By Tribune Sports Staff
July 31, 2016
When the Great Falls Americans drop the puck to defend their NA3HL Frontier Division Championship at the IcePlex September 16, you’ll be able to get used to it … for a while, anyway.
That’s because 13 of the 22 dates in the first half of the season are scheduled on home ice. Overall, they’ll play the majority of their 46 game slate (25 games) on the road, including three interdivision tilts at the NA3HL Showcase in Blaine, Minn. in December.
The Americans start with a brief one-game homestand Sept. 16 against the Glacier Nationals, before heading to Havre the next night to complete the home-and-home set. But then Great Falls will be home for four straight over the next two weekends, with one each against Bozeman and Billings, and wrapping up with a two-game stretch with division runners-up Yellowstone.
Two matches in Missoula, spliced by a trip to face the Ice Dogs in Bozeman, will happen before the Americans’ next home contest against the Jr. Bruins Oct. 15. Then it’s off the Gillette, Wyo., to face the Wild the next weekend before coming home for six straight – one against the Helena Bighorns Oct. 28; a two-game set with Gillette Nov. 4-5, and single matches against Glacier (Nov. 18), Missoula (19th) and Billings (25th). They’ll have three home dates in December – versus Glacier on the 1st, Helena on the 10th and against Missoula New Year’s Eve – four in January and three in February.
And as they did last season, the Americans will close the Frontier Division regular season in Cody against the Yellowstone Quake. Yellowstone won the regular season title over Great Falls with a split of the two-game series at Riley Arena, but the Americans reversed things in the Division Tournament to take the championship.
All Americans home games will begin at 7:30 p.m.
AMERICANS SCHEDULE
Fri. Sept. 16………………………………….Glacier
Sat. Sept. 17 ………………………at Glacier (Havre)
Fri. Sept. 23 ……………………………Bozeman
Sat. Sept. 24 ……………………………..Billings
Fri. Sept. 30 ……………………..Yellowstone
Sat. Oct. 1 …………………………Yellowstone
Fri. Oct. 7 …………………………………..at Missoula
Sat. Oct. 8 …………………………………at Bozeman
Fri. Oct. 14 …………………………………at Missoula
Sat. Oct. 15 ……………………………..Missoula
Fri. Oct. 21 ……………………at Gillette (7:05 p.m.)
Sat. Oct. 22 ………………….at Gillette (7:05 p.m.)
Fri. Oct. 28 ………………………………….Helena
Fri. Nov. 4…………………………………..Gillette
Sat. Nov. 5 …………………………………Gillette
Fri. Nov. 18………………………………….Glacier
Sat. Nov. 19 …………………………….Missoula
Fri. Nov. 25 ………………………………..Billings
Sat. Nov. 26 ………………….at Helena (7:05 p.m.)
Thurs, Dec. 1………………………………….Glacier
Fri. Dec. 2 ………………at Glacier (Havre) (8 p.m.)
Fri. Dec. 9 ……………………..at Helena (7:05 p.m.)
Sat. Dec. 10 …………………………………Helena
Dec. 16-18 ……..NA3HL Showcase at Blaine, MN
Fri. Dec. 30 …………….at Glacier (Havre) (8 p.m.)
Sat. Dec. 31 …………………………….Missoula
Thu. Jan. 5 …………………………………at Missoula
Fri. Jan. 6…………………………………Missoula
Sat. Jan. 7 …………………………………..Glacier
Fri. Jan. 13 ……………………at Yellowstone (Cody)
Sat. Jan. 14 ………………….at Yellowstone (Cody)
Fri. Jan. 20 …………………………………Gillette
Sat. Jan. 21 ………………………………..Gillette
Fri. Jan 27…………………………………….at Billings
Sat. Jan. 28 ……………………………….at Bozeman
Fri. Feb. 3 ……………………..at Helena (7:05 p.m.)
Sat. Feb. 4 …………………………………..Helena
Fri. Feb. 10………………………………….at Missoula
Sat. Feb. 11……………………at Helena (7:05 p.m.)
Fri. Feb. 17…………………………at Glacier (8 p.m.)
Sat. Feb. 18 …………………………………Helena
Fri. Feb. 24 ……………………………………at Billings
Sat. Feb. 25 …………………………………..Bozeman
Feb. 26-28 Top Prospects Tourney at Plymouth, MI
Fri. Mar 3 …………………….at Yellowstone (Cody)
Sat. Mar 4 …………………..at Yellowstone (Cody)
Except where noted, all league games begin at 7:30 p.m. Home games are in bold type.
Story Courtesy: Great Falls Tribune (July 31, 2016)