Kalamazoo, MI — Max Patterson (2g) and Jaxon Nelson (2g, 1a) scored twice in the first half of the game and the Iowa Heartlanders burned the Kalamazoo Wings, 5-1, Friday at Wings Event Center. The Heartlanders scored the first four goals of the game. Iowa is 3-1-0-0 to begin the season, their best start in team history. Riley Mercer made 25 saves for his second professional win. 
Patterson gave Iowa a 1-0 edge with a short-handed strike at 2:04 of the second, his first professional goal. Iowa’s Nolan Orzeck aimed a perfect neutral-ice feed to Patterson to start a two-on-one. Patterson fed Yuki Miura then planted himself at the right post for a tap-in goal. Nelson did the same with 2:50 to go in the first, touching in a left-circle feed from Isaac Johnson. Jack O’Brien earned the secondary assist.
O’Brien, Johnson and Nelson combined again on Nelson’s second of the game at :32 of the second, making it 3-0. Nelson sniped it from 55 feet away straightaway from just inside the blue line.
Patterson made it 4-0 seven minutes later, hooking in a fluttering puck at the net mouth.
After the Wings made it 4-1, Iowa started the third period with a power-play goal from Keltie Jeri-Leon to extend the edge back to four goals. Nelson and Johnson once again helped out, feeding it off the goalie’s pads which left a rebound for Jeri-Leon at the right dot.
Jonathan Lemieux took the loss with 19 saves.
The Heartlanders visit Kalamazoo again Saturday at 3:30 p.m.
Iowa is next at home for three games against Fort Wayne Oct. 29, Oct. 31 and Nov. 1. The Nov. 1 game against Fort Wayne is Honoring All Heroes Night, pres. by Great Clips.