is next at home Fri. Mar 27 at 7:00 p.m. vs. Cincinnati for Landerpalooza, pres. by iHeartMedia. The Heartlanders continue the weekend with Hard Hats on Ice, pres. by Van Meter on Sat., Mar. 28 vs. the Cyclones. Iowa concludes the homestand vs. Cincinnati on Sun., Mar. 29 for Cartoon Day.

Tickets start at $10 for all Heartlanders home games. Heartlanders Family 4 Packs (4 tickets, 4 hot dogs, 4 sodas, 1 large popcorn starting at $69) and the Deer & Beers Ticket Bundle (1 ticket and 2 domestic beers for $25) are now available.

Check out the Iowa Heartlanders Statistics

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ECHL Stories from March 21, 2026


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