By Tribune Sports Staff
December 3, 2018
GREAT FALLS, Mont. – Cody Dearing and Justin Ohnstad scored two goals each as the Great Falls Anericans took a 3-2 lead after one period and made it stand up, beating the Missoula Junior Bruins 7-3 in a NA3HL Frontier Division matchup Saturday night at the Glacier Ice Rink in Missoula.
With the win, the Americans got a bit of revenge over the Helena Bighorns, who defeated Great Falls 5-4 in a shootout in front of over 1,000 fans Friday night at the Ice-Plex. Bozeman scored a 5-2 win over the Bighorns Saturday at Bozeman’s Haynes Pavillion, helping the Americans (18-4-0-1, 37 pts.) move back to within three points of the Bighorns (20-2-0-0, 40 pts.). The Ice Dogs have 29 points with a 13-7-3-0 mark, and the Bruins are fifth at 1110-0-0 and 22 points.
Dearing, who now has five goals on the campaign, notched both scores in the first period. His tally at the 17:29 mark gave the Americans the lead for good. Trent Cowden’s third goal of the year also came in the first.
Jens Juliussen’s 13th tally and Brandon Peterson’s first of the season gave the locals a little wiggle room, and Ohnstad’s two unanswered goals in the third, his fourth and fifth, sealed it.
Viktor Wennberg went the distance in net, saving 23 of the 26 shots that came his way.
On Friday, Lindros Beard’s goal with 1:20 left in regulation sent the match with Helena into the extra five-minute session where both teams remained scoreless. Both teams failed in their first five attempts in the shootout period before Mikhail Gavrilenko found the back of the net in Round Six. Juliussen’s try at tying the match again failed.
The Americans will be on the road to face the Butte Cobras on Friday at 7:30 p.m. They travel to Helena on Saturday.
Story Courtesy: Great Falls Tribune (December 3, 2018)