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., March 1, 2026 — The Great Falls Americans (28-14-1-1) and the Gillette (WY) Wild (20-23-2-0) played their final head-to-head meeting of the 2025-26 NA3HL regular season on Sunday afternoon in Great Falls.
In Saturday’s contest, Great Falls raced out to a three-goal lead thanks to lamplighters by Cooper Clouse, AJ Prioli and Ethan Miller. Gillette’s Brady McGinn stopped the drought with a second period goal and Donovan Balek added another in the third frame but the home team led by Keegan Hanson and Tallon Caron, who each scored once, put another win in the column as the Americans downed the Wild, 5-2. Great Falls netminder Kaden Rhyder had another outstanding night in the net recording 20 saves.
Great Falls enters the final week of the regular season with three games in five days. The Americans will be on the road for games against the Bozeman Ice Dogs (Tues. March 3, 12:00PM) and the Butte Irish (Fri. March 6, 7:30PM) but will play one more regular season contest in the friendly confines of the Great Falls Ice Plex on Saturday, March 7th against the Irish at 7:05PM (MST).
Great Falls was looking for their fifth win in six games against Gillette in their final showdown.
The Great Falls Americans built a 5-2 lead after two periods and went on to defeat the Gillette Wild, 6-3 during Sunday matinee contest at the Great Falls Ice Plex. Cooper Clouse and AJ Prioli scored half of the Americans six goals and goaltender Cole Murphy picked up his tenth win by acquiring 32 saves.
Great Falls scored eight minutes into the opening period as AJ Prioli and Ethan Miller assisted on a tally by Cooper Clouse. Great Falls tacked on one more score before the first intermission. This time, Cooper Clouse and Ethan Miller set up AJ Prioli to increase the lead by the host team (2-0). Great Falls opened up their offense by getting off 24 shots while the Wild’s offense struggled by taking just eight shots.
In the second stanza, Gillette’s offense scored the two of the first three goals during a two-minute span. Dylan Crossley and Thomas McDonald both got in the scoring column for Wyoming while Tallon Caron put in the single goal for Great Falls off a pass from Fisher Hannesson. Brady McGinn and CJ Lang assisted on Crossley’s score with 13:35 remaining and Beau Delich and Greyson Ecker earned the helpers on McDonald’s goal. Cooper Clouse recorded his second goal of the day with five minutes left to put the Americans out in front, 4-2. AJ Prioli and Carson Sears provided the assistance. Keegan Hanson gave the Americans their largest lead of the game (5-2) 79 seconds after Cooper Clouse scored. Tallon Caron and Gavin Denis assisted on the scoring play with four minutes left before the second intermission.
Gillette’s Dylan Crossley accrued his second goal of the game and 20th overall to cut the deficit to 5-3 on his unassisted scoring drive three minutes into the third frame. Wyatt Hanna put the biscuit in the basket for the final goal by either team with 3:37 left to play as Reid Lezubski was credited with the assist.
Great Falls’ offense outshot Gillette during the first two periods (43-15) before the Wild attempted four more (20-16) in the final period of regulation.
Great Falls finished 1-for-4 on the power play with Cooper Clouse’s first goal of the opening period coming while the visiting team was in the sin bin. Gillette was unsuccessful in their one power play chance.
Cole Murphy got the start and his tenth win for the Americans on Sunday afternoon. The Minnesota netminder stopped 32 shots in 60 minutes of action. He is now 10-6-1-0 in 18 games this season and got his first victory over the Wild (1-0-1-0). Meanwhile, Matthew Bennett saw his record fall to 4-5-1-0 but not before adding 53 saves to his junior hockey resume.
NOTES: 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 |
| Sun. March 15 | Game 2: Helena @ Great Falls | 2:05PM | Great Falls Ice Plex, Great Falls, MT |
| Mon. March 16 | *Game 3: Great Falls @ Helena | 7:05PM | Steed Arena, Helena, MT |
| *Game 3: If Necessary | |||
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 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 on NATV. Due to mechanical issues on the team bus, they were unable to make it to Bozeman on February 21st.
Before the NA3HL Fraser Cup Playoffs begin, 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 then capping off the regular season with Butte traveling to Great Falls for a 7:05PM (MST) showdown with the Americans on Saturday, March 7th to end the season.
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