NOTE: A Special Thanks to Michael Noel (above, https://mnoelphotography.smugmug.com) for providing the photo.
By Kevin Scott
| Box Score |
Score Sheet | League Scoreboard | Americans Team Statistics |
GREAT FALLS, Mont., November 30, 2024 — The #2 Sheridan (WY) Hawks (16-6-2-0) and the #3 Great Falls Americans (15-7-1-0) have played each other five times entering Saturday’s showdown in prime time in Great Falls.
Great Falls is 3-2-0-0 against Sheridan this season with victories on September 7th, October 4th, and November 29th and two setbacks on September 6th and October 5th.
Vlad Zubriichuk, Kiefer Dunham, Zach Longnecker and Vincent Leaf each provided goals in Sheridan’s 4-2 road win over the Great Falls Americans during Saturday’s NA3HL junior hockey action at the Great Falls Ice Plex. Garren Narvaez and Aiden Kennedy both added lamplighters in the second period in the loss.
Vlad Zubriichuk put the Hawks in front first with his eighth goal of the season. Ernest Allen and Sean Harris helped set up the first period scoring drive for the visiting Wyoming squad. Both teams totaled 13 shots-on-goal.
The Americans tied the game 7:24 into the middle period when Aiden Kennedy’s put the puck between the pipes for his 12th goal. Cooper Clouse, a forward from Fargo, North Dakota, played in his first game for the host team was able to get his first assist. John Lang also was credited with an assist. The Hawks wasted just 23 seconds to regain the lead on a goal by Kiefer Dunham. Elijah Farris and Daniel Shelden collected the assists. Garren Narvaez, the team leader in assists, answered back for Great Falls with 5:20 remaining before the second intermission when he got the puck over Sheridan netminder TJ Wonnacott for his seventh goal. The second tie of the game was made possible by Aiden Kennedy and Zac Orwig assistance. Sheridan’s offense tacked on another score with 77 seconds left to retake the lead (3-2). Vincent Leaf and Tyler Kemp contributed assists on Zach Longnecker’s ninth goal of the year. Despite trailing on the scoreboard, Great Falls made 32 shots while limiting Sheridan to 29 after forty minutes of action.
Vincent Leaf made sure the home team would not go 2-0 this weekend as he added a goal with 3:53 remaining in the third stanza to lift the Hawks to their 16th victory in 24 contests. Elijah White and Logan Hume added the assists.
The Wyoming NA3HL club needed 35 shots to score four goals. Great Falls accrued 37 of their 50 after the first intermission.
The game saw each team go 0-for-2 on the power play and commit three minor penalties apiece.
The winning netminder was TJ Wonnacott. The Sheridan goaltender won his fifth game of the season (5-2-2-0) by swatting away 48 shots provided by Great Falls’ offense. Patrick Forsythe, who played in his fourth game this season, fell to 2-1-1-0 in the loss. The Canadian acquired 31 saves.
FRONTIER DIVISION UPDATE: Trey Pareja (three goals, hat trick) and Austin Uecker (2 goals) helped the #1 Helena Bighorns (20-2-0-0) win big over the #7 Gillette (WY) Wild (9-14-1-0) on Saturday, 8-3 at the Spirit Hall Ice Arena in Gillette, Wyoming. Hudson Fisher and Christopher Lang scored for the Wild in the first and Riley Schmidt added another score in the second to lead the home team. The Bighorns and Wild were tied at 3-3 after two periods before Helena went on a 5-0 run in the third frame for their 20th win in 22 games. Zane Hill (1-0-0-0) from Coeur d’Alene, Idaho, made his first start for Helena and picked up the win with his 21 save performance. Tate Cothern got the start for Gillette accounting for 24 saves in 33 minutes before being replaced by Wylen Cambensy, who had eight saves and fell for the second time this season (0-2-0-0) (Box Score).
The #4 Badlands (SD) Sabres (10-9-2-2) moved past the #5 Bozeman Ice Dogs (11-9-1-1) in the Frontier Division standings with a 5-3 win at Haynes Pavilion. Bozeman and Badlands were even at 3-3 until the final 4:25 when the Sabres scored twice to put the game away. Charlie Lorbiecki, Thayne Coston, Zack Vockler, Kyyan Jahner and Gaven Marx each put the biscuit in the basket for the winning side. Baron Masopust, Devin Bruns, and Sam Trufant chipped in the goals for the Ice Dogs. Hunter Oger (5-2-1-0) had 27 saves in his fifth win of the season for Badlands. Brett DeVincent (7-5-0-0) had 39 saves for Bozeman (Box Score).
Bobby Anselmo of the #5 Butte Irish (11-11-1-0) led his team in scoring with two goals and one assist as the Irish blanked the #8 Yellowstone (WY) Quake (0-23-1-0), 7-0 at the Butte Community Ice Center on Saturday evening. Five Irish additional scorers saw the back of the net for Butte including Toby Kerr, Keegan Adams, Easton Langemo, Andrew Browe and Kazden Stineff. Butte’s offense racked up 73 shots-on-goal and limited the Quake to 30. Tim Nanson improved to 6-5-1-0 as he prevented 30 shots from going in the net for the Irish. Yellowstone’s Hayden Laforet’s record fell to 0-3-1-0 despite gathering 50 saves. Matthew Neeser also had 16 saves for Yellowstone (Box Score).
NOTES: Read about all the Americans hockey action in print through the Great Falls Gazette, a newspaper that is published on Sunday, Tuesday, and Friday each week with game recaps written by Kevin Scott, the Great Falls Americans Public Relations/Media Coordinator. Click here for more information on how to subscribe.
UPCOMING EVENTS: Sunday, December 1: The Great Falls Americans will have their Christmas Party hosted by the Americans Booster Club.
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, Cal Laggis and Blayne Jusczak. Click here to learn more about Blayne Jusczak 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.
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 are 6-2-0-0 against their next two opponents. Great Falls travels to Bozeman, Montana on Friday, December 6th for a contest with the Bozeman Ice Dogs, who are 4-0-0-0 against including three wins at the Great Falls Ice Plex this season. The puck drops at Haynes Pavilion at 7:30PM (MST). Great Falls will challenge the #1 Helena Bighorns on Saturday, December 7th at 7:05PM (MST) at Helena’s Steed Arena. The Americans are 2-2-0-0 against them this season and have been the only team in the Frontier Division to defeat the Bighorns.
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.