Albert records hat trick as Walleye demolish Heartlanders, 10-1

CORALVILLE, Iowa – The Toledo Walleye picked up their first win of the 2021-22 season in exciting fashion on Friday night, scoring six times in the second period en route to a 10-1 victory over the Iowa Heartlanders.

Toledo reached double figures for the first time since 2019, falling one goal shy of tying the franchise’s single-game scoring record of 11 goals. Seven different Walleye players netted a goal in the effort, and 12 players tallied a point for Toledo.

John Albert recorded a hat trick for the Walleye, netting a goal in each period as well as picking up an assist. He put the Walleye on the board just 4:46 into the contest, scoring an equal strength goal on an assist from Connor Walters. Matt Berry scored at the 8:15 mark in the first period, bringing the Walleye lead to 2-0. 

Iowa’s Ben Sokay received a high-sticking penalty 13:51 into the first, but Toledo failed to capitalize on the power play, keeping the score at 2-0 heading into the first intermission. The Walleye outshot the Heartlanders, 18-9, in the period.

The score remained stagnant for much of the second period until an offensive outburst led to five goals scored on six shots on goal across 4:04 of game time. Brett McKenzie netted his first goal in a Walleye uniform at the 11:22 mark in the period, Keeghan Howdeshell (12:20), Marcus Vela (12:45), and Conlan Keehan (13:39) quickly followed with goals of their own. John Albert scored his second goal of the game at 15:26, wrapping up a Walleye run of seven straight goals to start the contest. 

Iowa’s Jack Billings scored a power play goal after Butrus Ghafari was called for cross checking, posting the Heartlanders’ only goal of the game. McKenzie responded a minute later with his second goal of the night, making the score 8-1 at the end of the second period. TJ Hensick, who assisted on three of Toledo’s second period goals, recorded four helpers in the matchup.

The Walleye’s second period onslaught tied the franchise record for goals scored in a single period. Toledo previously scored six goals in the second period of their 11-0 home victory against the Fort Wayne Komets on March 2, 2019.

The Walleye wasted no time coming out of the second intermission, as Cole Fraser found the back of the net just 1:10 into the third period. Fraser tallied three points on the night, adding two assists to his third period goal. John Albert closed out the scoring at the 12:33 mark in the third, reaching his hat trick on an equal strength goal from Connor Walters and Marcus Vela. 

Toledo outshot Iowa, 44-27, in the game, including 18-9 in the first period. The Walleye went 0-for-1 on the power play while Iowa went 1-for-2. Kaden Fulcher recorded his first win of the season, stopping 26 of 27 shots in a full 60 minutes of action.

What’s Next:

The Walleye will play the second game of their weekend doubleheader with Iowa on Saturday night. Puck drop from Xtream Arena in Coralville, Iowa, is set for 8 p.m.

Three Stars:

1. Toledo – John Albert (three goals, one assist)
2. Toledo – Cole Fraser (one goal, two assists)
3. Toledo – TJ Hensick (four assists)