NOTE: A Special Thanks to Pam Stanczak for providing the photo below and Great Falls Americans Hockey Facebook for gallery.
By Kevin Scott
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Score Sheet | League Scoreboard | Americans Team Statistics |
HAVRE, Mont., January 29, 2025 — Four wins in five contests. That is the #3 Great Falls Americans (22-12-3-0) head-to-head record entering Wednesday’s meeting with the #5 Bozeman Ice Dogs (19-14-1-1).
Great Falls won two matchups in September and two in November before falling to the Ice Dogs, 4-3 in their December 6th road matchup in Bozeman, Montana (game story). Ty O’Bey registered two goals and John Lang added two assists in the setback. Andrew Kaunas and Lex Steckelberg scored one goal and one assist each in the win.
Wednesday’s game was played in Havre, Montana (100 miles from Great Falls) at the Havre Ice Dome as the Americans were scheduled for a January 25th home game with Bozeman but a youth hockey tournament was scheduled for that weekend at the Great Falls Ice Plex and plans had to change in order to accommodate that tournament.
Havre is no stranger to Junior A hockey in the North American 3 Hockey League (NA3HL) as they had a franchise from 2014-17 called the Glacier Nationals, who moved prior to the 2014 season from Whitefish, Montana.
Great Falls Head Coach Greg Sears is led by Ty O’Bey (27 goals, 52 points), Garren Narvaez with 31 assists and goaltender Kaden Rhyder, who is having a stellar season between the pipes with an 18-8-1 record and is 17th in the NA3HL with a Goals-Against Average (GAA) of 2.549. He also has 853 saves, a 0.927 save percentage and is 4-1 when playing against the Ice Dogs.
Forward Devin Bruns, a Chicago, Illinois product leads coach Mike Perkins’ squad with 20 goals, 25 assists (45 points). Brett DeVincent is 11-8-0-0 in the net including two losses to Great Falls. The San Jose, California native has 714 saves and a 0.921 save percentage.
Could Great Falls go 5-1 against Bozeman on neutral ice or would the Ice Dogs get their second win over Great Falls?
The #5 Bozeman Ice Dogs never trailed in their neutral site game in Havre, Montana against the #3 Great Falls Americans and found themselves taking home a 5-2 decision at the Havre Ice Dome during a rare Wednesday NA3HL contest.
Thanks to a goal by Tyler Klingbeil, the Ice Dogs led 1-0 after the first period. Bozeman natives Spencer and Reid Wilkinson each assisted on the power play score for the visitors. Both teams acquired a dozen shots-on-goal.
In the middle period, Great Falls’ Aiden Kennedy put in the equalizer five minutes into the stanza. Chase Hapka and Fisher Hannesson offered the assistance. Bozeman’s Dan Upton answered with 7:46 remaining to give the Ice Dogs the lead back (2-1). He sent the puck off the crossbar and in for his fourth goal of the season with Tyler Klingbeil getting his first assist of the night. Before the period concluded, Bozeman held a two-goal lead as Matthew Stamp found the back of the net with assistance from TJ Kelsey and Reid Wilkinson. The Ice Dogs took twice as many shots (18-9) as their opponents.
Bozeman and Great Falls traded goals in the final frame. Patrick Forsythe replaced starting goaltender Kaden Rhyder in the final period for the Americans. Spencer Wilkinson, after getting an assist in the first period, recorded his twelfth goal of the season during the opening two minutes. Baron Masopust was credited with the assist. The Americans pulled to within two goals (trailing 4-2) as Garren Narvaez accumulated his 13th goal off the stick of Aiden Kennedy and Sebe Perez with 7:25 left on the clock. While Forsythe was out so the Americans could add another scorer, the Ice Dogs buried a goal in the empty net with under two minutes remaining. Spencer Wilkinson collected his second assist as teammate Preston Wight answered with his second scoring drive of the year.
Bozeman tallied 18 shots in the second and third periods to finish with 48 shots while Great Falls accrued 21 of their 31 shots before the third period.
Both clubs scored on one of their power play opportunities. The Wednesday night contest saw a combined total of 13 minor infractions being called by the NA3HL on-ice officials.
Jack Ryan (Bozeman) picked up his fifth victory (5-5-0-0) to improve to 2-1 against the Americans this season. Ryan, who calls Denver, Colorado home, swatted away 29 shots in the road win. Kaden Rhyder fell to 18-8-1 on the season. He made 27 saves and allowed three goals for Great Falls during the first two periods. Patrick Forsythe made 16 saves in the third period.
