By Kevin Scott
ANN ARBOR, Mich., February 23, 2015 — The North American Tier 3 Hockey League’s top prospects in all five divisions came together to take part in the NA3HL’s Top Prospects Tournament in Ann Arbor, Michigan. The two-day tournament takes place today and Tuesday.
The 2015 NA3HL Top Prospect’s Tournament along with the North American Hockey League (NAHL) and the North American Prospects Hockey League (NAPHL) provides an opportunity for each league to showcase their best hockey players in front of coaches and scouts from the college level to the National Hockey League (NHL).
The Great Falls Americans featured seven players (Arseny Ivanov, Miles Giorgione, Lucas Lomax, Lucas Stover and Joshua Larson) with five of them suiting up for the Frontier Division team and two for the NA3HL’s 18 and under Selects team (Lauren Massie and Wade Wylie) along with Americans head coach Jeff Heimel guiding the Frontier team.
The Frontier team faced off against the 18U Selects team during the first day of (a two day) competition at the NA3HL’s Top Prospect’s Tournament in Ann Arbor, Michigan on Monday afternoon.
The Frontier Division team won in a shootout over the NA3HL 18U Selects squad 3-2 in a game that featured no power plays or penalties during the opening day of the 2015 Top Prospects Tournament played at the Ann Arbor Ice Cube in Michigan.
Just when it looked like it might be scoreless after the first period, Max Doner made sure that there would be points on the scoreboard for the NA3HL 18U Selects team. Doner, the Mukioteo, WA native who plays for the Frontier Division’s Yellowstone Quake was able to net the first points of the game. Dominic Costello (Nashville Jr. Predators) and Matt Goodman (Point Mallard Ducks) assisted on the scoring drive with 48 seconds to go in the opening stanza. The shots-on-goal was about even with the 18U Selects team contributing 10 of the 19 total for the period.
Helena Bighorns forward Kendall Bolen-Porter connected on a pass from Great Falls Americans standout Lucas Stover to tie the game at 1-1 with just over 12 minutes remaining in the second period. The Frontier squad edged the 18U Selects team in the shots-on-goal category 22-21.
St. Louis Jr. Blues forward Adam Havener found his current Blues teammate Andy McGlynn for the score over Frontier goaltender Alex Feese of the Gillette Wild six minutes into the final period of regulation to give the Selects squad a 2-1 lead. The Frontier squad added a goal of their own with 4:37 on the clock as Brandt Miller (Helena Bighorns) was able to give the Frontier team their second goal of the day with help from Matt Gamblin (Glacier Nationals) and Bryce Mitzel (Gillette Wild). The goal proved to be the only points scored in the period and sent the game into a shootout (there was no extra overtime period played).
Lucas Lomax of Great Falls and Bryce Mitzel from Gillette each converted a goal in the shootout with Mitzel’s score proving to be the game-winning goal. Former Great Falls American and current Bozeman Ice Dog Devin Panzeca had the lone tally for the Selects team.
There were no power play opportunities or any penalties during this tournament contest for either team.
Gillette goaltender Alex Feese stopped 29 of the 31 shots attempted by the NA3HL 18U Selects offense in the win for the Frontier squad. Denijs Romanovskis (Bozeman Ice Dogs goaltender) finished with 30 saves in the shoot-out loss.
FUN FACTS: The North American 3 Hockey League (NA3HL) Top Prospects Tournament is played in conjunction with the North American Hockey League’s (NAHL) and the Americans Prospects Hockey League’s (NAPHL) Top Prospect Tournament. The event has many scouts in attendance from junior colleges to the NCAA and professionals from the National Hockey League (NHL). All three leagues will showcase their talent in front of many scouts and coaches in the two-day event. To learn more about the Top Prospects Tournament, you can view all of the information by clicking here.
NEXT CONTEST: The NA3HL 18U Selects, which features two GF Americans in Lauren Massie and Wade Wylie, will face the South Division of the NA3HL on Tuesday, February 24th at 11:30AM (EST) while the Frontier Division comprised of five Great Falls Americans (Arseny Ivanov, Miles Giorgione, Lucas Lomax, Lucas Stover and Joshua Larson) finish out the tournament at 5:30PM (EST) against the East Division. Americans head coach Jeff Heimel guides the Frontier team.
| Period 1 | Period 2 | Period 3 | SO | Final | |
| Frontier | 0 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 3 |
| NA3HL 18U Selects | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 2 |
First Period – 1, NA3HL 18U Selects, Max Doner (Dominic Costello, Matt Goodman), 19:12.
Second Period –2, Frontier, Kendall Bolen-Porter (Lucas Stover), 8:34.
Third Period – 3, NA3HL 18U Selects, Andy McGlynn (Adam Havener), 6:32. 4, Frontier, Brandt Miller (Matt Gamblin, Bryce Mitzel), 15:23.
Shootout – Frontier, Joshua Larson (Great Falls Americans) (No Goal), NA3HL 18U Selects, Kohei Sato (North Iowa Bulls) (No Goal), Frontier, Lucas Lomax (Great Falls Americans) (Goal), NA3HL 18U Selects, Travis Kothenbeutel (Granite City Lumberjacks) (No Goal), Frontier, Gunnar Mogck (Bozeman Ice Dogs) (No Goal), NA3HL 18U Selects, Devin Panzeca (Bozeman Ice Dogs) (Goal), Frontier, Miles Giorgione (Great Falls Americans) (No Goal), NA3HL 18U Selects, Andy McGlynn (St. Louis Jr. Blues) (No Goal), Frontier, Bryce Mitzel (Gillette Wild) (Goal), NA3HL 18U Selects, Sam Maddox (St. Louis Jr. Blues) (No Goal).
(Frontier wins shootout 2-1)
5, Frontier, Bryce Mitzel (Goal).
Shots on Goal – Frontier 33, NA3HL 18U Selects 31.
Power-play Opportunities – Frontier 0-for-0, NA3HL 18U Selects 0-for-0.
Attendance – Not Announced
Box Score: Frontier vs. NA3HL 18U Selects
Story Courtesy: North American 3 Hockey League (NA3HL): West, Frontier and Central win on Day 1 of NA3HL Top Prospects (February 23, 2015)