Heartlanders Stay Close Through 40, Komets Pull Away in 3rd

Iowa Heartlanders fall to Fort Wayne Komets 7-2 in ECHL matchup

Published on Feb. 7, 2026

Got story updates? Submit your updates here. ›

The Iowa Heartlanders fell to the Fort Wayne Komets 7-2 on Friday night at the Allen County War Memorial Coliseum. The Heartlanders trailed 2-1 through the first two periods, but the Komets scored five unanswered goals in the third period to pull away for the victory.

Why it matters

The loss drops the Heartlanders to 0-2 on their current three-game road trip as they continue to battle for playoff positioning in the ECHL's Central Division. The Komets, meanwhile, improve to 3-1 in their last four games as they look to climb the standings in the competitive Mountain Division.

The details

Iowa trailed 2-0 midway through the game after goals from Fort Wayne's Trevor Janicke and William Dufour. But with 2:50 left in the second period, Luke Mobley scored his second goal of the season to cut the deficit to 2-1. In the third period, the Komets took over, with Anthony Petruzzelli and Austin Magera each scoring twice to make it 6-1. Jonny Sorenson scored late to make it 6-2, but Magera added his second goal to complete the 7-2 final.

  • The Heartlanders trailed 2-0 halfway through the game.
  • With 2:50 left in the second period, Luke Mobley scored to make it 2-1.
  • In the third period, the Komets scored five unanswered goals to pull away.

The players

Trevor Janicke

A forward for the Fort Wayne Komets who scored one of the team's two first-period goals.

William Dufour

A forward for the Fort Wayne Komets who scored the other first-period goal for the team.

Luke Mobley

A forward for the Iowa Heartlanders who scored his second goal of the season to cut the deficit to 2-1 late in the second period.

Anthony Petruzzelli

A forward for the Fort Wayne Komets who scored two goals in the third period to help the team pull away.

Austin Magera

A forward for the Fort Wayne Komets who also scored two goals in the third period, including the final goal of the game.

Got photos? Submit your photos here. ›

What they’re saying

“We must continue to battle and find ways to win games, especially on the road. This was a tough loss, but we'll regroup and be ready for our next challenge.”

— Luke Mobley, Forward, Iowa Heartlanders

What’s next

The Heartlanders will look to bounce back on Saturday when they wrap up their three-game road trip with a matchup against the Indy Fuel at 6:00 p.m. local time.

The takeaway

The Heartlanders' inability to hold their 2-1 lead through 40 minutes and the Komets' dominant third-period performance highlight the need for Iowa to play a complete 60-minute game as they continue to fight for a playoff spot in the competitive ECHL Central Division.