NOTE: A Special Thanks to Michael Noel (above, https://mnoelphotography.smugmug.com) for providing the photos.
By Kevin Scott
| Box Score |
Score Sheet | League Scoreboard | Americans Team Statistics |
GREAT FALLS, Mont., November 22, 2024 — The #3 Great Falls Americans (13-6-1-0) and the #4 Bozeman Ice Dogs (10-7-1-1) met on the ice for the fourth time in ten weeks on Friday.
During the weekend of September 13-14,Great Falls won the first two head-to-head meetings by three goals each night by posting a 5-2 win in Bozeman (game story) and a 4-1 victory (game story) at the Great Falls Ice Plex. Great Falls forward Ty O’Bey scored four total goals throughout the weekend and goaltender Kaden Rhyder combined for 61 saves in the weekend sweep.
On Friday, November 15th, the Americans held a 5-1 lead against the Ice Dogs with eleven minutes remaining in Great Falls. The Americans defense allowed Bozeman to score four unanswered goals to send it to an extra period where Great Falls escaped with a 6-5 win thanks to Aiden Kennedy’s game-winning tally (game story).
Great Falls attempted to go 4-0 against Bozeman. Would the offense spark them to victory?
The Great Falls Americans improved to 10-1 when playing at the Great Falls Ice Plex this season as they defeated the #4 Bozeman Ice Dogs, 5-2 during the first night of Military Appreciation Night on Friday evening at the Great Falls Ice Plex. John Lang scored one goal each in the first and second periods and an assist in the third period to lead the home team.
The first period concluded with Great Falls and Bozeman each finding the back of the net once. The game was scoreless until the 5:24 mark when Ty O’Bey accrued his 14th assist of the season when his pass to John Lang went into the net. Ty Brander also assisted. The Ice Dogs answered with ten seconds left on a power play opportunity. TJ Kelsey gathered his sixth goal of the season off the stick of Preston Wight and Spencer Wilkinson to even the score before the first intermission. The visitors took 13 of the 18 shots-on-goal.
The middle stanza was quiet on the scoreboard until the final 82 seconds. Blayne Jusczak and Zac Orwig earned the assists on Aiden Kennedy’s tenth goal of the 2024-25 season to give the home team their second lead of the contest. The Americans were not done scoring. Great Falls’ Garren Narvaez dished out to John Lang, who connected on his second goal of the night (sixth overall) with eight seconds to go before the period concluded. Matt Beazley was also credited with an assist. Great Falls made eight shots and two goals for the 3-1 advantage.
The Ice Dogs cut into the Americans (3-2) lead early in the third frame as Sam Trufant accumulated his second goal on an unassisted play. The Americans led by two goals (4-2) two minutes later as Zac Orwig buried his eleventh score of the season with help from Jurzy Allard and Garren Narvaez. Allard’s assist was the first of his Americans career. The Ice Dogs took out starting goaltender Brett DeVincent for a minute to add an extra offensive weapon on the ice. That is Ty O’Bey made sure the host team won their tenth home contest when he put in his 17th lamplighter in the empty net. John Lan and Fisher Hannesson helped on O’Bey’s tally.
Great Falls won their fourth straight game this year by taking just 15 shots and scoring five goals. The Ice Dogs created 13 of their 25 shots before the first intermission.
Both Montana rivals received four minor infractions that resulted in eight minutes spent in the penalty box. TJ Kelsey’s first period goal was the only goal scored via a power play chance for Bozeman. The Ice Dogs went 1-for-3. Great Falls could not connect on their three power play opportunities.
Kaden Rhyder picked up another win in the net for coach Greg Sears’s squad. He is now 12-5-0-0 in 17 starts this season and the winning goalie in all four contests against the Ice Dogs. The Pennsylvania netminder finished with 23 saves while allowing two goals to get by him. Brett DeVincent, in his first year with the Ice Dogs, took his second setback against Great Falls. DeVincent (6-3-0-0) end his second game against the Americans with ten saves.
