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 |
BOZEMAN, Mont., September 13, 2024 — The #2 Great Falls Americans (2-1-0-0) were looking for their second victory in three games as last week was the first weekend of action in the North American 3 Hockey League (NA3HL).
Last weekend (September 6-7), the Americans opened at the Great Falls Ice Plex by earning a split against the Sheridan (WY) Hawks (1-1). Great Falls fell 4-3 on Friday, September 6th. The Americans tied the contest at 3-3 within the first three minutes of the third frame but the Hawks prevailed by adding the final goal. Sheridan’s Vincent Leaf scored the game-winner with eight minutes remaining. Ty O’Bey, Zac Orwig and Easton Kennedy, all returners from the 2023-24 season, each scored for Great Falls. Kaden Rhyder, another returnee, made 43 saves while his counterpart for the Hawks, John Simon swatted away 32 (game story).
The Americans bounced back on Saturday (September 7th) and scored three goals while allowing just one score. Ty O’Bey and Zac Orwig each put the biscuit in the basket again after each scoring in their first contest on Friday. O’Bey and Orwig’s goals put the Americans ahead 2-0 after the first twenty minutes of action. Garren Narvaez added a second period goal, and the home team allowed one third period goal for Sheridan as Vincent Leaf gathered his third goal in two games. Kaden Rhyder had 36 saves in his first win. Ryan Rainey made 36 saves in his first game with the Hawks (game story).
The #7 Bozeman Ice Dogs (0-1-0-0) sat idle last week, and they hosted the Americans on Friday (September 13th) at Haynes Pavilion. The Ice Dogs, coached by Mike Perkins and assisted by Jeff Burton, return three forwards (Tyler Klingbeil, Lex Steckelberg, and Andrew Kaunas), one defenseman (Wes Weisenburger) and goaltender Isaac Weatherford.
The Americans were hoping to pick up another victory in their first road meeting of the season in Bozeman, Montana.
Ty O’Bey (2 goals), Easton Kennedy (1 goal, 2 assists) and Masen Kerr (3 assists) helped guide the #2 Great Falls Americans to a 5-2 road win over the #7 Bozeman Ice Dogs during Friday’s NA3HL junior hockey action at Haynes Pavilion in Bozeman, Montana. Great Falls is now on a two-game win streak after three contests.
Aiden Kennedy and Ty O’Bey each saw the puck go into the back of the net in the first period for the visiting team. Caleb Gamboa and Easton Kennedy assisted on the first scoring drive for the Americans as Aiden Kennedy netted his first goal of the season five minutes into the contest. Seth Hanson, a Billings, Montana native, evened the score (1-1) for Bozeman on his unassisted tally with ten minutes remaining. It appeared that both teams would go into the locker room before the first intermission deadlocked at 1-1 but with six seconds left, Ty O’Bey broke the tie with his third goal of the season on a power play with assistance from Garren Narvaez and Easton Kennedy. The Montana NA3HL squads attempted ten shots-on-goal.
The Americans outscored the Ice Dogs, 2-0 in the middle period. After assisting on two first period scoring drives, Easton Kennedy found the back of the net within the first two minutes. Newcomer Mercer Twomey, a South Carolina native, recorded his first assist in an Americans uniform while Masen Kerr assisted on his second scoring play of the season. Before the period concluded, Mercer Twomey got the puck through Bozeman netminder Brett DeVincent for the 4-1 lead heading into the second intermission.
Bozeman’s Lex Steckelberg pulled the Ice Dogs to within a two-score deficit (4-2) early in the third frame, but the home team would not be able to accrue any more scoring opportunities. Masen Kerr’s pass to an open Ty O’Bey for the goal with 21 seconds left on the clock ensured the Americans second victory in three games.
Great Falls outshot Bozeman 14-10 in the third period to finish with 33 shots. The Ice Dogs took ten shots in the first and third stanzas to end their home opener with 31.
Both teams went 1-for-5 on the power play with five minor infractions.
