By 406 MT Sports Staff
February 19, 2022
The Helena Bighorns are close to wrapping up the regular season but their pursuit of a Frontier Division title in the NA3HL leaves no room for error as the Gillette Wild are close on their heels.
Helena started Saturday tied for first in the division with 78 points but thanks to a 7-2 victory over the Great Falls Americans, Helena’s seventh win in a row, the Bighorns remained in first following their 39th win of the season.
TJ Norris netted three goals for the Bighorns in the win, giving the home team a hat trick for the second straight night.
Norris scored his first goal in the second, on the heels of a first-period goal by Gavyn Galloway that gave Helena a 1-0 advantage.
Thomas Gazich tied the game for Great Falls in the second period before Norris found the back of the net to put Helena back in front.
Samuel Feamster also scored the first of his two goals, then added his 37th on the season in the third to help wrap up the win. Eric Buchholz picked up his 23rd win in goal on the season thanks to 21 stops.
It was the second straight win over the Americans for Helena.
On Friday night, Great Falls, which is the only team besides Gillette to defeat the Bighorns within the Frontier, jumped out to a 2-1 lead in the first period. Yet, the Bighorns would move back in front and grabbed a 3-2 advantage on the second goal of the night from Harlan Wojtusik.
Wojtusik then scored one of three goals in the third for Helena as the Bighorns pulled away for the 6-3 triumph. Erik Gibboney, Feamster and Ian Vannelli each scored once for the Bighorns. Wojtusik wound up with a hat trick.
The Bighorns also won a pair of games last weekend, defeating Butte 5-2 on the road, as well as Bozeman 6-2 in front of more than 1,000 fans last Saturday at the Helena Ice Arena.
The regular season will end this week for Helena as the Bighorns will play at Bozeman on Friday and Saturday before hosting Great Falls again next Sunday at 4:00 p.m.
Story Courtesy: 406 MT Sports: 406MTSports.com: Helena Bighorns extend winning streak to seven, stay in first in Frontier (February 19, 2022)