Game 10 Preview: Kalamazoo at Iowa

Hearts host K-Wings for 1st time, postgame skate pres. by Family Dental Center

Coralville, Iowa – The Iowa Heartlanders (2-6-1-0, 5 pts.) look for their second consecutive win and host the division foe Kalamazoo Wings (4-3-0-0, 8 pts.) Sunday at 3:00 p.m. Today’s game features a postgame skate at the Heartlanders, pres. by Family Dental Center.Iowa defeated the Indy Fuel, 5-3, Friday at Xtream Arena thanks to leadership contributions. Captain Kris Bennett scored his second career multi-goal game and Iowa scored three times in the second to up-end Indy. Ryan Kuffner assisted on Bennett’s second goal, the game-winning strike, which was a short-handed goal at 19:00 of the second that gave Iowa a 4-3 edge. Cole Stallard potted his first goal of the season. Kaid Oliver registered two points, including the first goal of his pro career. Trevin Kozlowski made 26 saves for his first professional victory.The Heartlanders and K-Wings are meeting for the first of ten games, five of which will be here at Xtream Arena.Kalamazoo played Ft. Wayne Saturday and won, 7-2, behind a three-point effort from Max Humitz (2g).Iowa visits Toledo in the team’s next games on Fri., Nov. 19 and Sat., Nov. 20 (6:15 p.m. puck drops). The Heartlanders complete the road trip at Ft. Wayne on Sun., Nov. 21 at 4:00 p.m.The Heartlanders are next at home for another Staybridge Suites home stand Nov. 24, Nov. 26 and Nov. 27. Iowa hosts Kansas City at 7:00 p.m. on Wednesday the 24th, then faces Wheeling in back-to-back games on Black Friday and Saturday the 27th, with all puck drops at 7:00 p.m.  Season ticket memberships, group tickets, mini-plans, flex vouchers and single-game tickets are available for the Heartlanders inaugural season by calling 319-569-GOAL and visiting iowaheartlanders.com/tickets.Broadcast Coverage: Listen at Iowaheartlanders.com/listenlive or mixlr.com/goheartlanders. Watch on FloHockey.tv. NHL Affiliates: Iowa Heartlanders (Minnesota Wild/Iowa Wild) | Kalamazoo Wings (Columbus Blue Jackets/Cleveland MonstersStorylines:- Ryan Kuffner reunited with Kris Bennett and the two picked up where they left off from the opening weekend. Kuffner passed to Bennett for the game-winning goal Friday vs. Indy and has assisted three of Bennett’s five goals this campaign.- Iowa had the most power-play attempts in team history Friday (7). The Fuel also had 7 attempts, the most the Heartlanders have given up to an opponent.- Kaid Oliver netted two points Friday and has three multi-point games. He was one of four Iowa players with multiple points Friday.- The Kalamazoo Wings have been in the ECHL since 2009. They’ve been affiliates to nine NHL teams and ten AHL in their 13 years. They are now ECHL affiliates of the AHL’s Cleveland Monsters and NHL’s Columbus Blue Jackets. Prior to the ECHL, the Wings played in the UHL and IHL from 2000-09. Nick Bootland has been the Head Coach of the K-Wings since they joined the ECHL. Bootland is 11 games shy of becoming the sixth ECHL Head Coach to reach 800 games. Entering the weekend, Bootland was seventh in league history with 403 wins.