DeRidder huge late, Heartlanders best Indy in shootout, 4-3

Indianapolis, IN – Iowa Heartlanders goaltender Drew DeRidder stopped 45 Indy Fuel shots and two more in the shootout to lead Iowa to a 4-3 victory Friday at the Indiana Farmers Coliseum. DeRidder stopped 15 shots in the third and five in overtime. Casey Dornbach and Louis Boudon scored in the shootout for Iowa.  

Iowa has won six straight away games, a team record for longest road winning streak in team history. The Heartlanders also survived three Indy comebacks; Iowa took a 1-0, 2-1 and 3-2 lead before requiring extra hockey to win.

The Heartlanders scored first to take a 1-0 lead at 9:50 of the first. Dornbach received a centering pass from Pavel Novak. On its way to him, Dakota Raabe redirected the puck to Dornbach and the rookie shoved it over the goaltender’s pad for his 10^th of the season. 

After Indy tied it at one, Ben Brinkman registered his third goal of the campaign on a rush opportunity. Once again, Brinkman aimed over the pad but beneath the blocker of Weeks and found twine, assisted by Dornbach and Boudon.

In the second period, Jake Durflinger broke a 2-2 tie with 1:50 left in the second, aiming a top-shelf wrist shot over the shoulder of Mitchell Weeks (shootout loss, 25 saves).

Indy forced overtime with a tying goal from Chris Cameron at 10:58 of the third. 

Box Score

The Heartlanders’ road trip continues at Toledo Sat., Mar. 2 at 6:15 p.m. and Sun., Mar. 3 at 4:15 p.m.

Iowa’s seven-game road trip concludes with a set at Wichita on Fri., Mar. 8 at 7:00 p.m. and Sat., Mar. 9 at 7:00 p.m.

The Heartlanders are next at home to take on the Wheeling Nailers March 13-16 for three games at Xtream Arena. Iowa hosts Wheeling on Wed., Mar. 13 at 6:35 p.m. and Fri., Mar. 15 at 6:35 p.m. March 16^th is St. Hat Trick’s Day, featuring a Heartlanders Mascot Dash Bobblehead giveaway to the first 500 fans, theme jerseys available for auction and a special appearance by the Kelly Cup, the ECHL’s championship trophy. 

On Fri., Mar. 22 at 6:35 p.m., the Heartlanders oppose the Wichita Thunder in the 100^th home game in team history, featuring $5 youth tickets (online only, with purchase of adult ticket). 

Sat., Mar. 23 at 6:05 p.m. is Heartland Heroes Night against Wichita, honoring the frontline workers that selflessly serve eastern Iowa. 

On Sun., Mar. 24 at 2:05 p.m., Iowa wraps up the weekend against Wichita with Faith and Family Day, a team photo giveaway, and the final postgame skate of the season. 

Join the fun at Xtream Arena in the 2023-24 season

Here are some of the best options to make sure you experience the family-friendly entertainment of Heartlanders Hockey at Xtream Arena this season!

Flex Plans: Enjoy the service, savings and game dates that work best for you! Flex plans include “any game” ticket vouchers that are good for any home game during the 2023-24 regular season.  

12-game plans: Grab tickets to your favorite 12 games! 12-game plans include savings on individually-priced tickets!

Group Tickets: Make a big impact with your group and spend an evening with the Heartlanders. Starting at a special rate of $15/Ticket. A group comprises 10 or more people and is perfect for parties, families, co-workers, clients and more.

Season Ticket Memberships now available for 2024-25 season

Deposits now available for new season ticket holders: The Heartlanders are excited to welcome new season ticket members to our family for the 2024-25 season and deposits for tickets are now available. Call 319-855-1775 and visit https://iowaheartlanders.com/tickets/season-memberships to start your easy process to becoming a Rose Club Season Ticket Member.

Renewal Process: The Heartlanders have started the renewal process for full season plans (Rose Club memberships) for the 2024-25 season, and the renewal application is now available online here. Once you log in, simply click “Season Renewal Application” under the “My Tickets” tab on the right, then complete the process. Our sales representatives are available to help with the renewal process by calling 319-855-1775. You can also stop by the Mediacom Season Ticket Table behind section 109 at any future game to secure your seat for the 2024-2025 season. 

The Heartlanders have added new seating options for the 2024-25 season, debuting Attack Zone Lower, Attack Zone Upper, Defense Zone, and Corner sections to allow fans additional price points to fit their budget. 

To retain your seats for the 2024-25 season, a $50 deposit per seat must be made by March 24. On March 25, all seats without deposits will be released and available for purchase by new season ticket holders.