Americans starting goaltender, Kaden Rhyder (2-1-0-0) has played in all three contests with two victories. He stopped 29 shot attempts by Bozeman’s offense. Entering his first season with the Ice Dogs, Brett DeVincent (0-1-0-0) was denied a victory in his first start. The goalie from San Jose, California, allowed five goals to finish with 28 saves.
FRONTIER DIVISION UPDATE: #1 Helena Bighorns (3-0-0-0) continued to do what they do best on the ice and that is win. The Bighorns opened the game with seven goals during the first two periods and went on to dominate the #3 Butte Irish (2-1-0-0), 10-2 inside the Butte Community Ice Center in Butte, Montana on Friday. Trey Pareja scored all three of his goals after the first intermission to pace Helena. Kolin Krizan accounted for two goals and two assists for the winning side. Toby Kerr and Brennan Morgan had the lamplighters for the Irish. Malik Johnson (2-0-0-0) prevented all ten shots sent his way by Butte’s offense from getting by him during the first period. Backup Jeremy Carpenter redirected 21 shots. Logan Hunter’s first game with Butte ends with a setback. He was busy stopping 77 shots (Box Score).
The #4 Sheridan (WY) Hawks (2-1-0-0) earned a 3-0 shutout win over the #6 Gillette (WY) Wild (0-2-1) on the road on Friday night. After a scoreless first period, Keifer Dunham, Elijah Farris and Vincent Leaf (4 goals on the season) scored the goals for the Hawks. John Simon is now 2-0 on the season as the netminder for Sheridan. He remained perfect in the net (41 saves). Tate Cothern (Gillette) acquired 45 saves in his debut with the Wild (Box Score).
The #5 Badlands (SD) Sabres (1-0-0-0) started their first game of the season by passing all the tests that the #8 Yellowstone (WY) Quake (0-3-0-0) gave them. The Sabres racked up five second period goals to blank the Quake, 10-0 inside the Roosevelt Park Ice Arena in Rapid City, South Dakota. Badlands scored ten goals on 79 shot attempts while allowing 15 shots through three periods for Yellowstone. A trio of players for Badlands combined for six goals including Zach Vockler, Carter Kilen, and Matthew Cordis. A 15-save performance gave Hunter Oger (1-0-0-0) his first victory as the returning goaltender for the Sabres. Nicolas Ulyanov and Matthew Neeser combined for 69 saves with Neeser falling to 0-2-0-0 (Box Score).
NOTES: Season Two of the “Americans Podcast with Jim Quick” premiered last 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. The second episode featured forward Ty O’Bey from Ashland, Wisconsin. Click here to learn more about Ty 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.
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.
UPCOMING EVENTS: Harley Davidson Bike Night: Saturday, September 14th. The Americans host the Bozeman Ice Dogs at 7:05 PM for Harley-Davidson Biker Night presented by Big Sky Harley. There will be a special Booster Club raffle drawn during the second intermission. Raffle tickets are available at Big Sky Harley Davidson or any Booster Club member. If you are a bike owner, plan on meeting at Big Sky Harley at 5PM and join other riders and soon to be Americans supporters as they caravan down 10th Avenue South to the GF Ice Plex for the game. Look for some special Americans’ Baldy flags used during the ride to go up for auction in addition to the Baldy Bandanas.
Americans launch their “Sled Hockey Program” with Eagle Mount Therapeutic Recreation on Thursday, September 12th, September 19th and Thursday, September 26th. 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 Ice Plex will host the Great Falls Americans and the Bozeman Ice Dogs on Saturday, September 14th at 7:05PM (MST) with live streaming available at NAHLTV with Ryan Siders, the Americans NAHLTV Play-By-Play announcer on the call.
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.
Additional Media Coverage: September 12, 2024: Baldy’s Puck Drop: Weekly Americans Newsletter by Team Owner, Matt Leaf, Volume 35. Click here to view the newsletter.
Additional Media Coverage: September 9, 2024: Americans Podcast with Jim Quick: Americans forward Ty O’Bey talked hockey with Jim. Click here to listen to all episodes.