Entering Saturday’s game, the #4 Great Falls Americans (4-3-0-0) and the #2 Helena Bighorns (6-1-0-0) each have won one game in their two head-to-head meetings.
Helena won 7-1 over Great Falls in their first encounter on September 20th in Helena, Montana. Finn Theriault (two goals) led the Bighorns while Ty O’Bey scored for the Americans.
The Americans played in front of their home fans on September 21st when they edged the Bighorns, 3-2. Eason Kennedy, Sebe Perez, and Cal Laggis accounted for the scores for Great Falls. Finn Theriault made both goals for the visiting team.
Who would come out on top of Saturday’s primetime contest between these two interstate rivals?
Helena Bighorns forward Kade Pareja scored two of this three goals before the third period to lead the Helena Bighorns to a 6-2 NA3HL junior hockey win over the Great Falls Americans on Saturday evening in Helena, Montana. Americans forward Easton Kennedy score two third period goals to prevent the shutout by the Bighorns.
Austin Uecker and Kade Pareja each scored near the end of the first frame as Helena took a 2-0 lead after twenty minutes of action on the ice. Jeffrey Hershberger, Finn Theriault, and Kelton Chadwick tacked on the assists. Both squads combined for 20 shots-on-goal.
Owen Gruener and Kade Pareja increased the lead to 4-0 after the first intermission for the host team. Garrett Lindsey and Hunter Coulombe assisted on Gruener’s tally 68 seconds into the second stanza. Finn Theriault’s pass to Pareja for the goal gave him his second of three assists on the night.
Great Falls got their first goals of the game in the third period as Easton Kennedy added his fifth and sixth goals of the season within the first four minutes of the final period. Zac Orwig, Garren Narvaez, Easton Delcamp and Cal Laggis provided the assists. Kade Pareja scored his third goal for a hat trick while teammate Garrett Lindsey chipped in his first scoring drive for the winning team.
The Bighorns of head coach Damon Hanson made 27 of their 39 shots-on-goal before the third period. Great Falls finished with 18 shots.
Pareja’s first and second period goals were successfully made with Great Falls in the sin bin. The Americans went 0-for-5 on the power play. The sixty minute rivalry game saw 12 combined penalties.
Malik Johnson, who saw action for the Bighorns last season, is now 3-0-0-0 with his first win of the season against Great Falls. The Missouri netminder ended the game with 16 saves. Kale Witt made his second appearance in the net for the Americans. Witt (0-1-0-0), who is one of four players from Minnesota on the roster, swatted away 33 shots.
FRONTIER DIVISION UPDATE: The #1 Sheridan (WY) Hawks (6-1-1-0) and the #5 Badlands (SD) Sabres (3-2-1-0) each registered three regulation goals to force a five-minute overtime. Charlie Lorbiecki of Badlands scored his first goal of the season for the Sabres with ten seconds left in the extra period to lift the Sabres to the 4-3 victory for their third win of the 2024-25 season. Charlie Lorbiecki (Badlands) and Josh Serino (Sheridan) led their respective teams with one goal and one assist apiece. Lochlin Jackson (1-0-1-0) had 25 saves as the winning goaltender for Badlands. TJ Wonnacott fell to 1-0-1-0 on the season for the Hawks.
Dylan Peterson and Christopher Lang each scored two goals to lead the #3 Gillette (WY) Wild (4-3-1-0) to an easy 8-2 win on the road over the #8 Yellowstone (WY) Quake, who are still seeking their first win (0-8-0-0). Gillette outshot Yellowstone, 68-37. Yellowstone received third period scores from Travis Lindsey and Cody Cram. Noah Hacker (35 saves) improves his record, 1-1-1-0 in his third game for the Wild. Matthew Neeser lost his second contest against the Wild and fifth overall (0-5-0-0) despite a 60 save performance in Saturday’s setback.
#7 Butte Irish (2-5-0-0) @ #6 Bozeman Ice Dogs (3-2-0-0)
