The Great Falls Americans (17-10-1-1, 2nd in Frontier Division) capped off the 2025 NA3HL Showcase Tournament on Tuesday morning in Blaine, Minnesota, by playing against their second West Division opponent.
On Monday, the Alexandria (MN) Blizzard (West Division) defeated the Americans, 4-1. Great Falls started the tournament on Sunday with a 4-3 victory over the Austin (TX) Ice Bats (South Division).
The Iowa-based Mason City Toros were the opponents for Tuesday’s tournament finale for Great Falls. The New Mexico Ice Wolves topped the Toros to open the tournament on Sunday, 5-3, but the Toros offense erupted on Monday for an 11-0 win over the Binghamton (NY) Buzz.
Prior to Tuesday’s affair, Great Falls and Mason City had never faced each other on the ice.
Stone Resch added two goals to lead the Mason City (IA) Toros to a 4-2 decision over the Great Falls Americans on Tuesday morning at the NSC Super Rink in Blaine, Minnesota, to conclude the three-day NA3HL Showcase Tournament. Wyatt Hanna and Reid Lezubski scored in the first and third periods, respectively, for the Americans.
The Americans scored one of the three goals during the first twenty minutes. Wyatt Hanna, off the stick of Gavin Denis, got the puck in the net over Toros netminder Ty Tanton two minutes into the contest. Great Falls led for the next ten minutes before Mason City scored two goals in 81 seconds. Cooper Hedin and Stone Resch each buried the puck in the net for head coach Alex North’s squad. Mason Buchanon assisted on Hedin’s score with 7:46 remaining, while Kellen Kantaris assisted on Resch’s scoring drive to give the Toros a 2-1 lead at the first intermission. Mason City’s offense outshot the Americans, 21-8. Resch’s goal with 6:25 left on the clock occurred while the Americans were in the penalty box.
The second period was mostly quiet on the scoreboard with Mason City’s Marek Gallenberger lighting up the lamp for the 3-1 advantage. Forwards Luke Gustafson and TJ Gibson setting up the Toros second successful power play opportunity.
In the third period, Reid Lezubski pulled the Americans to within one goal (3-2) when his slapshot off the stick of Cooper Clouse was sent into the back of the net. The Iowa NA3HL franchise put the game away with a second goal by Stone Resch midway through the final period. Weston Bohlman tacked on the assist.
After Mason City took 21 shots in the first period, they combined for 22 over the second and third stanzas for a total of 43 shots. The Americans offense produced 29 of their 37 shots after the first intermission.
One of the differences in the contest was that Mason City capitalized on two of their seven power play chances, as Stone Resch’s first period score and Marek Gallenberger’s second period scoring drive. The Americans let seven power play opportunities slip away.
Ty Tanton, a native of Omaha, Nebraska, finished the tournament for the Toros with two straight victories for an overall record of 4-3-1-0 in nine appearances. He amassed 35 saves in 60 minutes. Kaden Rhyder (7-4-0-1) got his second start in the tournament for the Americans on Tuesday. Two days after helping the Americans to a 4-3 win over the Austin (TX) Ice Bats by gathering 22 saves, he swatted away 39 shots in the loss. The Pennsylvania netminder finished the tournament with one win and one loss.
The Frontier Division finished the tournament on Tuesday with a 2-6 record, including Helena’s 2-1 win over the St. Louis Jr. Blues and Badlands 10-2 win over New Hampshire Jr. Mountain Kings.
The three-day tournament concluded for all the Frontier Division teams. The Yellowstone Quake (2-0-1-0) and Badlands Sabres (1-1-0-1) led the way with the other six clubs (Gillette Wild, Sheridan Hawks, Butte Irish, Helena Bighorns, Great Falls Americans, Bozeman Ice Dogs) going 1-2.
By Kevin Scott: December 16, 2025 – Blaine, Mn
