Iowa Heartlanders defenseman Alex Carlson stood at the right point of the rink. Though there were no other skaters lurking around, there was traffic in front of the net.

So, he hoped for the best as he got the puck on net. Carlson notched his first career ECHL goal in the opening frame of the Heartlanders’ contest against the Fort Wayne Komets at Xtream Arena on Friday.

That represented Iowa’s second goal in its 6-3 victory.

“It was exciting,” Carlson said postgame. “It’s finally good, long time coming. I’ve been trying all year, close a couple times, so I was quite excited to get the monkey off the back.”

While the red light behind the goal flashed, Carlson’s teammates mobbed him in celebration.

Following the third period, Carlson was invited back on the ice after the final horn. Carlson was named the third star of the game and took a short lap in front of the Heartlanders’ bench.

“He was good on the [power play kill] tonight,” Heartlanders head coach Gerry Fleming said. “So, it was nice to see him get a goal.”

The last time the right-handed shooter recorded a goal was in the 2020-21 season. Carlson played with the Knoxville Ice Bears of the Southern Professional Hockey League. He tallied four goals over 52 games in three seasons with the Ice Bears.

Carlson received a tryout contract with the Heartlanders for training camp in October. He made the opening night roster, marking his first season in the ECHL. As a blueliner, Carlson typically stays toward the neutral zone on offensive plays. Yet, he put up his first point in his 39th game with the Heartlanders.

“I like the level of pace,” Carlson said. “Definitely a learning curve, but everybody around here that I’ve been with all year, everybody has their own look of the game, everybody’s so willing to help you learn their way of the game, so you’ll see a different way. So, it’s big development wise, it’s helped so much.”

Carlson missed eight games in the past month for an unspecified reason. For the first time since Feb. 9, he suited up for the Heartlanders on March 5. He said it was tough sitting out, but he was happy to see the Heartlanders succeed.

The 6-foot-5 skater from Lakewood, New, York, has been described as a hard-nosed fighter by his teammates and coaches.

“It’s an adrenaline rush, for sure,” Carlson said. “I definitely don’t go out of my way for it, but it’s one of those things because of my size and everything, if you kind have to do it, you kind of have to do it. They seem to last a lot longer than they actually are, but it’s one of those things I’m glad to help in any way with.”

Carlson didn’t participate, however, in the two fights that occurred with about one minute left in the game on Friday.

But Heartlander forward Yuki Miura participated in his first-ever fight on the ice on Friday. Miura said he practiced fighting on Thursday with Carlson and forward Kaid Oliver.

“He’s one of, maybe one of the best fighters in this league,” Miura said. “It’s great, and I love the energy. He brings a lot of positive energy to the team.”