By Kevin Scott
| Box Score |
Score Sheet | League Scoreboard | Americans Team Statistics |
GREAT FALLS, Mont., September 29, 2023 — After posting two wins three weeks ago at home against the Yellowstone (WY) Quake (0-5-0-0), the #4 Great Falls Americans fell this past weekend to the Gillette (WY) Wild (4-1-0-0) on Friday and Saturday. Great Falls is 3-2-0-0 on the season as they currently sit in fourth place in the eight-team Frontier Division of the NA3HL.
The Americans faced a tough challenge this past weekend (Sept. 22-23) when the #2 ranked Gillette (WY) Wild entered the Great Falls Ice Plex for a two-game showdown with Great Falls. The Americans offense struggled and never led in either contest.
The Wild shut out the Americans, 7-0 on Friday as the Americans struggled to get anything going offensively. Ryan Hipsag scored twice and had one assist for the Wild. Americans starting goalie Kaden Rhyder had 29 saves as he saw his record go to 1-1 (game story).
The following night, the Americans played better but could not overcome a three-goal deficit in a 4-2 setback against the Gillette, Wyoming club. Elliot Testa registered one goal and dished out two assists for the winning team. Ty O’Bey and Dmitri Kuleshov secured the lamplighters for the Americans (game story).
How did the Americans opponent tonight, the Badlands (SD) Sabres do in their first games of the season last weekend?
Badlands was the last team in the NA3HL’s Frontier Division to get their season going last weekend as the other squads played within the past two weeks. This past weekend (Sept. 22-23) was their first test under the direction of former Sabres Assistant Coach and now current mentor, Brooks Mitzel.
The Sabres (0-3-0-0), based out of Rapid City, South Dakota, return 11 players off last year’s roster.
Badlands hosted the #2 Bozeman Ice Dogs (5-0-0-0) on Friday and Saturday at the Roosevelt Park Ice Arena. Newcomer Brooks Roaldson recorded two scores as the home team lead 3-2 after two periods but Bozeman’s offense outscored the Sabres, 2-0 in the third frame for the 4-3 comeback victory. Hunter Oger, one of two returning netminders along with Dawson Sellner, made 38 saves in Friday’s loss.
Saturday’s game started out the same way Friday’s did with Badlands taking the early advantage (2-1) after the first forty minutes. Bozeman’s offense came alive in the final period with four straight goals to preserve the 5-2 win for the Ice Dogs. Carter Kilen and Ryan Jordan, who spent time on the roster last year with the Gillette Wild playing 27 games by adding four goals and nine assists to his resume, scored both tallies for South Dakota.
Tonight’s game sponsor was Blue Cross Blue Shield (BCBS) provided information and promotional items to fans and any fan that presented their BCBS membership card paid $5.00 for admission into the game.
Dmitri Kuleshov, Christian Crutcher, Jacob James, and Aaron James all scored to lead the #4 Great Falls Americans to a thrilling 4-3 victory over the #6 Badlands Sabres during the first of their three-game series in Great Falls on Friday evening.
When the end of the first period horn sounded, each team successfully created one goal. Badlands forward Brady Ridnour put the puck in the goal for the first scoring drive of the game five minutes into the opening stanza. Forward Jack Walters and goaltender Hunter Oger received the assists. Dmitri Kuleshov responded with his second goal of the season off a pass from Ty O’Bey and Luke Pizzey, who each gathered their third and second assists, respectively three minutes after the Sabres tally. Both squads combined for 31 shots.
During the second period, the score remained 1-1 until 7:34 remained when Christian Crutcher broke the tie (2-1) as Kaden Rhyder set up the lamplighter while the Sabres were in the sin bin. Sabres forward Aden Cobbs successfully scored with assistance from Dylan Woolstenhulme and Hunter Walla minutes later to even the score (2-2). The Americans attempted 16 of 36 shots after the first intermission. Badlands secured 25 shots.
A pair of Eagle River, Alaska natives, Jacob, and Aaron James each put the biscuit in the basket for Great Falls in final period of regulation. Masen Kerr and Blake Komrofske assisted to give the home team their first lead with 12:25 remaining. Aaron James’ second goal of the season occurred 89 seconds later as Great Falls held a two-goal lead. Ty O’Bey gathered his second assist of the game (fourth overall), and Christian Crutcher made his sixth assist. Badlands tried (but failed) their comeback attempt. Carter Kilen got the puck around Americans netminder Ryan Stowe with five minutes left for the Sabres’ third score. Ethan Seanor and Max Mehus racked up the assists. Great Falls’ defense prevented another score by the visiting South Dakota squad for their third win in five games.
The Americans outshot the Sabres in the first two stanzas to finish with 54. Badlands created 20 third period shots after combining for 25 before the second intermission.
Ryan Stowe improved to 2-0-0-0 on the season after three appearances for coach Greg Sears’ young team. The Calgary, Alberta standout swatted away 42 of the 45 shots he faced against the Sabres. Hunter Oger had his record drop to 0-2-0-0 after posting a 6-2-1-0 record during the 2022-23 season with Badlands. The Colorado netminder made 34 saves and now has 88 on the season.