FRONTIER DIVISION UPDATE: This was the only game in the North American 3 Hockey League (NA3HL) tonight.
NOTES: Sebe Perez, a forward from Tucson, Arizona, played in his 150th career junior hockey game on Wednesday night against the Bozeman Ice Dogs.
John Lang, a 6’0” forward from Fargo, North Dakota was awarded the NA3HL (3rd) Star of the Week in the Frontier Division for the week ending January 26, 2025, for his effort in the Americans 6-3 win over the Butte Irish in Butte, Montana on Friday night. He tallied two goals and one assist in the victory. Overall, this season, he has amassed 14 goals and 22 assists in 28 contests as a member of the Americans. Click here for the story.
The Great Falls Americans would like to thank the community of Havre, Montana for hosting our game with the Bozeman Ice Dogs on Wednesday night. The game would not be possible without our Havre sponsors including Valley Furniture, Independence Bank, Creative Coffee, High Plains Wealth Management, Morse Construction, Havre Ford, Patrick Construction, Shanty Bar, Tilleman Motor Company, Red’s Auto Electric and the Havre Ice Hawks and their home venue, the Havre Ice Dome.
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Read about all the Americans hockey action in print through the Great Falls Gazette, a newspaper that is published on Sunday, Tuesday, and Friday each week with game recaps written by Kevin Scott, the Great Falls Americans Public Relations/Media Coordinator. Click here for more information on how to subscribe.
Season Two of the “Americans Podcast with Jim Quick” premiered on September 5, 2024, with his first guest of the season, Cole Molaski, a forward from Suamico, Wisconsin, who is in his first season with Great Falls. Other players featured this season include Ty O’Bey, Easton and Aiden Kennedy, Sebe Perez, Mercer Twomey, Zac Orwig, Cal Laggis and Blayne Jusczak. Click here to learn more about Blayne Jusczak on the official podcast of the Great Falls Americans. Each podcast will feature one American player as we get to know the team this season. Jim completed 13 episodes during his first season. Fans can listen to the full podcasts from Seasons One and Two by clicking here.
560AM KMON Weekly Radio Interview with Coach Greg Sears: Join KMON Radio Sports Director “Baker Bob” McNamee every Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday mornings during the 2024-25 season with Great Falls Americans Head Coach and General Manager, Greg Sears as he talks about the Americans. The Weekly Radio interview on 560AM KMON in Great Falls can be heard locally every Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday mornings during the Hourly Sports Report (6:15AM (MST), 7:15AM (MST), and 8:15AM (MST) live. Click here to listen to the current and previous radio interviews.
AMERICANS PHOTOGRAPHER: Look for game photos from all of the home games from Michael Noel, the Americans Official Photographer by clicking here.
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).
NA3HL MOBILE APP: If you haven’t already, download the NA3HL App available at the App Store and Google Play. Fans can set your favorite team to the Great Falls Americans today and stay up to date with the NA3HL. Click here to download from the App Store (Apple) or click here to download from the Google Play Store (Android).
2024-25 PHOTOS: Check out all the Americans photos throughout the season including some taken by Americans photographer, Michael Noel and Gentle Thug Media’s Tim Ljunggren. Click here to view all the photos from the 2024-25 season.
AMERICANS TEAM STORE: Click here to view the Americans online team store that features a variety of different souvenirs to purchase. A store is available at all home games. AMERICANS GAME TICKETS ONLINE: Fans can also buy game day tickets on the website prior to the game by clicking here.
Please check out the Americans website at www.greatfallsamericans.com for all your updated news, game summaries, rosters, photo galleries, etc.
AMERICANS TEAM STORE: Click here to view the Americans online team store that features a variety of different souvenirs to purchase. A store is available at all home games. AMERICANS GAME TICKETS ONLINE: Fans can also buy game day tickets on the website prior to the game by clicking here.
Please check out the Americans website at www.greatfallsamericans.com for all your updated news, game summaries, rosters, photo galleries, etc.
NEXT CONTEST: The Americans will play two games during the first weekend of February. Great Falls will host the top-ranked Helena Bighorns, who are 30-3-1-1 on the season, on Saturday night at 7:05PM (MST) after the University of Providence men’s hockey game against Williston (ND) State that begins at 3:35PM (MST). The Bozeman Ice Dogs will play host to the Americans on Sunday (February 2nd) at 5:45PM live from Haynes Pavilion. Both games can be viewed on the NA3HL official streaming service, NAHLTV.
P. Gibson’s Sports Grill and Casino (1600 Fox Farm Road) 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.
NAHLTV 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.
Click here for the 2024-25 Great Falls Americans schedule and results.