The Great Falls Americans (3-4-0-1) have played three teams (of eight overall teams in the Frontier Division) over the first month of the 2025-26 NA3HL season with contests against the Helena Bighorns, Bozeman Ice Dogs, and the South Dakota-based Badlands Sabres.
On Friday, they made their first overnight trip to Cody, Wyoming to challenge the winless Yellowstone Quake (0-7-0-0) who are led by new head coach Gaetano Moirano with three returning players from the 2024-25 season with Preston Mushlock, Tucker Sarkisian and Sam Goulden back from last season. The Quake have played the Bozeman Ice Dogs (two games), Sheridan (WY) Hawks (two games), and the Gillette (WY) Wild once in September.
Last season, Great Falls (29-17-4-2) won all four matchups and outscored the Quake, 35-6, as the Wyoming club struggled to find ways to win on the scoreboard (1-45-1-0 overall record).
The Americans were seeking their third win in eight games.
Reid Lezubski scored two goals and goaltender Cole Murphy stopped all 32 shots as the Great Falls Americans blanked the Yellowstone (WY) Quake, 5-0, on Friday night in Cody, Wyoming, for their third victory.
A slow first period for both squads as Great Falls and Yellowstone combined for 19 shots and one minor penalty during the scoreless frame.
In the second period, Great Falls scored two unanswered goals during the last six minutes of the stanza to take a two-goal lead over the Quake. Forward Gavin Denis found the back of the net for the third time this season, with Jarod Lemieux and Colton Bacon earning the assists with 5:49 on the clock. Canadian Reid Lezubski scored his first goal in an Americans uniform with Logan Mese and Fisher Hannesson each tacking on their first assists with under two minutes remaining before the second intermission. Each team had one minor infraction.
The Americans scored quickly (12 seconds) to open the third period. Reid Lezubski put the biscuit in the basket again with a second assist by Logan Mese, while Wyatt Hanna provided his first. The visiting team led 4-0 seven minutes later when Arizona native Wyatt Hanna got the puck by Yellowstone netminder Damen Baxter. Logan Mese provided his third assist of the game after scoring the overtime game-winning goal last Saturday (Sept. 27) in overtime (4-3) against the Helena Bighorns. Great Falls native Jase Troyer was credited with his first helper. The Americans added a final goal as EJ Sanchez found Logan Mese for Great Falls’ fifth lamplighter of the game before the final buzzer sounded. Wyatt Hanna gathered his second assist of the period (third overall).
Great Falls accrued 25 of their 51 shots-on-goal during the middle frame. Most of Yellowstone’s shots taken against Great Falls netminder Cole Murphy came after the first period. The Quake tallied 28 of their 32 shots after the first intermission.
Reid Lezubski scored one goal apiece in the second and third periods while Logan Mese assisted on four of the five Americans scoring drives, and Wyatt Hanna registered two assists in the final period.
Eight total power play opportunities were turned away by both Frontier Division opponents.
In his fourth start, Cole Murphy picked up his third victory as the Americans netminder (3-1-0-0) by swatting away all 32 shots by Yellowstone’s offense. Damen Baxter, a first-year goalie for the Quake, made 46 saves in his seventh defeat.
By Kevin Scott: October 3, 2025 Cody, Wy
