NOTE: A Special Thanks to Michael Noel (above, https://mnoelphotography.smugmug.com) for providing the photo.
By Kevin Scott
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BUTTE, Mont., January 3, 2026 — The Great Falls Americans (19-10-1-1) and the Butte Irish (8-22-0-0) met on the ice for the fourth time this season on Saturday in Butte, Montana.
So far, Great Falls has combined to outscore Butte, 17-8 in their three previous encounters including their New Year’s Eve game on Wednesday where they went on to defeat the Butte NA3HL squad, 6-2. Americans forward AJ Prioli, playing in his first season with Great Falls, scored three goals in the second period and teammate Cooper Clouse added four assists while goaltender Kaden Rhyder made 31 saves in his eighth win in the net. Butte received both goals from Beaverton, Oregon native Loghan Weber.
Through 31 games, Cooper Clouse has amassed 51 points including 37 assists while Ethan Miller is the top goal scorer for the Americans with 20 goals. Easton Langemo, who dished out two assists against Great Falls in Wednesday’s loss, has scored 26 goals and has 47 points for Butte. Jack Whitelaw and Loghan Weber have combined for 36 assists for head coach Marc Brodeur’s squad.
After Saturday’ showdown, both clubs will challenge each other four more times over the final three months. The Americans will host the Irish on January 24th (3:35PM) and the regular season finale on March 7th (7:05PM) while Butte will entertain Great Falls on March 6th (7:30PM). Great Falls will be the home team when both teams square off at a neutral site on February 7th at 7:05PM at the Havre Ice Dome in Havre, Montana.
The Great Falls Americans remained undefeated this season when facing the Butte Irish as they went on the road to hand them a 6-3 setback on Saturday evening inside the Butte Community Ice Center in Butte, Montana. Wyatt Hanna led the way for the winning side by producing two scoring drives. Loghan Weber (two goals) and Easton Langemo (three assists) paced the Irish.
Great Falls scored the first two goals of the first period and led 2-1 after the first twenty minutes. Wyatt Hanna put the puck in the net for the fifth time this season four minutes into the game. Colton Bacon and Jase Troyer each gathered their fourth assists. Tallon Caron slapshot sailed by Butte netminder Zander Harp for this 12th tally on the short-handed scoring drive for Great Falls less than two minutes after Wyatt Hanna scored. The Irish quickly got on the scoreboard 39 seconds later when Easton Langemo’s pass to Riley Erickson created Butte’s first score of the contest with Great Falls in the sin bin.
The Americans increased their lead to 4-1 thanks to goals by Gavin Denis and Wyatt Rust during the first six minutes of the middle stanza. Denis, a Wisconsin forward added his sixth goal on an unassisted tally with 14:49 on the clock. Tallon Caron helped Wyatt Rust tack on his first lamplighter with the Americans. Butte’s Loghan Weber took advantage of the Americans penalty and cut the deficit to 4-2 midway through the period with Alexander Wainio and Easton Langemo earning the assists. Before the second intermission, Great Falls was able to produce 33 total shots between the first and second periods. The Irish was held to 22 shots.
Loghan Weber returned from the locker room for the third period ready to pick up where he left off in the second period. The home team trailed by one goal (4-3) after Loghan Weber lit up the lamp five mintues into the final period of regulation. Easton Langemo collected his third assist of the night and Andrew James added his first. After scoring the first goal of the game, Wyatt Hanna took 19 seconds off the clock and put the puck back in the net with Bryce Webb and newcomer Aiden Mulheran getting credit for the assists. Ethan Miller, off a pass from AJ Prioli, tacked on the Americans sixth goal on an empty net with one minute left to ensure the visiting team’s victory.
The Americans finished with 45 shots-on-goal after taking 18 after the first intermission. Butte ended their series with Great Falls with 35.
The Irish accounted for two of their three goals while on the power play. Great Falls went 0-for-2.
Kaden Rhyder allowed one goal in each of the three periods but managed to pick up his ninth victory (9-4-0-1) by swatting away 32 shots. He is now 3-0-0-0 against Butte. Zander Harp started the game for the host team and made 17 saves in 26 minutes before being relieved by Mathieu Chernauckas, a native of Dearborn, Michigan, who saw his record drop to 3-6-0-0 as he took his first loss while facing Great Falls this season.
NOTES: Great Falls (19-10-1-1) maintains a one-point lead (40-39) for second place in the NA3HL’s Frontier Division over their Montana rivals, the Helena Bighorns (19-10-1-0). Helena earned two wins at Steed Arena this weekend against the Yellowstone (WY) Quake.
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: The Americans will host the Sheridan (WY) Hawks, the top team in the NA3HL Frontier Division standings, for a two-game series beginning on Friday, January 9th. The second game of the series will take place on Saturday, January 10th. NATV will provide the live coverage on the NA3HL’s streaming service starting at 7:05PM (MST) each night live from the Great Falls Ice Plex.
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