By Kevin Scott
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GILLETTE, Wyo., November 8, 2024 — The Great Falls Americans (10-6-0-0), ranked behind the Helena Bighorns and the Sheridan (WY) Hawks in the NA3HL’s Frontier Division, came off their bye week playing a two-game weekend series against the #6 Gillette (WY) Wild (8-8-1-0) in Wyoming on Friday and Saturday. After Friday’s contest, the Americans have seen all their rivals in the Frontier Division this season.
During the 2023-24 season, the Wild won all four of their regular season contests versus the Americans. In the playoffs, Gillette swept the Bozeman Ice Dogs in the best-of-three Frontier Division Semi-Finals before falling to the eventual NA3HL National Champion, Helena Bighorns in two games. The Wild and Bighorns went to St. Peters, Missouri in March to compete at the 2024 NA3HL Fraser Cup National Tournament where they fell in the national semifinals to Helena.
The Americans are playing their first game in November and are led by Ty O’Bey, the team leader in goals scored (14) and total points (26). Aiden Kennedy contributed 17 assists. Great Falls finished October with a 6-2-0-0 record.
The 2024-25 season for the Wild has seen many challenges for the young Wyoming squad. Gillette has a new coach in Erick Bromberg, who replaced Ethan Hayes, who guided the team the past few seasons and was an assistant with Great Falls during the 2019-20 season. The Wild brought back four players (Chase Hapka, Jayden Rogen, Josh Bieniewicz, and Zach Lebens). Hapka, a forward from Fargo, North Dakota, leads the team with ten goals and 25 points while newcomer Max Arlt has a team-leading 17 assists.
Through seventeen games, they are 8-8-1-0 including two setbacks to start the month of November against the #1 Helena Bighorns (13-1-0-0) after winning three of their six contests in October (3-3-0-0). Two wins came against the winless Yellowstone (WY( Quake and one victory over the Bozeman Ice Dogs.
Great Falls was looking for their third road win of the season.
The #3 Great Falls Americans trailed the #6 Gillette (WY) Wild on the road Friday in Wyoming, 3-1 after the first two periods and fell 6-3 to their Wyoming counterparts at the Spirit Hall Ice Arena in Gillette, Wyoming.
Aiden Kennedy (Great Falls) and Chase Hapka (Gillette) each put the biscuit in the basket for their respective squads during the first period. John Lang and Ty O’Bey assisted on Kennedy’s score with 7:12 left. As the first period expired, Hapka put the puck in the net as Max Arlt and Michael Mckernan earned the assists.
Ryan Kirkman’s second goal for Gillette this season broke the tie for the home team within the first six minutes of the middle period. Tai Kontrac and Zach Lebens set up the play. Gillette increased their advantage over Great Falls (3-1) on a goal by Max Arlt with helpers coming from Braydin Lund and Wylen Cambensy with eight minutes remaining. Great Falls accumulated 22 shots and Gillette had 18 after the first forty minutes.
The Americans cut their deficit to 3-2 during the first 31 seconds of the third frame. Zac Orwig and Masen Kerr made the assists on the first of Garren Narvaez’s two goals. Both squads traded goals with Max Arlt’s second score of the game with Braydin Lund and Landon Metcalfe picking up the assists. Narvaez scored again for the visitors midway through the final period of regulation. Fisher Hannesson an Aiden Kennedy assisted on Great Falls third goal. The Wild scored the final two goals with Tai Kontrac and Wylen Cambensy adding a goal to their resume. Michael Mckernan assisted on both scoring plays and Dylan Peterson and Zach Lebens also contributed assists.
Despite the loss, Great Falls outshot Gillette, 31-25.
The first meeting between these two Frontier Division foes featured just three minor penalties whistled on the host team. Great Falls went 1-for-3 on the power play.
Max Arlt led the Wild by producing two goals and one assist. Arlt’s teammate, Michael Mckernan, registered three assists. Garren Narvaez scored two of the three goals for coach Greg Sears’ squad. Aiden Kennedy had the first scoring drive.
Tate Cothern improved to 4-3-0-0 as the Gillette goaltender accumulated 28 saves. Kaden Rhyder (19 saves) dropped to 9-5-0-0 on the season.
FRONTIER DIVISION UPDATE: The #2 Sheridan (WY) Hawks (11-4-2-0) trailed the #5 Bozeman Ice Dogs (8-6-0-1), 3-2 before the second intermission but a pair of goals by Josh Serino and Elijah White helped the visiting Wyoming team to a 4-3 victory at Haynes Pavilion in Bozeman, Montana on Friday evening. Vincent Leaf, Charles Stow, Josh Serino and Elijah White added the scoring drives for the Hawks. Lex Steckelberg scored in the first stanza and Jude Edgerton and Devin Bruns each scored in the middle period for the Ice Dogs. John Simon picked up his fifth win in eight games for the Hawks. He made 30 saves. Bozeman’s Jack Ryan dropped to 2-3-0-0 but not before gathering 24 saves (Box Score).
