JANUARY 7 • 2021 | 25

He was a star for four years at Robert
Morris University, outside Pittsburgh.
Israel had 85 points in 146 games for
Robert Morris, led Colonials defense-
men in goals, assists and points in each
of his last three seasons, led the Atlantic
Hockey Association and ranked fifth in
the Division I in blocked shots during
the 2018-19 season, and was a three-time
AHA All-Academic Team selection.
The Colonials made it to the AHA
championship game in Israel’s first three
seasons but lost each time with a chance
to earn a spot in the NCAA tournament.
They got to the league semifinals when he
was a senior.
While he was at Robert Morris, Israel
played for the silver medal-winning Team
USA hockey team in the 2017 Maccabiah
Games in Israel. He had two goals and
two assists in four games.
“It was a great experience in Israel.
Putting on the USA jersey was a very
special feeling,” Israel said. “I’d never had
Jewish hockey teammates previously.
Playing with other Jews, we made an
instant connection. I still talk to many of

my Team USA teammates.”
Israel was signed by the ECHL’s Fort
Wayne (Ind.) Comets before the 2019-20
season. After playing in two pre-season
games for the Comets, he was traded to
the injury-plagued Rush for future con-
siderations.
Then came another challenge.
After an early-morning flight from Fort
Wayne to Tulsa, Okla., on Oct. 19, 2019,
Israel was given an Uber ride to the rink
where the Rush was having a morning
skate. He got there about halfway through
the session.
Despite not knowing anyone on the
team, Israel played that night for the Rush
and he contributed two assists to a 5-0
victory over the Tulsa Oilers.
He played again the next night in Tulsa,
flew back to Fort Wayne, and drove 16
hours to Rapid City.
Israel has been happy on and off the
ice in South Dakota. The 5-foot-10,
185-pounder had one goal and 16 assists
in 52 games for the Rush last season.
“Rapid City is farther away from home
than Fort Wayne, of course, but I’ve loved

every second here,” he said.
The COVID-19 pandemic ended the
2019-20 ECHL season in March. Rapid
City was 29-25-5 at the time, in fifth
place in the Mountain Division and 15th
in the league, with a dozen regular-season
games to go.
Several league teams opted out of
playing this season, an option offered by
the league, and their players became free
agents. Thirteen league teams are playing.
The normal October start of league play
was moved to December.
Israel and Rush teammate Mark Auk
from Grosse Pointe drove 17 hours from
Michigan to Rapid City last month to get
to training camp. Each Rush player took
a COVID-19 test, then waited five days in
quarantine for the result.
Despite having no coronavirus symp-
toms, Israel tested positive. He didn’t
believe the test result.
“I convinced them to give me anoth-
er test two days after I got the positive
result. The test came back negative, and
I’ve tested negative every time since then,”
he said.

continued on page 26

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