By Kevin Scott
| Box Score | Game Sheet | League Scoreboard | Americans Team Statistics |
HELENA, Mont., November 10, 2017 — During their second and third games of the season, the Great Falls Americans (11-3-2-0) and the Helena Bighorns met in Great Falls with the home squad coming away with two victories. The Americans out-scored them 8-4 including a 2-0 shutout.
Great Falls is 4-1-1-0 on the road this season with games in two games apiece in Gillette (Wild) and Yellowstone (Cody) Wyoming and a single game in Bozeman and tonight in Helena, Montana.
Anchorage, Alaska native Cody Dearing broke the 2-2 tie in the third period to send the Great Falls Americans to their eleventh win in 16 games with an 3-2 win over the Helena Bighorns at the Helena Ice Arena on Friday evening. A thin crowd of 345 fans saw the Americans break their two-game losing streak during a penalty-free NA3HL contest.
Defenseman Kody Thomas produced the first goal of the season off a pass from Brandon Peterson late in the first period to give Great Falls the early lead. Both teams combined for 23 shots-on-goal despite only one going between the pipes.
Americans standout Payton McSharry added his tenth goal for Great Falls off the sticks of Jens Juliussen and Nate Simpson to up the lead for the visitors 2-0. A few minutes later in the second period, Luc Cross cut into the Americans lead (2-1) with a score over Americans goalie Bryan Sharp.
Gavin Cline tied the game for the Bighorns eight minutes into the final period as Hunter Pierce and Kaden Lindberg assisted on Helena’s second scoring drive of the night. Great Falls forward Cody Dearing scored the game-winning goal for the Americans midway through the last period. Adam Vandenbos accumulated his 12th assist. Great Falls prevented Helena from re-tying the contest as both teams did not spend any time in the penalty box.
Bryan Sharp did just enough in the net to help Great Falls get back to their winning ways. He allowed two goals but produced 23 saves. Helena goalie Nick Battaglia recorded 38 saves.
NEXT CONTEST: Great Falls and Helena switch game sites with Helena traveling to Great Falls for their fourth matchup of the season. Action gets underway at 7:30PM from the Great Falls Ice Plex.
Additional Media Coverage: November 10, 2017: Great Falls Tribune: Americans visit Bighorns