By Kevin Scott
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BOZEMAN, Mont., January 29, 2016 — The Great Falls Americans (26-9-2) and the Bozeman Ice Dogs (20-7-7) have faced each other four times including a 4-3 shootout victory in October. Each team has won twice and each has scored 11 goals during those meetings.
Which team would get their third win in five tries?
The Great Falls Americans let their two goal lead slip away in the third period as the Bozeman Ice Dogs forced an overtime. Tyler Garcia responded with a goal in overtime to help the division-leading Americans hold on for a 3-2 victory at Haynes Pavilion in Bozeman, Montana on Friday night.
The goaltenders in this game, Lauren Massie from Great Falls and Bozeman’s Stephan Frank accounted for 16 saves with the Bozeman net-minder receiving 13 during the first period. Neither team was able to find the back of the net despite three combined unsuccessful power play tries.
It was almost a scoreless contest after two periods before Great Falls forward Wade Wylie scored the game’s first goal with 19 seconds left in the middle period. Wade, a returner from last year’s squad, secured his fifth goal of the season with assistance from teammate Arseny Ivanov.
Four minutes into the final period of regulation, Jesse Johnson and Tanner Congdon got the puck to Americans standout Ricards Bernhards to lift them to a 2-0 lead. Kegan Couture of Bozeman trimmed the lead to 2-1 a few minutes later as the Ice Dogs forward score went unassisted. The host team wasn’t done yet and with under 12 minutes on the clock tied the game (2-2) with Elliott Hopkins’ shot-handed goal. Steven Nisbet and Nicholas Thompson added the assists on the second score of the night for Bozeman. Both teams kept the opposing offenses from scoring the rest of the way and an overtime was needed.
In the extra period, Adam Apangalook and Arseny Ivanov set up Tyler Garcia’s game-winning goal with 1:37 left in overtime.
Great Falls took over ten shots in each of the first three periods and ended the contest with a 40-17 advantage in the shots-on-goal category.
Each team received three minor penalties resulting in six minutes of penalty time.
Lauren Massie, the Americans goaltender, swatted away 15 of the 17 shots that came his way. Stephen Frank, the net-minder for Bozeman, recorded 37 saves despite the loss in overtime.
NEXT CONTEST: On Saturday, January 30th, Great Falls will host the Bozeman Ice Dogs beginning at 7:30PM at the Great Falls Ice Plex.