NA3HL Frontier Finals: Helena takes 1-0 series lead with 2-1 win over Great Falls

Photo credit Kevin Scott And then there were two teams left after the first round of the (Frontier Division Semi-Finals) in the North American 3 Hockey League (NA3HL). The #3 Great Falls Americans (29-16-4-2) and the top-ranked Helena Bighorns (44-5-1-1) each won their best-of-three Frontier Division Semi-Finals last week with Great Falls needing three games to eliminate the #2 Sheridan (WY) Hawks and Helena downed the #4 Badlands (SD) Sabres in three meetings. Both interstate rivals tangled on the ice for the 2025 NA3HL Frontier Division Finals that began on Wednesday, March 19th for Game 1 at the Great Falls Ice Plex. During the regular season, the Americans defeated the Bighorns twice, had three regulation setbacks, two overtime losses and one shootout loss (2-3-2-1) to the 2024 NA3HL Fraser Cup National Champions from last season. The last time the Great Falls Americans participated in the Frontier Division Finals was back in April 2021 where they fell 2-1 in their best-of-three series to the Sheridan (WY) Hawks. Great Falls was hoping to steal Game 1 of the Frontier Division Finals in front of their home fans one last time this season at the Great Falls Ice Plex on Wednesday evening. Helena Bighorns forwards G’bari Mayers and Owen Gruener each scored once in the second period as the top-ranked Helena Bighorns slipped by the #3 Great Falls Americans, 2-1 at the Great Falls Ice Plex during Game 1 of the 2025 NA3HL Frontier Division Finals on Wednesday night. Aiden Kennedy score the only goal for the Americans in the first period. The Montana rivalry between Great Falls and Helena heated up on the ice during the first period. Both squads combined for 34 shots but only one of those by the Americans was successful in the net. Great Falls forward Aiden Kennedy scored on an unassisted play three minutes into the first stanza as the puck sailed by Helena netminder Branson Appelman. Great Falls held a 1-0 advantage through the first four minutes of the second period when Helena’s G’bari Mayers scored against Great Falls goaltender Kaden Rhyder with 15:11 on the clock. Marcus Fritel collected his third assist of the playoffs and Austin Tyler was credited with his fifth assist. The visiting Bighorn broke the 1-1 tie as Caden Fenstein and Maddux Hale earned assists on Owen Gruener’s slapshot that got through the glove of the Americans goalie. Helena’s goal occurred while Great Falls was in the penalty box. After two periods, Great Falls accumulated 33 of the 65 total shots during the first forty minutes of game time. The final twenty minutes went by without any scoring from either team despite 22 shots being taken. The host team outshot the visitors, 45-42, with most of shots being taken before the third period. Seven (total) minor penalties dotted the game sheet after the sixty-minute contest concluded. Helena’s second goal in the second period was the only power play opportunity that was successful as they finished 1-for-2. The three power play chances by the Americans went unanswered. Branson Appleman was the starting goaltender for Helena on Wednesday and he amassed 44 saves on 45 shots taken by Great Falls. The Minnesota netminder went 17-2-0-0 during the regular season and is now 3-0-0 in the playoffs. Kaden Rhyder (24-12-2-0) recorded 40 saves for the Americans as his playoff record dropped to 2-2-0-0.