Komets edge Iowa Friday, 5-2

Coralville, Iowa – The Iowa Heartlanders allowed two goals in the second period, enough offense from the Fort Wayne Komets to best Iowa, 5-2, Friday at Xtream Arena. In that middle period, Samuel Dove-McFalls and Matt Alvaro scored for Fort Wayne to break a 1-1 tie and a lead that Iowa could not overcome. The teams rematch Saturday at 7:05 p.m. and Sunday at 2:05 p.m. at Xtream Arena.Hunter Jones blocked 37 shots in defeat. Ryan Fanti won with 31 denials, including 12 in the third.Fort Wayne’s Adam Brubacher opened the scoring with a snapper from the left post at 3:06 of the first.Iowa responded at the 16:34 mark of the opening period, pouncing on a loose puck at the left doorstep. Ryan Wheeler created the play; he accelerated through neutral ice, lowered his shoulder, and dealt the puck through the top of the crease to the left post for Tommy Parrottino.The Komets scored two times in the second period on strikes separated by about seven minutes from Dove-McFalls and Alvaro and led by two entering the third, 3-1.Garrett Van Wyhe scored his fifth of the season at the 3:09 mark of the third to make it 4-1.Next, Tyler Busch tallied a man-up goal at 4-on-3, tapping in a right-post centering feed from Clayton Phillips at 6:40 of the third. Fort Wayne scored 18 seconds later on a Blake Siebenaler shot to make it 5-2.Box Score

View the team’s full promotional schedule at iowaheartlanders.com/promotions. The Heartlanders host Fort Wayne on Saturday, January 28 at 7:05 p.m. for D.C. Comics Night where the Heartlanders will wear specialty FLASH jerseys, plus Fight With Flash Night where a portion of proceeds raised from the specialty jersey auction will benefit the Fight With Flash Foundation. Wear your D.C. Comics apparel to the game for a chance to win in-game activations and prizes.On Sunday, January 29 at 2:05 p.m., the Heartlanders wrap up the weekend with Elementary School Day presented by MidWestOne Bank and a postgame skate presented by the Family Dental Center. The Heartlanders will welcome all Elementary School students, teachers and administrators and give back to local districts. After the game, take the ice with the players for a postgame skate.Single-game tickets, group ticket options, partial plans and season ticket memberships are available for Heartlanders home games at Xtream Arena.  Call 319-569-GOAL or visit iowaheartlanders.com/tickets for more information.