Americans earn two-game sweep over Gillette

Jan 31, 2014 | News, Uncategorized

By Kevin Scott

GREAT FALLS, Mont., January 31, 2014 — The Great Falls Americans defeated the visiting Gillette Wild 3-2 on Thursday night in overtime and then won by the same score (3-2) on Friday night to earn the two-game series sweep in front of an energetic crowd of 1,016 fans at the Great Falls Ice Plex. It was Big R Night and many of the fans who attended picked up free tickets to tonight’s AWHL contest.

It didn’t take long for the Americans to get on the scoreboard (25 seconds to be exact) in the opening period as Zachary Mese’s and Reed Link’s pass to an open Cody Page put the home team up 1-0. Gillette would add a goal before the end of the period as Moco Willis took advantage of the power play with four minutes remaining in the opening period. Assisting on that play was Darren Banks and Greg Sauers. During the first twenty minutes, fans saw just two total goals on 32 shot attempts from both of the AWHL franchises.

Tanner Doty gave the Americans their second goal of the evening within the first two minutes of the second period. Great Falls led 2-1 until Gillette’s Will Fobair knotted up the contest at the halfway mark. Brady Christiaens broke the tie as the Americans capitalized on their only power play opportunity. Johnathan Carpenter, Austin Nottke, Connor Barta and Austin Krantz each picked up assists for coach Jeff Heimel’s team while Gillette’s goal by Fobair was assisted by Bryce Mitzel and Chase Engdahl.

Gillette held Great Falls to just 4 shots on goal (to Gillette’s 22) in the final period but neither team was able to take advantage of any scoring opportunities. The Wild each tallied 22 shots on goal in the first and third periods and finished with 54 while the Americans had 28 of their 32 shots on goal in the first two periods.

Erik Powell finished with 52 saves while Gillette’s goaltender Michael Kitts added 29 in the loss.

Great Falls improves to 29-7-2 while Gillette goes to 21-15-3 with 10 games remaining in the season.

NEXT CONTEST: The Americans will begin a month long road trip with their first stop in Billings to take on the Bulls at 7:30 p.m. on Saturday, Feb. 1, 2014.

 

Period 1 Period 2 Period 3 Final
Great Falls 1 2 0 3
Gillette 1 1 0 2

 

First Period – 1, Great Falls, Cody Page (Zachary Mese, Reed Link), 0:25. 2, Gillette, Moco Willis (power play) (Darren Banks, Greg Sauers), 16:09.

Second Period –3, Great Falls, Tanner Doty (Johnathan Carpenter, Austin Nottke), 2:46. 4, Gillette, Will Fobair (Bryce Mitzel, Chase Engdahl), 9:21. 5, Great Falls, Brady Christiaens (power play) (Connor Barta, Austin Krantz), 13:19.

Third Period – NO SCORING

Shots on Goal – Great Falls 32, Gillette 54.

Power-play Opportunities – Great Falls 1-for-7, Gillette 1-for-4.

Attendance – 1,016

Box Score: Gillette @ Great Falls

Final Great Falls Iceplex    Fri, Jan 31, 2014 7:30 PM MST
Gillette 2 Great Falls 3

 

GAME DETAILS
SCORING SHOTS
1 2 3 TOTALS
Gillette 1 1 0 2
Great Falls 1 2 0 3
1 2 3 TOTALS
Gillette 22 10 22 54
Great Falls 10 18 4 32

 

POWERPLAYS
Gillette 1 – 4 : Great Falls 1 – 7

 

SCORING SUMMARY
Period 1
Great Falls – Cody Page (Zack Mese, Reed Link) 0:25
Gillette – Moco Willis (power play) (Darren Banks, Greg Sauers) 16:09
Period 2
Great Falls – Tanner Doty (Jonnathan Carpenter, Austin Nottke) 2:46
Gillette – Will Fobair (Bryce Mitzel, Chase Engdahl) 9:21
Great Falls – Brady Christiaens (power play) (Connor Barta, Austin Krantz) 13:19
Period 3
(no scoring)

 

