By Kevin Scott
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BLAINE, Minn., December 14, 2025 — After 27 games during the 2025-26 NA3HL junior hockey season, the Great Falls Americans 17-8-1-1, 36 pts.) are sitting in second place behind the Sheridan (WY) Hawks (21-6-1-1, 44 pts.) in NA3HL’s Frontier Division. Great Falls has accumulated 17 wins, 8 regulation losses, and 1 overtime and one shootout loss through the first four months of the season.
On Sunday, all 38 teams across the six divisions that comprise the North American 3 Hockey League (NA3HL) met for their annual NA3HL Showcase Tournament in Blaine, Minnesota that takes place every December before the holiday break. The three-day tournament (December 14-16) gives the teams a chance to play other squads in the other divisions and also give the opportunity for the players to showcase their skills in front of hundreds of junior and college scouts (ACHA, NCAA, JUCO) that are in attendance inside the NSC Super Rink.
Each team will play three games with the matchups based (evenly) on their current division standings that DO count in the official NA3HL league standings. Great Falls will be the designated home team in two of their three meetings with Sunday’s game versus the Austin (TX) Ice Bats and Tuesday’s finale with the Mason City (IA) Toros (11:30AM MST). The Americans will be the visiting team with the Alexandria (MN) Blizzard on Monday evening (5:30PM MST). Click here to see the press release about the Americans opponents.
The Americans opened the tournament on Sunday with the Ice Bats from Austin, Texas. Austin has 23 victories in 35 games (23-11-0-1) as they currently lead the South Division under head coach Joshua Malin. The Ice Bats started the opening month of September with a 6-2-0-1 record. Coach Malin’s squad is led by Jake Bamback with 33 goals and Guhnar Hillman is the team assist leader with 38. Tyler White is 9-6-0-1 in 18 appearances with 522 saves and 0.902 save percentage.
Ethan Miller (18 goals) and Cooper Clouse (32 assists) are the team leaders for eighth year head coach Greg Sears’ squad. Cole Murphy (8-3-1-0, 431 saves, 0.926 save percentage) and Kaden Rhyder (7-3-0-1, 379 saves, 0.948 save percentage) are the top goaltenders for Great Falls.
Great Falls and Austin have never met in the NA3HL Showcase prior to Sunday’s contest.
Great Falls Americans forward Tallon Caron raced down the ice to score off a pass from Cooper Clouse for the game-winning tally as time expired to lift the Great Falls Americans to a 4-3 victory over the Austin (TX) Ice Bats during the final contest of the first day of compeition at the 2025 NA3HL Showcase in Blaine, Minnesota on Sunday evening. Cooper Clouse was awarded the assist and Kaden Rhyder picked up his seventh win in the net for Great Falls.
Watch the game-winning tally below. (Courtesy of the North American 3 Hockey League (NA3HL)
Austin’s Dylan Jimenez scored off a pass from Garrett Morris five minutes into the opening period for the early 1-0 lead. Great Falls evened the score as Riley Hattan scored his second goal of the season with an assist going to Reid Lezubski midway through the period. The Ice Bats would regain the lead with five minutes remaining before the first intermission when Arys Perardi tacked on his 20th goal with teammate Ethan Salter collecting his 30th assist.
The Americans came back from the locker room for the second period ready to go. Ethan Miller lit up the lamp for the 18th time this season during the first 42 seconds to even the game, 2-2. Gordon Jennings accumulated his 13th assist in his first year with the Montana NA3HL franchise. Austin and Great Falls combined for 20 total shots-on-goal as both squads could not find a way to get the puck in the net after Miller scored.
In the final period of regulation, each team put the biscuit in the basket. Owen Rattray was able to get the puck by Americans netminder Kaden Rhyder within the first three minutes of the stanza as the Americans were in the sin bin. Guhnar Hillman, the Ice Bats top assist maker, added his 38th assist. Jase Troyer, one of six players from Montana, successfully scored off a pass from Jaxen Savage with 6:35 remaining to tie the game at 3-3. The first meeting between these two opponents looked like it would need an overtime to decide a winner but Tallon Caron had other ideas. Cooper Clouse got the puck to Caron with seconds remaining and was able to get the puck in the net over Austin netminder Collin Rosenau as time expired for the win.
