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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