By Tribune Sports Staff
February 3, 2019
BUTTE – Payton McSharry’s two goals were the bookends of the Great Falls Americans’ four-goal opening frame at they hammered the Butte Cobras 5-1 Saturday night in a NA3HL Frontier Division tilt at the Community Ice Arena.
Playoff-bound Great Falls has 65 points (32-7-0-1) and still has a three-point cushion over second place Helena (30-6-2-0). Bozeman (23-11-4-0) is third with 50 points, while Missoula (22-17-0-0) has 44 and is fourth. Gillette (19-15-2-1, 41 pts.), Butte (4-32-2-0, 10 pts.) and Yellowstone (3-32-2-0, 8 pts.) round out the seven-team division.
McSharry started the scoring with just less than six minutes gone in the opening stanza with Jens Juliussen and Cody Dearing assisting. Ben Rinckney and Jack Olson had the middle two tallies before McSharry gave the Americans a 4-0 advantage, with Dearing and Hendrik Robel helping on the power-play goal.
McSharry would return the favor and assist (with Robel) on Dearing’s goal in the second period.
Viktor Wennberg got the win after turning back seven of Butte’s eight tries during the first two periods. Cam McIntosh, who was returned to the Americans from Bozeman after one game last weekend, saw two shots in the third period and redirected both.
Butte netminder Karl Kodda was much busier than his Great Falls counterparts, facing 79 shots on goal. He saved 74 of them.
The Americans are on the road next Friday night to face the Bozeman Ice Dogs at the Haynes Pavillion in Bozeman at 7:30, then return home to start a three-game homestand next Sunday at 4 against Butte.
Story Courtesy: Great Falls Tribune: Americans outshoot, outscore Butte; still three points ahead of Helena (February 3, 2019)