Great Falls attempted half (14) of the 28 shots-on-goal during the middle period. Austin took 21 of their 25 shots before the third period.
The Ice Bats went 1-for-3 on the power play with Owen Rattray’s third period goal being successful while the Americans were in the penalty box. The Americans failed to score on their three chances.
Kaden Rhyder, playing in his first game since a 7-3 home win against the Yellowstone Quake on November 21, improved his record to 7-3-0-1 by stopping 22 of the 25 shots sent his way. Austin’s Collin Rosenau fell for the third time in nine appearances (6-3-0-0), made 24 saves in his first game of the tournament.
The Frontier Division went 3-4-0-1 during the first day of competition. In addtion to Great Falls’ win, the Yellowstone Quake blanked theh Atlanta Capitals, 6-0, and Bozeman routed the Norwich (CT) Sea Captains, 9-2. The Minnesota Wilderness and Louisiana Drillers won by identical scores (6-4) over the Gillette Wild and Sheridan Hawks, respectively, while the Peoria (IL) Mustangs defeated the Butte Irish, 5-2 and the Minnesota Moose edged the Helena Bighorns, 3-2. Great Falls’ opponent on Monday night, the Alexandria (MN) Blizzard needed a shootout to outlast the Badlands Sabres, 2-1.
Americans forward Tallon Caron was interviewed by the NA3HL after Sunday’s game-winning goal that he scored. View the video below. (Couresy of the North American 3 Hockey League (NA3HL)
NOTES: The Americans are having their “12 Days of Christmas” event where the team will draw one winner
each day from December 13-24 through the DASH activation. Fans can also purchase a special edition Baldy Christmas Ornament through DASH. Check back on our social media pages to see if you are a winner!
For more information about upcoming events, please view the FREE “Baldy’s Puck Drop” weekly Newsletter (register below). You can also view the newsletters online by clicking here as well.
AMERICANS E-NEWSLETTERS: The Americans have two email newsletters for fans to receive in their inbox this season. Kevin Scott, the Americans Media Coordinator, has an Americans E-Newsletter that you can get on Sunday’s during the regular season filled with game summaries, press releases, links, schedule, etc. Click here to subscribe (if you haven’t already).
Americans Owner Matt Leaf creates and sends out a weekly email called “Baldy’s Puck Drop” that features team news, player profile, sponsor information and lots of other tidbits relating to Americans hockey that is published on Thursday mornings. Click here to receive the weekly newsletter (if you haven’t already).
NEXT CONTEST: Great Falls will challenge the Minnesota-based Alexandria Blizzard from the West Division during Day 2 of the three-day of the NA3HL Showcase Tournament in Blaine, Minnesota on Monday evening at 5:30PM (MST) live from the National Sports Center (NSC) Super Rink. The Blizzard are currently in third place in the West Division with a 13-10-2-1 record behind the Minnesota Moose and the Granite City (MN) Lumberjacks. NATV will provide the streaming coverage.
The Americans close out the tournament on Tuesday morning versus the Mason City (Iowa) Toros starting at 11:15AM (MST).
Old Chicago Pizza & Taproom (1101 7th Street South) is the place to be after Friday and Saturday night home games where the Americans invite their fans and supporters to their post-game dinner.
Buffalo Wild Wings, located at 17 Northwest Bypass in Great Falls, hosts the “Americans Watch Party” this season when the Americans are on the road. Fans are invited to get food and drinks and watch the game.
NATV is the NA3HL’s new streaming platform and is the place to catch all the action for fans that are unable to attend the home and away games this season. Click here to learn more about how to view any of the Americans home and away contests.
For complete schedules/results, promotions, team stats, rosters and much more information, please go to our official website: www.greatfallsamericans.com