Courtesy Photo: A visit by the Americans to Mount Rushmore in South Dakota during their trip this weekend.
By Kevin Scott
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RAPID CITY, S.D., February 25, 2024 — During their seven-game series this season, the #4 Great Falls Americans (20-23-0-2) went 4-2-0-1 against the #5 Badlands (SD) Sabres (18-21-3-3) as Sunday concluded their final meeting of the 2023-24 NA3HL junior hockey season.
Great Falls made the long trip to Rapid City, South Dakota for a three-game series with the Sabres this weekend and came away with two wins and one shootout loss on Sunday afternoon. Click here to see the game articles from Friday and Saturday’s win in South Dakota and the 2023-24 Great Falls Americans schedule and results from this season.
Badlands Sabres forward Brady Ridnour scored the first goal and the game-winning tally in a thrilling 3-2 shootout victory against the visiting Great Falls Americans on Sunday afternoon to conclude their three-game series in Rapid City, South Dakota. Garren Narvaez scored both goals for the Americans.
Both teams are now tied with 40 points each for fourth place in the NA3HL Frontier Division standings with two games remaining. Great Falls will play a home-and-away series against the #7 Butte Irish (16-28-1-0) during the first week of March while the Sabres will play the #2 Gillette (WY) Wild (39-5-0-1) in Wyoming on March 1-2.
Brady Ridnour scored the opening goal in the first stanza for the Sabres. Hunter Walla’s pass to Ridnour for the score with 14:20 remaining gave the home team the early lead. Both squads combined for 29 shots-on-goal before the first intermission.
Just one score was made in the second period as the Sabres went up 2-0 thanks to a scoring drive by Alexander Petrotto with assistance from Aden Cobbs and Benjamen Larson. Badlands took twice as many shots (16-8) as Great Falls but only one score was successful.
The Americans attempted a comeback in the third with a pair of goals by Garren Narvaez that would send the game into an overtime. Tariq Khan, Dmitri Kuleshov, Garrett Driscoll, and Hayden Grabas created the assists.
The five-minute overtime came and went without either team putting the biscuit in the basket, so a shootout was needed to declare a winning side.
In the shootout, Brady Ridnour was the only player from either team to light up the lamp. He got the puck in the net over Great Falls netminder Anyon Bennett for the Sabres win. Zach Vockler was unsuccessful against the Great Falls netminder. Dmitri Kuleshov, Aaron Leaf, and Garren Narvaez tried but could not get the puck in the net against Badlands goalie Dawson Sellner.
Great Falls’ best offensive attack occurred in the first period as they made 17 of their team-high 31 shots during that time. Badlands made 44 shot attempts during the three regulation periods and finished with 52.
Both teams had eight minor infractions called against them by the NA3HL officials. Great Falls and Badlands each had seven power play chances but only Alexander Petrotto’s second period score was successful.
Second-year goaltender Dawson Sellner received his fourth win (4-0-0-1) and his first against the Americans on Sunday afternoon. The Minnesota netminder had 26 saves in 65 minutes of action for the Sabres. Anyon Bennett took his third loss as a member of the Americans (0-2-0-1) by finishing with 48 saves. He is now 7-6-0-2 overall including13 games with the NA3HL’s Granite City (MN) Lumberjacks during the 2023-24 season.
FRONTIER DIVISION UPDATE: No other Frontier Division games were scheduled for Sunday.
NOTES: Forwards Ty O’Bey and Aiden Kennedy received Honorable Mention honors for the weekly “NA3HL Stars of the Week” for the week ending February 18, 2024, for their play last week against the top-ranked Helena Bighorns. Click here for more information.
This week, another episode of the “Americans Podcast with Jim Quick” was completed with his guest Luke Pizzey, a forward from Black Diamond, Washington. Quick has done thirteen podcasts this year featuring the history of the Americans, interviews with former American and now Associate Coach, Alex Leaf, and some current players. Fans can listen to the full podcasts by clicking here.
The NA3HL released their all-new and updated App this week for the App Store and Google Play. Download and 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).
Check out all the Americans photos throughout the season including some taken by Americans photographer, Dustin Bauer. Click here to view all the photos from the 2023-24 season.
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. 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 final weekend of the 2023-24 NA3HL season occurs on March 1-2, 2024. The Americans will challenge the Butte Cobras on Friday, March 1st at 7:00PM (MST) at the Great Falls Ice Plex. The Americans final home game will honor the Billet (host) families during one of the intermission periods for “Billett Family Appreciation Night.”
Great Falls will be the visiting team on the scoreboard when they make the trip to Butte, Montana for the regular season finale on Saturday, March 2nd at 7:05PM (MST). Both games can be seen live on NAHLTV. To learn more about how to watch the Americans in action on NAHL TV, please click here.
Click here for the 2023-24 Great Falls Americans schedule and results.