PENALTIES
Period 1
Great Falls – Brady Christiaens – (Holding), 2 MIN, 3:18
Gillette – Darren Banks – (Elbowing), 2 MIN, 4:19
Gillette – Tyler Reble – (Holding), 2 MIN, 9:32
Great Falls – Tanner Doty – (Hooking), 2 MIN, 15:09
Great Falls – Bridger Strong – (Cross Checking), 2 MIN, 18:09
Gillette – Darren Banks – (Interference), 2 MIN, 18:43
Great Falls – Erik Powell – (Slashing), 2 MIN, 18:43
Period 2
Gillette – Andrii Istominov – (Cross Checking), 2 MIN, 0:31
Gillette – Moco Willis – (Tripping), 2 MIN, 6:05
Great Falls – Connor Barta – (Roughing), 2 MIN, 8:47
Gillette – Dalton McCann – (Roughing), 2 MIN, 8:47
Gillette – Michael Burke – (Slashing), 2 MIN, 10:41
Great Falls – Dylan Garton – (Slashing), 2 MIN, 10:41
Gillette – Brandon Castleberry – (Interference), 2 MIN, 12:01
Great Falls – Steven Butts – (Interference), 2 MIN, 15:37
Gillette – Andrii Istominov – (Elbowing), 2 MIN, 18:32
Period 3
Gillette – Brandon Castleberry – (Interference), 2 MIN, 14:01
Great Falls – Dylan Garton – (Unsportsmanlike Conduct), 2 MIN, 19:29
Gillette – Darren Banks – (Unsportsmanlike Conduct), 2 MIN, 19:29

 

 Gillette  Great Falls
# NAME G A PTS +/- S PIM
3 Dillinger, Trent 0 0 0 -1 0 0
4 Engdahl, Chase 0 1 1 +1 0 0
6 Reble, Tyler 0 0 0 -2 0 2
7 Mitzel, Bryce 0 1 1 0 0 0
8 Sauers, Greg 0 1 1 -1 0 0
10 Miller, Brandon 0 0 0 +1 0 0
11 Mead, Nick 0 0 0 0 0 0
12 Fobair, Will 1 0 1 -1 0 0
15 Willis, Moco 1 0 1 0 0 2
16 McCann, Dalton 0 0 0 0 0 2
17 Istominov, Andrii 0 0 0 0 0 4
20 McMinn, TJ 0 0 0 0 0 0
21 Kasdorf, Jonathan 0 0 0 -1 0 0
22 Burke, Michael 0 0 0 0 0 2
24 Lantz, Rob 0 0 0 0 0 0
25 King, Alex 0 0 0 0 0 0
29 Banks, Darren 0 1 1 -1 0 6
30 Kitts, Michael 0 0 0 0 0 0
33 Castleberry, Brandon 0 0 0 0 0 4
39 Beatty, Josh 0 0 0 0 0 0
# NAME G A PTS +/- S PIM
00 , Bench 0 0 0 0 0 0
1 Powell, Erik 0 0 0 0 0 2
3 Strong, Bridger 0 0 0 -1 0 2
4 Sartuche, Paul 0 0 0 +1 0 0
5 Krantz, Austin 0 1 1 -1 0 0
6 Garton, Dylan 0 0 0 -1 0 4
7 Page, Cody 1 0 1 +1 0 0
8 Lomax, Lucas 0 0 0 0 0 0
9 Goran, Steven 0 0 0 0 0 0
10 Keller, Doug 0 0 0 -1 0 0
11 Kaercher, Max 0 0 0 +1 0 0
14 Carpenter, Jonnathan 0 1 1 +1 0 0
15 Butts, Steven 0 0 0 0 0 2
16 Mese, Zack 0 1 1 +1 0 0
18 Link, Reed 0 1 1 +1 0 0
20 Christiaens, Brady 1 0 1 +1 0 2
21 Doty, Tanner 1 0 1 +1 0 2
23 Stover, Lucas 0 0 0 -1 0 0
27 Nottke, Austin 0 1 1 +1 0 0
29 Barta, Connor 0 1 1 +1 0 2
30 Hauser, Evan 0 0 0 0 0 0
  GOALIES
NAME DEC Min SHOTS SAVES
30 Michael Kitts LOSS 58:48 32 29
39 Josh Beatty (b)
NAME DEC Min SHOTS SAVES
1 Erik Powell WIN 60:00 54 52
30 Evan Hauser (b)

 

PENALTY TOTALS
Gillette 22 minutes on 11 infractions Great Falls 16 minutes on 8 infractions

 

 

OTHER FACTS
Game Length: 2:29
Attendance: 1,016