NOTE: A Special Thanks to Michael Noel (above, https://mnoelphotography.smugmug.com) for providing the photos.
By Kevin Scott
| Box Score |
Score Sheet | League Scoreboard | Americans Team Statistics |
GREAT FALLS, Mont., February 28, 2026 — The Gillette (WY) Wild (20-22-2-0) have been the only team that the Great Falls Americans (27-14-1-1) have lost to in overtime this season.
Since the 4-3 setback in the extra period on October 18th in Gillette, Wyoming, the Americans have reeled off three straight wins against their Wyoming opponent including an 11-0 victory on February 13th at the Great Falls Ice Plex. Great Falls has outscored the Wild, 22-8 over their first four head-to-head meetings for a 3-0-1-0 record.
Great Falls’ Cooper Clouse has produced 20 goals and a team-leading 62 assists for 82 points for the Fargo, North Dakota forward. The duo of Ethan Miller and AJ Prioli have combined to score 54 goals and 62 assists.
Dylan Crossley, a native of East Wenatchee, Washington, scored 17 of his 18 goals as a member of the Louisiana Drillers this season before a trade sent him to the Gillette (WY) Wild. He has played in just six games with the Wild after appearing in 22 with the Drillers. Beau Delich continues to lead his club with 28 assists for head coach Wilson Anderle’s squad.
Great Falls has already clinched a spot in the 2026 NA3HL Fraser Cup Playoffs in two weeks as the #3 team in the Frontier Division. The Sheridan (WY) Hawks and the Helena Bighorns are vying for the top two places in the four-team Frontier Division playoffs. It was announced earlier on Saturday’s contest, the schedule for the Frontier Division Semi-Finals for the #3 Great Falls Americans and the #2 Helena Bighorns. Tickets for Game 2 are on sale on our website or can be purchased at the door.
| 2026 NA3HL Fraser Cup Playoffs: Frontier Division Semi-Finals Schedule |
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| #3 Great Falls Americans vs. #2 Helena Bighorns (Best-of-3 Format) |
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| Day/Date | Game | Time | Location |
| Fri. March 13 | Game 1: Great Falls @ Helena | 7:05PM | Steed Arena, Helena, MT |
| Sat. March 14 | Game 2: Helena @ Great Falls | 7:05PM | Great Falls Ice Plex, Great Falls, MT |
| Sun. March 15 | *Game 3: Great Falls @ Helena | 7:05PM | Steed Arena, Helena, MT |
| *Game 3: If Necessary | |||
Cooper Clouse, Ethan Miller and AJ Prioli combined to score three goals and dished out six assists as the Great Falls Americans skated past the Gillette (WY) Wild, 5-2 at the Great Falls Ice Plex on Saturday night in Great Falls. Kaden Rhyder stopped 20 shots for his 16th win in the net.
Great Falls needed four minutes to pick up their first goal. Cooper Clouse scored his 20th goal as the puck soared by GIllette goaltender Andrew Knox. Carson Sears and Fisher Hannesson helped the Americans take the early lead (1-0). Both teams could not convert their lone power play opportunity. Great Falls did have one goal called back.
During a three-minute span in the second period, Great Falls scored twice as AJ Prioli and Ethan Miller each found the back of the net. AJ Prioli recorded his 19th goal with 8:38 left on the clock with Ethan Miller and Cooper Clouse gathering the assists. Three minutes later, Ethan Miller accumulated his 35th goal with Clouse and Prioli earning credit for setting up the third scoring drive for the home team. The Wild stopped the shutout when Beau Delich found Brady McGinn for his sixth lamplighter of the season to cut Gillette’s deficit to 3-1 with four minutes remaining. After two periods of play, Great Falls attempted twice as many shots over their Wyoming counterparts (39-16).
Keegan Hanson scored his second overall goal of the season on an unassisted play five minutes into the third frame. Hanson, a Fargo, North Dakota product, tallied his first goal back on November 11th in a 5-0 shutout win over the Yellowstone Quake in Great Falls. The three-goal advantage (4-1) lasted six minutes before Gillette forward Donovan Balek put the puck in the net over Great Falls goalie Kaden Rhyder. Greyson Ecker offered the assistance. The home team extended their lead back to 5-2 on a power play goal by Tallon Caron with 5:23 left in regulation. Ethan Miller earned his second assist of the game while Cooper Clouse accrued his third assist.
The Americans finished with 57 shots-on-goal with 18 coming after the second intermission. The visiting Wyoming team had 11 shots in the first period but combined for just 11 in the final two periods.
Cooper Clouse (one goal, three assists), Ethan Miller (one goal, two assists) and AJ Prioli added one scoring drive and one assist to lead the Americans to their 27th victory in 43 contests. Brady McGinn and Donovan Balek each scored for the Wild while Beau Delich and Greyson Ecker added one assist apiece in the loss.
Great Falls had just one penalty in the third period called on them. They finished the power play by going 1-for-5. Gillette failed on their one power play chance.
Kaden Rhyder (16-6-0-1), who earlier this week made his college commitment to the University of Jamestown in North Dakota, rejected 20 of the 22 shots sent his way by Gillette’s offense. He is now 3-0-0-0 when facing the Wild this season. Andrew Knox (9-9-0-0) fell for the second time against Great Falls. He was kept busy in the net by gathering 52 saves.
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NOTES: Great Falls Americans goaltender, Kaden Rhyder, who will conclude his NA3HL career with Great Falls after the playoffs, has recently committed to joining the University of Jamestown (ND) men’s hockey program (ACHA, Division 1).
The Elizabethtown, Pennsylvania goalie has 54 wins and has accumulated over 3,000 saves with Great Falls. He is also a two-time NA3HL Top Prospect. Congratulations goes out to Kaden!!
Dmitri Kuleshov (right), who played with the Americans during the 2023-24 season, will take part in the 2026 IIHF Division 11A World Championships in April 2026 with the Australian National Senior team. While with the Americans, he made 30 goals and dieshed out 23 assists in 41 games.
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 and Gillette will square off on the ice for the final time during the 2025-26 NA3HL season on Sunday, March 1st at 1;05PM (MST) live on NATV at the Great Falls Ice Plex.
Great Falls will make up their February 21st road contest against the Bozeman Ice Dogs on Tuesday, March 3rd starting at 12:00PM (MST) live from Haynes Pavilion. Due to mechanical issues on the team bus, they were unable to make it to Bozeman on February 21st. The Americans will finish off the season with two games against the Butte Irish starting with Friday’s (March 6) contest at the Butte Community Ice Center starting at 7:30PM (MST) and capped off in the regular season finale with Butte traveling to Great Falls for a 7:05PM (MST) showdown with the Americans on Saturday, March 7th.
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