March 1, 2024 — GREAT FALLS, Mont.
The final weekend of the 2023-24 NA3HL junior hockey season has arrived and there were playoff implications in the mix for the Great Falls Americans and Badlands (SD) Sabres (18-22-3-3, 42 pts.) in the Frontier Division.
The Badlands (Rapid City, SD) Sabres are also fighting for the final fourth spot and they traveled this weekend to Gillette, Wyoming for a showdown with the #2 Gillette (WY) Wild (40-5-0-1) in a two-game series.
But first, the #4 Great Falls Americans (21-23-0-2, 44 pts.) play a home-and-away series against the #7 Butte Irish (16-29-1-0) to conclude the regular season. After hosting Great Falls tonight, the Americans will travel to Butte, Montana for a 7:05PM season finale on Saturday.
The Americans and Irish have each won three games in their season series. Andrew Browe leads the Irish in goals scored (22) and is the team leader in total points (53). Defenseman Weston Villers has 34 assists to lead all players for Butte. Ty O’Bey and Dmitri Kuleshov, newcomers this season, continue to pave the way for the Americans. O’Bey and Kuleshov both have acquired 30 goals while O’Bey is the assist leader (24) and points leader (54) for coach Greg Sears’ squad.
Ty O’Bey and Dmitri Kuleshov scored two goals each and Aaron Leaf playing in his last regular season contest for the #4 Great Falls Americans added one as the Great Falls Americans downed the #7 Butte Irish, 5-2 in front of the home crowd at the Great Falls Ice Plex on Friday night. A win by Great Falls and a (7-2) loss by the Badlands (SD) Sabres to the #2 Gillette (WY) Wild gave the Americans the fourth seed in the 2024 NA3HL Frontier Division Playoffs that start next week.
Great Falls will have an uphill battle facing the top-ranked Helena Bighorns (43-2-1-0, 87 pts.) in the best-of-three series starting Friday (March 8th) starting at 7:05PM (MST) in Game 1 at Steed Arena in Helena, Montana. The Americans will host the Bighorns on March 9th at 7:00PM (MST) for Game 2. If a third and decisive game is needed, it will be on Sunday (March 10th) in Helena, Montana.
Ty O’Bey and Dmitri Kuleshov scored one goal each in the first period to give the Americans the early (2-0) lead in the first stanza. Dmitri Kuleshov and Cal Laggis assisted on O’Bey’s first score with twelve minutes remaining while O’Bey and Cal Laggis earned the helpers on Kuleshov’s score ten minutes later.
The Irish cut the Americans lead in half (2-1) with 3:31 remaining in the middle period. Toby Kerr scored his ninth goal of the season for Butte off a pass from Luke Bouzas and Cade Holland. Both teams combined for 60 offensive shots-on-goal after the first intermission.
The third period saw the Great Falls offense rack up three third period goals while giving up one goal. Dmitri Kuleshov and Ty O’Bey put in their second goal of the night and 30th overall. Aaron Leaf, one of four players who have aged out and will not return next season, accumulated his sixth goal of the season. Butte’s second (and final) goal of the contest occurred seven minutes into the final frame when William Clark lit up the lamp for his third goal with assists going to Corbin Breen and Ryan Sikorski.
The Americans outshot Butte in all three periods (52 total) while the Irish made 27 of their 40 in the middle period.
The Americans and Irish committed a total of eight minor penalties with 16 minutes spent in the penalty box. Butte’s second goal by Toby Kerr was the only scoring drive made while the Americans were down a man (penalty). Great Falls went 0-for-4 with Butte in the sin bin.
Kaden Ryhder (14-10-0-1) made 38 saves as he won his third game in four appearances against Butte this season. Irish goaltender Adler Hoagland, who had four setbacks (0-4-0-0) to start the season with Great Falls, is now 2-2-0-0 with Butte. He acquired 47 saves as his record fell to 2-6-0-0 against his former club.
NOTES: The Great Falls Americans had to say goodbye to four of their players (Nathan Bring, Alec Browning and team captains Sam Duehlmeier and Aaron Leaf) as they were honored during the first intermission of tonight’s game.
Friday was also “Billet Family Appreciation Night” at the Great Falls Ice Plex as host families along with the players they hosted were introduced to the fans on the ice. A special thanks to Friday night sponsors, City Toyota and Life in Bloom Floral and Gift Boutique.
A Special Thanks to the following Billet families who hosted the following players during the 2023-24 season.
| Jamie and Dawn Boyer: | Hosted Zac Orwig and Caleb Gamboa |
| Deb Courcey: | Hosted Kaden Ryhder |
| Bob and Wendy Dick: | Hosted Spencer Schipferling |
| Mike and Katie Hanning: | Hosted Anyon Bennett and Garren Narvaez |
| Jim and Tony Quick: | Hosted Blake Komrofske and Noah Van Herik |
| Greg and Serena Sears: | Hosted Aiden Kennedy |
| Ryan and Krista Smith: | Hosted Aaron Leaf, Ty Brander, and Dmitri Kuleshov |
| Adam and Pam Stanczak: | Hosted Sebe Perez, Masen Kerr and Tariq Khan |
| Kris and Laura Steichen: | Hosted Ty O’Bey and Austin Trout |
| Mat and Jamie Stevens: | Hosted Phil Harrell, Alex Browning, and Luke Pizzey |
| Edward and Maria Perez: | Hosted Garrett Driscoll and Cal Laggis |
| Jim Duehlmeier: | Hosted Sam Duehlmeier and Hayden Grabas |
Great Falls goaltender Kaden Ryhder received the Frontier Division Star of the Week and forward Dmitri Kuleshov received Honorable Mention honors for the weekly “NA3HL Stars of the Week” for the week ending February 25, 2024, for their play last week against the Badlands (SD) Sabres.
Kaden Ryhder (Goaltender), Dmitri Kuleshov (Forward) and Garrett Driscoll (Defenseman) were named as Honorable Mention candidates for the NA3HL “Stars of the Month” for February 2024.
NEXT CONTEST: The Butte Community Ice Center is where the Americans and Butte Irish will face off during the 2023-24 NA3HL regular season finale on Saturday, March 2nd at 7:05PM (MST).
