The #2 Great Falls Americans (2-1-0-0) were looking for their second victory in three games as last week was the first weekend of action in the North American 3 Hockey League (NA3HL).
Last weekend (September 6-7), the Americans opened at the Great Falls Ice Plex by earning a split against the Sheridan (WY) Hawks (1-1). Great Falls fell 4-3 on Friday, September 6th. The Americans tied the contest at 3-3 within the first three minutes of the third frame but the Hawks prevailed by adding the final goal. Sheridan’s Vincent Leaf scored the game-winner with eight minutes remaining. Ty O’Bey, Zac Orwig and Easton Kennedy, all returners from the 2023-24 season, each scored for Great Falls. Kaden Rhyder, another returnee, made 43 saves while his counterpart for the Hawks, John Simon swatted away 32.
The Americans bounced back on Saturday (September 7th) and scored three goals while allowing just one score. Ty O’Bey and Zac Orwig each put the biscuit in the basket again after each scoring in their first contest on Friday. O’Bey and Orwig’s goals put the Americans ahead 2-0 after the first twenty minutes of action. Garren Narvaez added a second period goal, and the home team allowed one third period goal for Sheridan as Vincent Leaf gathered his third goal in two games. Kaden Rhyder had 36 saves in his first win. Ryan Rainey made 36 saves in his first game with the Hawks.
The #7 Bozeman Ice Dogs (0-1-0-0) sat idle last week, and they hosted the Americans on Friday (September 13th) at Haynes Pavilion. The Ice Dogs, coached by Mike Perkins and assisted by Jeff Burton, return three forwards (Tyler Klingbeil, Lex Steckelberg, and Andrew Kaunas), one defenseman (Wes Weisenburger) and goaltender Isaac Weatherford.
The Americans were hoping to pick up another victory in their first road meeting of the season in Bozeman, Montana.
Ty O’Bey (2 goals), Easton Kennedy (1 goal, 2 assists) and Masen Kerr (3 assists) helped guide the #2 Great Falls Americans to a 5-2 road win over the #7 Bozeman Ice Dogs during Friday’s NA3HL junior hockey action at Haynes Pavilion in Bozeman, Montana. Great Falls is now on a two-game win streak after three contests.
Aiden Kennedy and Ty O’Bey each saw the puck go into the back of the net in the first period for the visiting team. Caleb Gamboa and Easton Kennedy assisted on the first scoring drive for the Americans as Aiden Kennedy netted his first goal of the season five minutes into the contest. Seth Hanson, a Billings, Montana native, evened the score (1-1) for Bozeman on his unassisted tally with ten minutes remaining. It appeared that both teams would go into the locker room before the first intermission deadlocked at 1-1 but with six seconds left, Ty O’Bey broke the tie with his third goal of the season on a power play with assistance from Garren Narvaez and Easton Kennedy. The Montana NA3HL squads attempted ten shots-on-goal.
The Americans outscored the Ice Dogs, 2-0 in the middle period. After assisting on two first period scoring drives, Easton Kennedy found the back of the net within the first two minutes. Newcomer Mercer Twomey, a South Carolina native, recorded his first assist in an Americans uniform while Masen Kerr assisted on his second scoring play of the season. Before the period concluded, Mercer Twomey got the puck through Bozeman netminder Brett DeVincent for the 4-1 lead heading into the second intermission.
Bozeman’s Lex Steckelberg pulled the Ice Dogs to within a two-score deficit (4-2) early in the third frame, but the home team would not be able to accrue any more scoring opportunities. Masen Kerr’s pass to an open Ty O’Bey for the goal with 21 seconds left on the clock ensured the Americans second victory in three games.
Great Falls outshot Bozeman 14-10 in the third period to finish with 33 shots. The Ice Dogs took ten shots in the first and third stanzas to end their home opener with 31.
Both teams went 1-for-5 on the power play with five minor infractions.
Americans starting goaltender, Kaden Rhyder (2-1-0-0) has played in all three contests with two victories. He stopped 29 shot attempts by Bozeman’s offense. Entering his first season with the Ice Dogs, Brett DeVincent (0-1-0-0) was denied a victory in his first start. The goalie from San Jose, California, allowed five goals to finish with 28 saves.
FRONTIER DIVISION UPDATE: #1 Helena Bighorns (3-0-0-0) continued to do what they do best on the ice and that is win. The Bighorns opened the game with seven goals during the first two periods and went on to dominate the #3 Butte Irish (2-1-0-0), 10-2 inside the Butte Community Ice Center in Butte, Montana on Friday. Trey Pareja scored all three of his goals after the first intermission to pace Helena. Kolin Krizan accounted for two goals and two assists for the winning side. Toby Kerr and Brennan Morgan had the lamplighters for the Irish. Malik Johnson (2-0-0-0) prevented all ten shots sent his way by Butte’s offense from getting by him during the first period. Backup Jeremy Carpenter redirected 21 shots. Logan Hunter’s first game with Butte ends with a setback. He was busy stopping 77 shots.
The #4 Sheridan (WY) Hawks (2-1-0-0) earned a 3-0 shutout win over the #6 Gillette (WY) Wild (0-2-1) on the road on Friday night. After a scoreless first period, Keifer Dunham, Elijah Farris and Vincent Leaf (4 goals on the season) scored the goals for the Hawks. John Simon is now 2-0 on the season as the netminder for Sheridan. He remained perfect in the net (41 saves). Tate Cothern (Gillette) acquired 45 saves in his debut with the Wild.
The #5 Badlands (SD) Sabres started their first game of the season by passing all the tests that the #8 Yellowstone (WY) Quake gave them. The Sabres racked up five second period goals to blank the Quake, 10-0 inside the Roosevelt Park Ice Arena in Rapid City, South Dakota. Badlands scored ten goals on 79 shot attempts while allowing 15 shots through three periods for Yellowstone. A trio of players for Badlands combined for six goals including Zach Vockler, Carter Kilen, and Matthew Cordis. A 15-save performance gave Hunter Oger (1-0-0-0) his first victory as the returning goaltender for the Sabres. Nicolas Ulyanov and Matthew Neeser combined for 69 saves with Neeser falling to 0-2-0-0.
