Tonight’s opponent for the Great Falls Americans (21-11-1-1) was the Badlands Sabres (16-12-2-2), an NA3HL squad based out of Rapid City, South Dakota.
The Americans have bested their South Dakota counterparts in two of their three contests leading up to Friday’s tilt at the Roosevelt Park Ice Arena. The Sabres defeated Great Falls 2-0, but Great Falls was able to get revenge and defeat them, 4-3 in a shootout in September in Great Falls. On October 17th, they played the first game of their road trip versus the Sabres in South Dakota by posting a 6-2 win in the first leg of the trip that finished in Gillette, Wyoming, on October 18th, where they challenged the Gillette Wild.
The Americans duo of Cooper Clouse and Ethan Miller have combined for 40 goals and 67 assists through 34 games this season for head coach Greg Sears’ second-place team in the Frontier Division.
Iowa natives Dayton Niedert, playing in his first season with the Sabres, leads Brooks Mitzel’s team with 23 goals and 37 total points. Maddox Harn, another Iowa product, has assisted on 22 successful scoring drives.
Great Falls is battling the Helena Bighorns for the second and third spots in the Frontier Division standings, with one point (45-44) separating these two Montana rivals.
Cole Schneider scored two goals and was one of four players from the Badlands Sabres to record goals as the host team topped the Great Falls Americans, 5-2, inside the Roosevelt Park Ice Arena during Friday’s junior hockey action in Rapid City, South Dakota. Ethan Miller (first period) and Jaxen Savage (third period) provided the goals for Great Falls.
Each team has now won two of the four meetings between these two opponents, with one remaining on Saturday night.
After Cooper Clouse’s feed to Ethan Miller 18 seconds into the first period to give the visiting team from Montana the early 1-0 lead, the Sabres responded with two goals during the final seven minutes of the first period. Rhylan Olson evened the game with 7:17 left with assistance from Dayton Niedert and Patrick Gosselin. With the Americans in the penalty box, Cole Schneider tacked on his fourth goal of the season, which was set up by Justin Reams and Maddox Harn. The Sabres held the Americans to nine shots during the first twenty minutes while the home team attempted 19.
Badlands led 2-1 throughout the first 15 minutes of the middle stanza until Ethan Seanor took advantage of the Americans defense to record his third goal. Dayton Niedert received his second assist of the night on the only score in the second frame by either squad.
After the second intermission, Jaxen Savage utilized his offensive skills to deliver the Americans second goal to cut their deficit to 3-2. Tallon Caron earned the assist. A penalty by Great Falls cost the visitors two goals over the final two minutes. Carter Kilen gave the South Dakota NA3HL franchise a two-goal advantage with assists going to Patrick Gosselin and Sawyer Vann. Americans starting goaltender Kaden Rhyder came out of the game to give the American offense an extra player but Sabres standout Cole Schneider buried the puck in the empty net with 52 seconds left on the clock. The fifth goal was made possible by Kyyan Jahner and Justin Reams.
The Sabres offense controlled the puck, creating at least 15 shots throughout each period to finish with 50. The Americans combined for 18 shots during the first and second periods and 12 in the final frame.
Cole Schneider, one of five players from North Dakota on the Badlands roster, accounted for two of his team’s power play chances. Five Great Falls power plays went unanswered.
Badlands netminder Jackson Roethler improved to 7-7-2-1 on the season by redirecting 28 of the 30 shots as he won his second game versus Great Falls. Kaden Rhyder (10-5-0-1) of the Americans had an off night as he allowed four goals while collecting 46 saves.
By Kevin Scott: January 16, 2026 – Rapid City, SD
