The Americans hope you had an enjoyable Thanksgiving Day! Now onto hockey as the Great Falls Americans (14-8-1-1) hosted their rivals, the Helena Bighorns (15-6-1-0) on Black Friday (November 28).
When these two hockey teams played against each other on September 27th in Great Falls, the Bighorns were in second place (now in third place), but Great Falls was in sixth place and since then went 12-3-1-0 over their last 16 games and have climbed up the Frontier Division standings to second place behind the Sheridan (WY) Hawks.
Great Falls is 1-2-0-1 versus the Bighorns this season with two head-to-head matchups remaining after tonight. Check out the Schedule/results webpage on the Americans official website (www.greatfallsamericans.com) to see the game summaries of all the games completed so far, including their rivalry with Helena.
Prior to the game, Kurt Mueller performed the National Anthem via the trumpet.
The Great Falls Americans held a 3-0 advantage after one period, but the Helena Bighorns offense outscored their opponents, 7-1 over the final two periods, for a 7-4 decision during Blue Cross Blue Shield Night at the Great Falls Ice Plex on Friday evening. Caden Feinstein (Helena) scored two goals and dished out one assist, while AJ Prioli was one goal short of a hat trick (two goals) for Great Falls.
Great Falls jumped out to a 3-0 lead in the first period during a five-minute scoring spree led by Jaxon Savage, Ethan Miller, and AJ Prioli’s goals. Savage, one of four Canadians on the Americans roster, gathered his fifth goal with help from Fisher Hannesson and Wyatt Rust for the first goal with nine minutes remaining. Three minutes later, Ethan Miller’s shot hit the post, and the puck bounced into the net while the Bighorns were in the penalty box. Gordon Jennings and Cooper Clouse each provided an assist on the Americans second scoring drive of the contest. AJ Prioli scored a few feet from the goal for his sixth goal of the season. The tally was assisted by Cooper Clouse and Ethan Miller with 3:45 left on the clock before the first intermission. Both NA3HL clubs combined for 20 shots-on-goal.
Helena rallied to score three unanswered goals. Braden Davis got his team on the scoreboard with his first score of the season off a pass from Lincoln Kearney to cut the visiting team’s deficit, 3-1. The power play scoring drive came with 8:30 left in the middle period. Mason Blair, a defenseman from Missoula, Montana, pulled the Bighorns to within one goal (3-2) with under two minutes remaining, with Fischer Nicolet and Warren Ryser assisting. Caden Feinstein netted his eighth goal of the 2025-26 season to even the score (3-3) before the second intermission. Cal Kellenberg and Lincoln Kearney each capitalized on a power play opportunity when they found Feinstein open for the score.
During the first seven minutes of the third period, Great Falls and Helena each traded goals. The Bighorns took their first lead of the contest with a second goal by Caden Feinstein with assistance from Blake Chapman and Lincoln Kearney with 14:14 left in regulation. Great Falls trailed 4-3 for 17 seconds before they tied the game on a AJ Prioli score. Cooper Clouse and Gordon Jennings accrued the assists. Both scoring opportunities happened while the opposing team was in the sin bin. The Bighorns closed out the game by outscoring Great Falls, 3-0, over the final eight minutes. Clint Isakson and Cameron Kimmerly each put the biscuit in the basket. Jakob Ryser and Joe Viox picked up the assists on the Isakson’s scoring drive, while Ty Schell and Caden Feinstein assisted on the Kimmerly goal, The Americans took out their goaltender to get another skater on the ice with 1:34 left. Joe Viox took advantage and successfully got the open net score seven seconds later for the Bighorns seventh goal.
The Bighorns took 21 of their 35 shots-on-goal during the middle stanza. Great Falls accumulated 24 shots with 19 coming before the second intermission.
Six of the eleven total goals were made through successful power play opportunities. Helena finished 4-for-6 with Caden Feinstein scoring both of his lamplighters, and Braden Davis and Cameron Kimmerly also getting the puck in the net with the Americans down a man. Ethan Miller’s first period goal and AJ Prioli’s third period goals came while the visiting team was in the sin bin as the Americans went 2-for-5.
Caden Feinstein led the Bighorns with two goals and one assist, while teammate Lincoln Kearney added three assists. Meanwhile, AJ Prioli scored one goal in the first and third frames and Cooper Clouse registered three assists, and Gordon Jennings had two for the host team.
Andrew Blake (Helena) is now 8-3-1-0, including two wins over Great Falls this season. The Minnesota netminder stopped 20 of 24 shots sent his way. Cole Murphy had nine saves in the first period and ended the game with 29. Murphy is now 6-3-1-0 on the season after eleven appearances and 1-3-0-0 against their rivals.
By Kevin Scott: November 28, 2025 – Great Falls, Mt
