NOTE: A Special Thanks to Kevin Scott for providing the photo.
By Kevin Scott
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Score Sheet | League Scoreboard | Americans Team Statistics |
HELENA, Mont., November 16, 2024 — The #3 Great Falls Americans are 1-2-0-0 before Saturday’s rivalry against the #1 Helena Bighorns (16-2-0-0), who are the top squad in the NA3HL’s Frontier Division and are one of the premiere teams in the five-division North American 3 Hockey League (NA3HL) in recent seasons.
Great Falls (12-6-1-0) is responsible for the lone (3-2) setback for the Bighorns on September 21st in Great Falls (game story). The Americans lost 7-1 on September 20th (game story) and 6-2 on September 28th at Steed Arena in Helena, Montana (game story).
Ty O’Bey, eleventh in the league with 29 points, leads the Americans with 16 goals and is fourth on the team in assists (13). The assist leader is Garren Narvaez, who has 19. O’Bey and Narvaez have played in all 19 regular season contests for coach Greg Sears.
Helena’s Finn Theriault continues to carry the Bighorns by producing 16 goals and 13 assists (29 points). Kelton Chadwick chipped in a team-high 17 assists for coach Damon Hanson’s team.
After two scoreless periods, the #3 Great Falls Americans edged the top-ranked Helena Bighorns, 1-0 thanks to a third period goal by Americans forward Blayne Jusczak during NA3HL junior hockey action at Steed Arena in Helena, Montana. Goaltender Kaden Rhyder redirected all 47 shots in his eleventh win.
Both offenses failed to score during the first and second periods. Helena outshot Great Falls, 32-20, during that stretch.
The visiting team lit up the lamp once in the third period as Sebe Perez found Blayne Jusczak, who put the puck in the net over Helena goalie Tyler Miller four minutes into the last period of regulation. Jusczak’s goal was the sixth of the season for the first year forward from North Pole, Alaska. Perez chipped in his ninth assist.
Despite the first shutout loss for Helena this season, they attempted 20 more shots (47-27) than Great Falls.
The fourth meeting between these two interstate rivals saw 18 power play chances go unanswered and 23 total penalties that resulted in 67 minutes spent off the ice.
Kaden Rhyder (11-5-0-0) recorded 47 saves and his eleventh victory as he earned his second shutout of the season. His first shutout came against the #8 Yellowstone (WY) Quake on October 18th in Great Falls (game story). He also picked up a 3-2 win against Helena earlier this season.
Tyler Miller is now 0-2-0-0 against the Americans this season. The Bismarck, North Dakota netminder (5-2-0-0) ended his seventh appearance by accruing 20 saves.
FRONTIER DIVISION UPDATE: A night after the #4 Bozeman Ice Dogs (10-6-1-1) came back to send their game with the Americans to overtime (where Great Falls won 6-5), the Ice Dogs led 4-3 into the third before the #6 Butte Irish (9-9-1-0) scored early in the third period to send the game into an extra period. Bozeman’s Spencer Wilkinson scored the second of his two goals in overtime to escape with a 5-4 win and maintain their fourth seed in the NA3HL’s Frontier Division. Devin Bruns also scored two goals for the winning side. The Irish received goals from Toby Kerr, Loghan Weber, Andrew Browe, and Kazden Stineff. Brett DeVincent has now won six of his eight contests (6-2-0-0) for Bozeman as registered 51 saves while Butte’s Tim Nanson (5-4-1-0) stopped 59 shots (Box Score).
The second-ranked Sheridan (WY) Hawks (13-5-2-0) downed the #8 Yellowstone (WY) Quake (0-20-0-0), 5-1 to earn the weekend sweep and prevented the Quake from getting their first victory. Five different Hawks players recorded goals including Gavin Elliott, Logan Sidlauskas, Josh Serino, Vincent Leaf and Elijah White. Sheridan allowed just 13 shots-on-goal by Yellowstone while they acquired 78. Macen Heisler, who participated in seven games for Great Falls this season, added his third goal of the season in the first period for Yellowstone. Ryan Rainey, who has now won three of his four contests (3-1-0-0) for the Hawks, collected 12 saves. Yellowstone’s Hayden Laforet suffered his first defeat (0-1-0-0) by stopping 73 of the 78 shots sent his way (Box Score).
The #7 Badlands (SD) Sabres (8-9-2-1) and the #6 Gillette (WY) Wild (9-10-1-0) did all their scoring during the middle period. Gillette’s Brady McGinn scored first but Badlands received back-to-back goals from Kyyan Jahner and Gaven Marx to help the Sabres get their eighth win. Neither team scored in the third frame. Both goals by the Sabres occurred while Gillette was in the penalty box. Lochlin Jackson improved to 4-2-1-1 and had 21 saves for the weekend sweep over the Wild. Tate Cothern is now 2-1-0-0 against the Sabres and ended the game with 25 saves (Box Score).
NOTES: Easton Kennedy, a forward from Minnesota, has signed a tender with the North American Hockey League’s (NAHL) Fairbanks (AK) Ice Dogs. He has nine goals and dished out 12 assists (21 points) in 15 games this season. He recently returned home to play for his high school, Detroit Lakes, and plans to return to the Americans in February 2025.
UPCOMING EVENTS: Thursday, November 21: Great Falls Optimist Tree Sale: The Great Falls Americans will help the Great Falls Optimist Club for their annual Christmas Tree sale at Montana ExpoPark. The players will help unload and set up 600 trees beginning at 9:00AM.
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 and Cal Laggis. Click here to learn more about Cal Laggis 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 will play the next two weeks (four games) in front of their home fans to finish off the month of November. Great Falls welcomes the #4 Bozeman Ice Dogs (10-6-1-1) on Friday, November 22nd followed by a Saturday showdown on the ice with the #5 Butte Irish (9-9-1-0).
On Thanksgiving Weekend (November 29-30), the Americans and #2 Sheridan (WY) Hawks (13-5-2-0) will do battle twice. All contests are scheduled for 7:05PM (MST) live on NAHLTV from the Great Falls Ice Plex.
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.