NOTE: A Special Thanks to Michael Noel (above, https://mnoelphotography.smugmug.com) for providing the photo. A Special Thanks to Tim Ljunggren (Gentle Thug Media) for providing the photos for Photo Gallery.
By Kevin Scott
| Box Score |
Score Sheet | League Scoreboard | Americans Team Statistics |
GREAT FALLS, Mont., September 7, 2024 — The #3 Great Falls Americans (1-1-0-0) was looking to rebound on Saturday for their second game of the 2024-25 season in Great Falls, Montana after falling 4-3 to the visiting #4 Sheridan (WY) Hawks (1-1-0-0) on Friday evening. Ty O’Bey, Zac Orwig and Easton Kennedy each scored for Coach Greg Sears’ team while Vincent Leaf led all scorers for Sheridan with two goals and one assist (game story).
Would the Americans pick up the first win on Saturday or would the Hawks earn the weekend sweep?
The Great Falls Americans earned revenge on the Sheridan (WY) Hawks during Saturday’s NA3HL junior hockey matchup. The host team defeated their Wyoming counterparts, 3-1 in front of a great crowd witnessing their first win of the season at the Great Falls Ice Plex.
Great Falls forwards Ty O’Bey and Zac Orwig each lit up the lamp in the first period as the Americans outshot the Hawks, 19-12 to take the 2-0 after the first twenty minutes. Cal Laggis and Masen Kerr assisted on O’Bey’s scoring drive 4:47 into the period while Aiden Kennedy and Easton Kennedy each picked up the assists on Orwig’s goal that occurred with 4:34 remaining while the visiting team was in the sin bin.
Garren Narvaez secured his first goal of the season with helpers from Ty O’Bey and Easton Kennedy during the second stanza. The score came with the Hawks in the penalty box. A total of 26 shots were attempted by both squads but the Hawks could not find a way to score on the Americans defense.
Sheridan managed to avoid the shutout by scoring in the third frame. Vincent Leaf, who scored two goals in Friday’s season opening contest, accrued his third with 12 minutes remaining on an unassisted play.
Despite getting outshot in the second and third periods, Great Falls finished with two more shots-on-goal after three periods (39-37).
Three of the four goals in tonight’s contest were scored while the opposing team was down a man. Great Falls went 2-for-7 while Sheridan scored their only goal in the third with Great Falls in the penalty box (1-for-8).
Kaden Rhyder improved to 1-1-0-0 on the season as Pennsylvania netminder accumulated 36 saves for Great Falls. Ryan Rainey, a newcomer for Sheridan, fell to 0-1-0-0 and swatted away 36 shots.
FRONTIER DIVISION UPDATE: A night after defeating the Yellowstone Quake 6-0 in Cody, Wyoming, the defending NA3HL National Champion, Helena Bighorns blanked the Quake, 7-0. Brandon Mcilhany and Finn Theriault each recorded two second period goals in Helena’ second straight victory of the season. Helena’s offense overpowered Yellowstone by producing 84 shots and allowing 13. Bighorns goalie Malik Johnson (1-0-0-0) redirected all 13 shots in his first game this year. Nicolas Ulyanov (0-1-0-0) made 77 saves in sixty minutes of action (Box Score).
The Gillette (WY) Wild (0-1-1) gave the Butte Irish (2-0-0-0) all they could handle but eventually fell short in a 7-6 overtime setback. Gillette and Butte were tied (5-5) heading into the third period. Both Frontier Division foes traded goals, and a five-minute overtime was needed. Butte’s Loghan Weber scored his second goal of the game in the extra frame to lift the home team to their second consecutive victory to start the season undefeated after the first weekend of play. Andrew Browe, a forward for the Irish completed the game with a hat trick (3 goals) and two assists. Max Arlt led the Wild with a goal and two assists. Tim Nanson made 22 saves and is now 2-0-0-0 on the season in the net for the Irish. Jaeger Fazakas played 16 minutes and finished with 11 saves for Butte. Noah Hacker (0-1-0-0) stopped 36 shots for Gillette in their second loss of the season (Box Score).
The Badlands (SD) Sabres and the Bozeman Ice Dogs will make their season debuts next week. Bozeman will host Great Falls on Friday, September 13 (7:30PM MST) from Haynes Pavilion and then the Americans will serve as the home team on Saturday, September 14 (7:00PM MST). Meanwhile, the Sabres will start their season at home in Rapid City, South Dakota when the Yellowstone (Cody, WY) Quake come to town on September 13-14 with the puck dropping at 7:05PM (MST).
NOTES: Before Saturday’s contest, the Americans Booster Club held a Tailgate Party for fans in the parking lot of the Great Falls Ice Plex. Fans enjoyed “Walking Tacos” and listening to local band, “After Five.”
Season Two of the “Americans Podcast with Jim Quick” premiered this week (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. Click here to learn more about the podcast with Cole. 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.
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 a 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 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.
UPCOMING EVENTS: “Skills and Drills sessions”: Monday, September 9th: Americans open their pre-season youth “Skills and Drills” sessions running for two weeks. Our players and staff have partnered with the University of Providence to provide these high-intensity skills-based practices for about 40 youth players of all ages.
Big Sky Harley Davidson “Meet & Greet”: Thursday, September 12th Americans will have a Meet & Greet at Big Sky Harley Davidson on 10th Avenue South from 2PM-5PM. Come meet the team!!!
Americans launch their “Sled Hockey Program” with Eagle Mount Therapeutic Recreation on Thursday, September 12th. The ice session starts at 5:00 PM and will involve our players working with these athletes to hone their skills and enjoy the sport. These will run the next three Thursdays before we get into a slightly different schedule in October. We can always use volunteers to assist with equipment and getting players on and off the ice, if available.
NEXT CONTEST: The Great Falls Americans will get their first look at the Bozeman Ice Dogs when they play a home-and-away series starting on Friday, September 13th when Americans will make their first road trip of the season to Bozeman, Montana beginning at 7:30PM (MST). The Americans return to the Great Falls Ice Plex against the Ice Dogs on Saturday, September 14th at 7:05PM (MST) with Americans NAHL TV Play-By-Play Announcer Ryan Siders on the call. NAHLTV, the NA3HL’s streaming service, will be streaming both games.
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.