NOTES: The Great Falls Americans Booster Club is helping the team by raffling off a RTIC Cooler and Meat Package. Tickets are $10.00 each and the package includes 20 lbs. of meat provided by Central Avenue Meats in Great Falls. The drawing will be held on Saturday, September 30th when the Americans challenge the Badlands (South Dakota) Sabres. To purchase tickets, please see any of the Booster Club members at any of the home games or contact Adam Stanczak (406-564-6771, email: adam@johnsondistributing.com). All proceeds will be used to support the Great Falls Americans Junior A hockey team!
Since last weekends home games against Gillette, the Americans added one new player to the roster. Joseph Buschmann is a defenseman from Boulder, Colorado and he was in the lineup for Friday’s contest.
After Sunday’s 12:00PM game against the Sabres, bring your ice skates (or get them at the rental shop at the GF Ice Plex) and join the Great Falls Americans on the ice for “FREE SKATING.”
Earlier this week, American players Phil Harrell, Ryan Stowe, Spencer Schipferling and Ty Brander along with Coach Sears visited the Montana School for the Deaf and Blind (MSDB) in Great Falls as they got out into the community. They spent time with the students and teachers answering questions about hockey and visited and toured the campus. The team provided around 25 tickets for Sunday’s game against the Sabres, free coupons for FREE skate rental so they can participate in the “Skating with the Americans” promotion after the game on Sunday. A special thanks to MSDB for welcoming the Americans to their campus.
Another one of our guests for Sunday will be the Galloping Guns 4-H Club, who will also have the opportunity to “Skate with the Americans.”
The Americans have a new online team store this season with a variety of items to buy. Click here to buy online or purchase your Americans souvenirs at any of the home games.
Please check out the Americans website at www.greatfallsamericans.com for all your updated news, game summaries, rosters, photo galleries, etc.
FRONTIER DIVISION UPDATE: In the battle of last year’s top two Frontier Division teams, the #1 Helena Bighorns (5-0-0-0) hosted the #3 Gillette (WY) Wild (4-1-0-0) on Friday at Steed Arena in Helena, Montana. Ty Moore scored two goals and Jack Lambert had one score and added two assists as the Bighorns cruised to a 5-1 win over the Wild. The Wild suffered their first loss of the season after opening the season with four consecutive victories. Bighorns netminder Jesse Schindel had 24 saves on the night in his second win of the season. Schindel added his first win against the Yellowstone (WY) Quake on September 15th. Jayden Rogen scored the lone goal for Gillette. Gillette’s Cole Wheaton (1-1-0-0) redirected 59 shots (Box Score).
The second-ranked Bozeman Ice Dogs (5-0-0-0) made the trek down to Cody, Wyoming for a two-game series against the #8 Yellowstone (WY) Quake (0-5-0-0). Bozeman’s Bodie Shepardson scored a hat trick before the second intermission and teammate Chris Porciuncula delivered one goal and gathered two assists to keep the Ice Dogs undefeated after five games by posting an 8-4 win over the Quake. Bozeman never relinquished their lead throughout. Logan Nichols, Carter Tymchak, Zac Orwig and Joey Good each recorded goals in the loss for Wyoming. The Ice Dogs got a third win in the net for Matthew Ryyanen. Ryyanen made 26 saves in his first season with Bozeman after having played two seasons with the NA3HL’s Minnesota Loons. Meanwhile, John Hughes suffered his third setback in September. He had 42 saves despite giving up eight goals for the Quake (Box Score).
The fifth-ranked Sheridan (WY) Hawks overcame the #7 Butte Irish, 4-2 after the Hawks scored two third period goals to punch their first win of the season and kept the Irish from getting their first victory of the season. After a scoreless first period, each team traded goals in the middle period. Tanner Reed scored his third and fourth goals for Sheridan and Elijah White was the recipient of three assists. Jordan Bouizden won his first game (1-0-0-0) as a member of the Hawks with 45 saves. Butte’s two goals came in the second when Alexander Ulyanov and Loghan Weber each found the back of the net for Butte. Butte’s Braylon Rogers, who is from Billings, Montana, earned 36 saves in his second loss of the year. Rogers played 20 contests over two (previous) years for the Butte Cobras (now Irish) and went 6-9-1-0 (Box Score).
NEXT CONTEST: The Americans and Sabres will battle it out on the ice on Saturday, September 30th and Sunday, October 1st at 7:00PM (MST) on Saturday and Sunday at 12:00PM (MST) at the Great Falls Ice Plex.
After every home game on Friday and Saturday nights, the Americans invite their fans and supporters to their post-game dinner at P. Gibson’s Sports Grill and Casino (1600 Fox Farm Road).
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 2023-24 Great Falls Americans schedule and results.
Additional Media Coverage: September 28, 2023: Staradio: Weekly Radio Interview by Staradio Sports Director Troy Mellinger with Great Falls Americans Head Coach Greg Sears every week. Click here to listen to the full interviews.
Additional Media Coverage: September 28, 2023: Baldy’s Puck Drop: Weekly Americans Newsletter by Team Owner, Matt Leaf, Volume 4. Click here to view the entire inaugural newsletter.