NOTE: A Special Thanks to Michael Noel (https://mnoelphotography.smugmug.com) for providing the (archived) photo.
By Kevin Scott
| Box Score |
Score Sheet | League Scoreboard | Americans Team Statistics |
GILLETTE, Wyo., November 9, 2024 — The #3 Great Falls Americans and the #5 Gillette (WY) Wild tangled again on the ice on Saturday for the second time in as many nights.
The Americans first encounter with the Wild occurred on Friday night when the Wild held a 3-1 advantage after two periods and defeated the Montana squad, 6-3. Max Arlt, a first year forward from Minnesota, scored two lamplighters and one assist while goaltender Tate Cothern (4-3-1-0) stopped 28 shots for Wyoming. Garren Narvaez added two scores and Aiden Kennedy added one for the Americans. Kaden Rhyder (9-5-0-0) took his fifth loss of the season (game story).
Tai Kontrac scored two goals including the overtime winning tally to lift the #5 Gillette (WY) Wild (9-8-1-0) to a 4-3 weekend sweep against the #3 Great Falls Americans (10-6-1-0) during Saturday’s NA3HL action at the Spirit Hall Ice Arena in Gillette, Wyoming.
The first period came and went with Americans standout Ty O’Bey scoring the lone goal with nine minutes remaining. The Wisconsin native chipped in his 15th goal of the season with Zac Orwig and Aiden Kennedy creating the assists.
Gillette’s Tai Kontrac and Chase Hapka each scored during the opening five minutes of the second period to give them a 2-1 lead. Brady Johnson, Braydin Lund, Chase Borene and Dylann Peterson tallied the assists. Before the period concluded, Gillette would get a goal by Chase Borene off a pass from Zach Lebens and Tai Kontrac and the Americans accrued their second goal of the contest. Jurzy Allard, a new comer for Great Falls, playing in his second game, put the puck in the back of the net with 1:40 left as Garren Narvaez and Zac Orwig pulling the Americans to within a goal (3-2).
The 3-2 score would remain that way until Aiden Kennedy evened the score (3-3) with 4:12 left on the clock in the third period to send the game into an extra frame. Defenseman Matt Beazley and forward John Lang garnered the assists.
The host team put the game away in overtime as Tai Kontrac received his second goal of the game (ninth overall this season) 79 seconds into the five-minute overtime to earn the weekend sweep over Great Falls. Braydin Lund and Max Arlt set up the game-winning play.
Great Falls finished the second and third stanzas by taking 16 shots apiece to end their seventeenth game of the season with 43. The Wild needed 30 shots to boost them to their ninth victory.
Both junior hockey squads combined for eleven minor infractions resulting in 22 minutes of penalty time. Great Falls went 1-for-4 on the power play as Ty O”Bey’s first period score came with the Wild in the sin bin. Five power play opportunities went unanswered by the Wild.
Tate Cothern (5-3-0-0) made 40 saves (allowed three goals) and defeated the Americans for the second consecutive night. Patrick Forsythe saw action in the net for the second time this season. The first-year netminder from Balmertown, Ontario, Canada, stopped 26 of 30 shots in 61 minutes and is now 1-1-0-0.
FRONTIER DIVISION UPDATE: The #4 Bozeman Ice Dogs (9-6-0-1) redeemed themselves on Saturday evening against the #2 Sheridan (WY) Hawks (11-5-2-0) after falling to the Wyoming squad, 4-3 on Friday in Bozeman, Montana. Cole Schowengerdt, Sage Courchene, Tyler Klingbeil and Andrew Kaunas recorded the goals for the Ice Dogs. Charles Stow’s pass to Elijah Farris in the first period was the only score that Bozeman’s defense would allow. Isaac Weatherford redirected 29 of the 30 shots he encountered. The second-year goaltender from Parkville, Missouri earned his first win of the season (1-1-0-1). He went 3-2-0-0 as a member of the Ice Dogs during the 2023-24 season. TJ Wonnacott (4-1-2-0) ended the game with 22 saves (Box Score).
The #7 Badlands (SD) Sabres (6-9-2-1) scored three of their five goals in the first period to earn the weekend split against the #6 Butte Irish (9-8-0-0). The 5-2 victory inside the Butte Community Ice Center gave the South Dakota squad their sixth win of the season. Zach Vockler scored three goals (hat trick) for the Sabres. Loghan Weber and Andrew Browe did all the scoring for Butte in the first stanza. A 33-save performance gave Jackson Roethler his first win of the year (1-4-0-0). Tim Nanson and Manny Pantow played in the net for the Irish and they each produced 26 saves (Box Score).
After having this weekend off, the #1 Helena Bighorns (15-1-0-0) will make the short trip to Butte, Montana for a single contest against the Irish on Friday, November 15th at 7:30PM (MST). The #8 Yellowstone (WY) Quake (0-18-0-0) will be looking to get their first victory when they face the Sheridan (WY) Hawks on the road on Friday, November 15th at 7:30PM (MST).
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: The Americans will have five of their next six games to finish off the month of November at the friendly confines of the Great Falls Ice Plex. Great Falls will entertain the Bozeman Ice Dogs on Friday, November 15th with the puck dropping at 7:05PM (MST). The action can be seen on NAHLTV, the NA3HL’s official streaming service.
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.