The Heartlanders fell, 5-2, to the Toledo Walleye on Saturday at Xtream Arena, but Iowa also produced the first star of the game — forward Cole Golka.

The 5-foot-9 right-handed shooter scored Iowa’s two goals in the second period — the first two scores of his Heartlander career.

Golka’s first goal came at the 2:47 mark of the period, when he scored from the left circle off an assist from forward Joe Widmar.

He followed that goal up with another goal at the 13:48 mark on an unassisted turn-around shot.

“You know what, you shoot the puck, good things happen,” Golka said. “You have a good line with Joe Widmar and [forward Zach] Riemers there, we seemed to be clicking, and good things happened.”

Golka was listed as a left wing in the second line in the projected lineup before the game.

Originally from Alberta, Canada, the 26-year-old spent time in the Saskatchewan Junior Hockey League and the College of St. Schloastica in NCAA Division III. He started his professional career in the Southern Professional Hockey League with the Birmingham Bulls during the 2018-19 season.

He skated with the Bulls in 2019-20 and didn’t compete last season. At the start of the 2021-22 season, Golka played with the Quad City Storm of the SPHL for four games and tallied four points. He was picked up by the Heartlanders on Tuesday and made his club debut Wednesday.

The ECHL, he said, is the league he wants to play in.

“Obviously, the pace is faster,” Golka said. “Guys make plays and you got to be a lot sharper, right? You got to be a lot better defensively and sometimes it takes a few games. For me, I thought that was my best outing so far, just picking up the pace and being good defensively, and then confidence as well.”

Golka was one of five players in the lineup Saturday that did not skate at all in the Heartlanders’ first two games of the season. Because of recalls to the American Hockey League Iowa Wild and Heartlander injuries, new players have filled in the role of key missing players.

Forwards Kris Bennett and Ryan Kuffner, who combined for five goals in three games for the Heartlanders, were two of the players called up to the Iowa Wild on Thursday.

The Heartlanders improved in the new lineup on Saturday — the second game against the Toledo Walleye. Iowa lost in blowout fashion, 10-1, on Friday night. Though Saturday’s effort gave the Heartlanders a closer, 5-2, game, it was not enough to give Iowa a victory.

Iowa is 1-3-1 with three points through five games — fifth place in the Central Division. But the Heartlanders have 67 games remaining on their schedule and start a three-game road series in Cincinnati on Thursday.

“I think just playing more, it’s a long season, right?” Golka said. “We’re only five games in, so no panic buttons are going to be hit. Guys start playing together and have a good week of practice and prep for the road trip.”