FRONTIER DIVISION UPDATE: The #1 Helena Bighorns (17-2-0-0) bounced back from last week’s loss to the #3 Great Falls Americans with an easy 7-1 win at Steed Arena on Friday evening against rival, #6 Butte Irish (9-10-1-0). Austin Uecker scored two goals while Jason Hammett, Finn Theriault and Chase Berg gave the Bighorns a 5-0 advantage after two periods. Helena outscored Butte, 2-1 in the third as Brandon Mcilhany and Maddux Hale added goals for the winning team. Tristan Ward picked up his ninth goal for Butte. Malik Johnson (26 saves) was perfect in the first two periods and allowed one goal in the third for his eleventh win in eleven games (11-0-0-0). Manny Pantow dropped to 3-5-0-0 as he compiled 33 saves in the first forty minutes. Butte backup goalie Tim Nanson made 14 saves (Box Score).
Josh Serino scored three goals (hat trick), and goaltender John Simon stopped 44 shots as the #2 Sheridan (WY) Hawks (14-5-2-0) erupted for eight goals in an 8-3 win over the #7 Gillette (WY) Wild (9-11-1-0) in Sheridan, Wyoming on Friday. Sheridan led 4-2 during the first forty minutes and outscored Gillette, 4-1 in the final frame. Brady Johnson added two scores for Gillette. The winning goalie was John Simon, who improved to 7-3-0-0 after ten games. Gillette’s Wylen Cambensy (0-1-0-0) saw his first action for the Wild redirected 41 of the 49 shots in 60 minutes (Box Score).
The #8 Yellowstone (WY) Quake (0-20-1-0) trailed 2-1 to the #5 Badlands (SD) Sabres (9-9-2-1) at Riley Arena in Cody, Wyoming on Friday after two periods but came back to even the score at 2-2 and forced an extra period. Three minutes into overtime, Sabres standout Patick Gosselin lit up the lamp for the 3-2 victory and their ninth win this season and prevented the Quake from their first victory. Charlie Lorbiecki and Zach Vockler also scored for Badlands while Max Goulden and Logan Nichols scored for Yellowstone. Hunter Oger made 25 saves for his third win this season (3-2-1-0). Hayden Laforet, playing in just his third game with Yellowstone (0-1-1-0), was busy in the net recording 58 saves (Box Score).
NOTES: The Americans are celebrating “Military Appreciation Weekend” by honoring those who served are currently serving in the military on Friday and Saturday, November 22-23. Tickets for all current and retired military are $5.00 each night and there will be discounts on beer and (25%-30% off) merchandise as well. The Malmstrom Air Force Base Color Guard will present the colors on Friday and Saturday nights. Come support the Americans and the troops this weekend!
Murphy Law Firm was the corporate sponsor for tonight’s NA3HL junior hockey contest. Kurt Mueller performed the National Anthem on the trumpet tonight before the start of the game.
On Thursday, November 21st, the Americans players continued their community involvement by helping the Great Falls Optimist Club with their annual Christmas Tree sale at Montana ExpoPark. The team members helped unload and set up the tree displays.
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: 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. On November 22nd, the Great Falls Figure Skating Club will have an exhibition from 5:15PM-6:15PM. Come out early before the game to cheer on the local figure skaters as they perform their routines for the first time. On November 23rd, there will be a presentation of donation to the “Think Pink for the Girls.”
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 finish out the month of November with three contests. On Saturday, November 23rd, the Butte Irish will be visiting the Americans for a 7:05PM (MST) showdown at the Great Falls Ice Plex. On Thanksgiving Weekend (Nov. 29-30), the Sheridan (WY) Hawks will be the visiting squad against Great Falls. The puck will drop for the Sheridan contests each night at 7:05PM (MST). NAHLTV will have all the action covered for both weekends. A reminder that the NAHLTV will be having a FREE PREVIEW weekend of all the NA3HL games from November 27-30 including the Americans home games against Sheridan (see story).
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.