The #4 Butte Irish (9-7-0-0) needed an extra period to get by the #7 Badlands (SD) Sabres (5-9-2-1) in front of their home fans at the Butte Community Ice Center on Friday night. Kazden Stineff, Sebaquien Chlud, Loghan Weber and Keegan Adams led the Irish in their 5-4 overtime win. Adams provided the game-winning lamplighter in overtime. Zach Vockler, Charlie Lorbiecki, Thayne Coston and Gaven Marx each scored for the visiting Sabres. Marx added the game-tying goal in the third period to force the extra period. Manny Pantow (3-3-0-0) was the winning goaltender for Butte. He had 54 saves in 62 minutes. Hunter Oger suffered his first overtime loss (2-2-1-0) in eight games played for Badlands (Box Score).
The #1 Helena Bighorns (15-1-0-0) and the #8 Yellowstone (WY) Quake (0-18-0-0) are idle this week and will return to action next weekend (November 15-16).
NOTES: Blayne Jusczak, a 6’2” forward from North Pole, Alaska, spent the bye week in his home state practicing with the North American Hockey League’s (NAHL) Fairbanks Ice Dogs.
UPCOMING EVENTS: Friday and Saturday, November 22-23: Military Appreciation Weekend: The Great Falls Americans will celebrate “Military Appreciation Weekend” during Friday, November 22nd (against the Bozeman Ice Dogs) and November 23rd versus the Butte Irish.
Season Two of the “Americans Podcast with Jim Quick” premiered on September 5, 2024, with his first guest of the season, Cole Molaski, a forward from Suamico, Wisconsin, who is in his first season with Great Falls. Other players featured this season include Ty O’Bey, Easton and Aiden Kennedy, Sebe Perez, Mercer Twomey, Zac Orwig and Cal Laggis. Click here to learn more about Cal Laggis on the official podcast of the Great Falls Americans. Each podcast will feature one American player as we get to know the team this season. Jim completed 13 episodes during his first season. Fans can listen to the full podcasts from Seasons One and Two by clicking here.
560AM KMON Weekly Radio Interview with Coach Greg Sears: Join KMON Radio Sports Director “Baker Bob” McNamee every Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday mornings during the 2024-25 season with Great Falls Americans Head Coach and General Manager, Greg Sears as he talks about the Americans. The Weekly Radio interview on 560AM KMON in Great Falls can be heard locally every Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday mornings during the Hourly Sports Report (6:15AM (MST), 7:15AM (MST), and 8:15AM (MST) live. Click here to listen to the current and previous radio interviews.
AMERICANS PHOTOGRAPHER: Look for game photos from all of the home games from Michael Noel, the Americans Official Photographer by clicking here.
AMERICANS E-NEWSLETTERS: The Americans have two email newsletters for fans to receive in their inbox this season. Kevin Scott, the Americans Media Coordinator, has an Americans E-Newsletter that you can get on Sunday’s during the regular season filled with game summaries, press releases, links, schedule, etc. Click here to subscribe (if you haven’t already).
Americans Owner Matt Leaf creates and sends out a weekly email called “Baldy’s Puck Drop” that features team news, player profile, sponsor information and lots of other tidbits relating to Americans hockey that is published on Thursday mornings. Click here to receive the weekly newsletter (if you haven’t already).
NA3HL MOBILE APP: If you haven’t already, download the NA3HL App available at the App Store and Google Play. Fans can set your favorite team to the Great Falls Americans today and stay up to date with the NA3HL. Click here to download from the App Store (Apple) or click here to download from the Google Play Store (Android).
2024-25 PHOTOS: Check out all the Americans photos throughout the season including some taken by Americans photographer, Michael Noel and Gentle Thug Media’s Tim Ljunggren. Click here to view all the photos from the 2024-25 season.
AMERICANS TEAM STORE: Click here to view the Americans online team store that features a variety of different souvenirs to purchase. A store is available at all home games. AMERICANS GAME TICKETS ONLINE: Fans can also buy game day tickets on the website prior to the game by clicking here.
Please check out the Americans website at www.greatfallsamericans.com for all your updated news, game summaries, rosters, photo galleries, etc.
NEXT CONTEST: Game Two between Gillette and Great Falls will occur on Saturday, November 9, 2024 at 7:05PM (MST) live from the Spirit Hall Ice Arena in Wyoming on the NA3HL’s streaming service, NAHLTV.
P. Gibson’s Sports Grill and Casino (1600 Fox Farm Road) is the place to be after Friday and Saturday night home games where the Americans invite their fans and supporters to their post-game dinner.
Buffalo Wild Wings, located at 17 Northwest Bypass in Great Falls, hosts the “Americans Watch Party” this season when the Americans are on the road. Fans are invited to get food and drinks and watch the game.
NAHLTV is the NA3HL’s new streaming platform and is the place to catch all the action for fans that are unable to attend the home and away games this season. Click here to learn more about how to view any of the Americans home and away contests.
Click here for the 2024-25 Great Falls Americans schedule and results.