NA3HL Frontier Finals: #1 Helena wins Frontier Division Finals with 4-1 decision over Great Falls

Photo credit Tim Ljunggren, Gentle Thug Media The 2024-25 NA3HL junior hockey season for the Great Falls Americans started during the first week of September (6-7) as they earned a split at the Great Falls Ice Plex against the Sheridan (WY) Hawks. After 47 regular season contests and a total of five playoff contests (Great Falls went 2-3-0-0 in postseason play), the Americans season has concluded with an overall record of 29 wins (15 at home), 17 regulation losses, 4 overtime setbacks and two shootout losses). Great Falls ended the regular season with a third seed in the four-team Frontier Division playoffs. The Americans won twice on the road in the Frontier Division Semi-Finals (March 13-14, 16) in their best-of-three series against the #2 Sheridan (WY) Hawks (29-17-3-1). Great Falls met the #1 Helena Bighorns, who needed three games to displace the #4 Badlands (SD) Sabres (26-17-4-3) in the other semi-final, during Game 1 of the 2025 NA3HL Frontier Division Finals that began on Wednesday, March 19th in Great Falls where the Bighorns edged the Americans, 2-1. Great Falls needed a win on the road in Helena, Montana for their season to continue on Friday night. Would the Americans, who defeated the Bighorns twice in the regular season, live on to play another game? The #1 Helena Bighorns closed out the Frontier Division Finals in two games by posting a 4-1 decision over the Great Falls Americans during Game Two of the 2025 NA3HL Frontier Division Finals on Friday night inside Steed Arena in Helena, Montana. Hunter Coulombe, Kelton Chadwick, Brandon Mcilhany, and Marcus Fritel all put the puck in the net for the Fraser Cup bound Bighorns. Ty O’Bey scored for the Americans in the second period. The top-ranked Helena Bighorns scored first thanks to a goal by Hunter Coulombe off the stick of Brandon Mcilhany to give the host team a 1-0 lead as the first period concluded. The Bighorns took twice as many shots (21-10) as their rivals during the first period. After the first intermission, Helena added their second goal with Kelton Chadwick’s unassisted tally midway through the middle frame. Two minutes later, the Americans pulled to within one goal (2-1) on Ty O’Bey’s unassisted goal. Before the period expired with 3:42 remaining, Brandon Mcilhany scored his first goal of the playoffs after adding a helper in the first period with assistance from Kelton Chadwick to increase the defending NA3HL National Champions lead to 3-1. Helena’s offense tacked on one final scoring drive in the third period. Marcus Fritel recorded his fourth goal of the playoffs with Kelton Chadwick setting up the final goal of the contest. The Bighorns attempted 34 shots after the first stanza to end the contest with 55. The Americans acquired a team-high of 11 shots in the third period to end their last game of the season with 28 shots taken. The host team went 1-for-2 on the power play and committed three minor penalties after the first period. Great Falls failed to score on their two power play chances, and they were whistled for two minor infractions. Helena netminder, Branson Appelman (18-2-0-0) had 44 saves during Wednesday’s 2-1 victory and finished off the two-game series on Friday with 27. Great Falls’ Kaden Rhyder (24-13-2-0) made 51 saves on Friday and finished the Frontier Division Finals with 91.