It all came down to the final game of the 2025 NA3HL Frontier Division Semi-Finals with one goal; win the game and move on to face the #1 Helena Bighorns in the NA3HL Frontier Division Finals starting on March 19, 2025.
The Americans and Sheridan Hawks each won a game this week in their best-of-three series with Sunday afternoon’s finale in Sheridan, Wyoming.
During the opening game on Thursday (March 13th) of the Frontier Division Semi-Finals played inside Sheridan’s Whitney Rink in the M&M’s Center, both teams spent the first twenty minutes scoreless. Sheridan’s offense scored the first two goals in the second period as Hawks forward Josh Serino lit up the lamp twice and Zach Longnecker collected assists on both scoring drives. Sheridan added two more goals by Anthony Lauderville and Kiefer Dunham in the final period for the 4-0 shutout victory over Great Falls. Both teams combined for just six infractions. Sheridan outshot the Americans, 46-41. John Simon was unstoppable in the net for the Hawks as he swatted away all 40 shots attempted by visiting Montana squad. Kaden Rhyder of the Americans contributed 42 saves in the Game 1 loss.
Both teams made the long trip back from Sheridan, Wyoming for Friday’s Game 2 in Great Falls where the Americans needed to win to survive. Great Falls scored two goals in the first and third periods and held Sheridan to two goals in a 4-2 win that set up Sunday afternoon’s showdown back in Wyoming. Aiden Kennedy racked up two scoring plays while goaltender Kaden Rhyder stopped 43 shots. Kiefer Dunham and Vlad Zubriichuk scored for Wyoming in the second period. TJ Wonnacott picked up the loss despite his 28 save performance.
The #1 Helena Bighorns and #4 Badlands (SD) Sabres met for Game 3 of their series after each team was victorious in one of the previous two Frontier Semi-Final contests. Marcus Fritel had a hat trick (3 goals and teammate Trey Pareja added two goals as the Bighorns won their second consecutive playoff game to stave off elimination in a 7-2 romp over the Sabres at Steed Arena on Saturday night in Helena, Montana. Badlands got goals from Rhylan Olson and Dawson Wirth in the first and second stanzas. Branson Appelman (2-0 in the playoffs) was the winning goaltender for Helena as he redirected 32 shots. Jackson Roethler, who finished the season with an 8-7-1-0 record, made 15 saves in the first and second periods before backup Hunter Oger took over and finished with 18 saves.
Great Falls Americans forward Blayne Jusczak provided the game-winning goal in the middle period as the visiting team defeated the Sheridan (WY) Hawks, 1-0 in Game 3 of the Frontier Division Semi-Finals on Sunday afternoon in Wyoming. Kaden Rhyder played flawless in the net for Great Falls by providing 31 saves as the American advance to play the top-ranked Helena Bighorns starting on Wednesday night in Great Falls in the Frontier Division Finals.
Both teams combined for 21 first period shots but none went into the net.
Blake Komrofske and Gavin Denis were responsible for getting the puck to Blayne Jusczak for what would be the game-winning tally thirteen minutes into the second period.
Both offenses produced just 18 total shots in the third frame as both teams’ defenses held up and did not allow any successful scoring drives.
Great Falls took 28 of their 36 shots before the second intermission. Sheridan made eleven attempted shots in the first period and then took ten shots in the second and third periods to finish with 31 in their last game of the 2024-25 season.
Great Falls stayed out of the penalty box for most of the game. They had four minor penalties called against them. Sheridan ended their afternoon contest with nine infractions resulting in 26 minutes spent in the penalty box.
Kaden Rhyder proved why he is one of the elite goaltenders in the NA3HL this season. The Americans starting netminder gathered 31 saves in his second postseason win this season. John Simon of the Hawks had only one blemish to finish with 35 saves.
The Frontier Divisional Finals are played between March 19-23 in a best-of-three series. The winning team in each of the divisions plus one wild card team will be participating at the 2025 NA3HL Fraser Cup (National) Championships slated to start on March 26-30, 2025, in St Peters, Missouri at the St. Peters Rec Plex. The national tournament features each team playing two (round robin) games followed by a semifinal round (two games) and the national championship game.
