NOTE: A Special Thanks to Michael Noel (above, https://mnoelphotography.smugmug.com) for providing the photos.
By Kevin Scott
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Score Sheet | League Scoreboard | Americans Team Statistics |
GREAT FALLS, Mont., March 14, 2025 — The time has come for the #3 Great Falls Americans (28-15-4-2) to pick up a victory or else call it a season.
Playoff hockey has arrived in Great Falls as Game Two of the 2025 NA3HL Frontier Division Semi-Finals came to the Great Falls Ice Plex on Friday evening. Great Falls needed a win to keep their (post) season alive as they hosted the #2 Sheridan (WY) Hawks (29-16-3-1).
During the opening game on Thursday (March 13th) of the Frontier Division Semi-Finals played inside Sheridan’s Whitney Rink in the M&M’s Center, both teams spent the first twenty minutes scoreless. Sheridan’s offense scored the first two goals in the second period as Hawks forward Josh Serino lit up the lamp twice and Zach Longnecker collected assists on both scoring drives. Sheridan added two more goals by Anthony Lauderville and Kiefer Dunham in the final period for the 4-0 shutout victory over Great Falls. Both teams combined for just six infractions. Sheridan outshot the Americans, 46-41. John Simon was unstoppable in the net for the Hawks as he swatted away all 40 shots attempted by visiting Montana squad. Kaden Rhyder of the Americans contributed 42 saves in the Game 1 loss (game story).
In the other Frontier Division Semi-Final, the #1 Helena Bighorns played against the #4 Badlands (SD) Sabres with Game 1 on Wednesday night (March 12) in Rapid City, South Dakota. Helena had the top overall record in the division all season long and are the current NA3HL National Champions but the Sabres came ready to play in front of their home fans at Roosevelt Park Ice Arena where they edged the Bighorns, 5-4 to take a 1-0 lead in the best-of-three series. Badlands and Helena each scored once in the first stanza, but the host team outscored the visitors, 3-2 in the second period. Both Frontier teams scored once in the third period. Badlands standout Ryan Jordan led the way with two goals. Jeffrey Hershberger, Caden Fenstein, Finn Theriault and Austin Uecker accounted for the four goals for Helena. Jackson Roethler (Badlands), who is now 7-5-1-0 including the first playoff contest, played all sixty minutes finishing with 42 saves for the Sabres Tyler Miller (14-3-1-0) took the rare loss by swatting away 26 shots in his first appearance against Badlands this season (Box Score).
The top two finishers in each of the five NA3HL divisions (East, West, Frontier, South and Central) meet in the 2025 NA3HL Divisional Playoffs will meet next week for the Frontier Divisional Finals (March 20-23) for a best-of-three series.
The winning team in each of the divisions plus one wild card team will be invited to play at the 2025 NA3HL Fraser Cup (National) Championships slated to start on March 26-30, 2025, in St Peters, Missouri at the St. Peters Rec Plex. The national tournament features each team playing two (round robin) games followed by a semifinal round (two games) and the national championship game.
The #3 Great Falls Americans avoided elimination in their second game of their best-of-three series against the #2 Sheridan (WY) Hawks on Friday in Great Falls by downing the Wyoming NA3HL franchise, 4-2 to even the series and kept their season alive.
The Americans scored the opening goal four minutes into the contest when Zac Orwig and Garren Narvaez each received an assist on the score by Sebe Perez. Aiden Kennedy gave the home team a 2-0 lead with Aiden Kennedy’s first scoring drive of the playoffs. Cooper Clouse and Matt Beazley set up the second scoring drive of the contest. The Americans offense amassed 21 shots while allowing Sheridan to take 11.
Sheridan’s offense evened up the score with a pair of goals by Kiefer Dunham and Vlad Zubriichuk after the first intermission. Zach Longnecker assisted on Dunham’s score with 15:17 remaining and Kiefer Dunham added a helper to Zubriichuk’s scoring drive three minutes later. Sheridan took twice as many shots (18-9) as Great Falls did during the penalty-free period.
Great Falls broke the tie seven minutes into the third frame as Aiden Kennedy got the puck past Sheridan netminder TJ Wonnacott for the 3-2 advantage. Jurzy Allard and Cooper Clouse registered the assists. The Americans produced their fourth goal 43 seconds after Kennedy’s lamplighter. Gavin Denis, with assistance from Cooper Clouse and Ty O’Bey, added to the Americans lead while Sheridan was in the sin bin. The Hawks and the Americans played the final twelve minutes without putting the biscuit in the basket.
Despite scoring two second period goals, the visiting Hawks outshot the Americans, 45-39.
Both squads each committed five minor penalties resulting in ten minutes spent off the ice. Both playoff teams each had three power play opportunities, but Great Falls’ Gavin Denis was the only player that scored on one of those chances in the third period.
Kaden Rhyder made 43 saves while allowing two second period goals on Friday after struggling in Thursday’s road loss to Sheridan.
TJ Wonnacott played in his first playoff game with the Hawks this season. He accumulated 35 saves in the net for Sheridan.
FRONTIER DIVISION UPDATE: The #1 Helena Bighorns evened up their series with the Badlands Sabres on Friday night in Helena after suffering a 5-4 setback in Rapid City, South Dakota on Wednesday night in a rare setback for the defending NA3HL National Champions. Austin Uecker, Austin Tyler, Finn Theriault, Clint Isakson, and Trey Pareja each lit up the lamp once for the Bighorns before the third period. Badlands standout Rylan Olson stopped the shutout four minutes into the third period when he put the puck between the pipes. Helena netminder Branson Appelman was flawless during the first and second periods, allowing one goal in third period to finish with 20 saves in his first postseason appearance. Riley Swanson and Jackson Roethler combined for 39 saves for Badlands (Box Score).
NEXT CONTEST: Great Falls will travel to Sheridan, Wyoming for a third and decisive game on Sunday, March 16th at 1:00PM (MST). The winning squad in Game 3 of the Frontier Divisional Semi-Finals will challenge the winner of the Helena Bighorns and Badlands (SD) Sabres, whose series is even at 1-1. NAHLTV will provide the coverage for all playoff contests.
On Saturday, March 15th, the #1 Helena Bighorns will host the #4 Badlands (SD) Sabres for Game 3 of their series at Steed Arena in Helena, Montana at 7:05PM (MST) on NAHLTV. The winning squad advances to next week’s Frontier Division Finals.
NOTES: During the first intermission, the Americans presented their annual “Mike Lewis Award” to Americans forward Ty O’Bey, who scored 31 goals and dished out 36 assists in 46 contests during the 2024-25 regular season. He finished the regular season ninth in the NA3HL in points scored with 67. The award goes to a player who exemplifies the spirit, commitment and loyalty and a player that goes above and beyond to support his teammates.
Americans forward Aiden Kennedy scored two goals and dished out two assists to help lead the Americans to a weekend sweep over the Butte Irish, winning 6-3 and 4-2 last weekend. Kennedy’s efforts garnered him the Frontier Division (3rd Star) of the Week ending March 9, 2025. Click here for more information.
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.
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.
(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.