By Kevin Scott
GILLETTE, Wyo., October 17, 2014 — The 2014-15 Great Falls Americans have yet to suffer any losses this season with seven wins this season heading into this game including a pair of victories at home against the Gillette Wild in early October.
Three different players scored goals before the second intermission as the Great Falls Americans came away with a 5-2 victory over the host team at the Spirit Hall Ice Arena with 1,086 spectators watching the NA3HL contest in Wyoming.
Great Falls’ Robert Kalata scored the lone goal at the 11:51 mark of the first period. Teammate Marvin Simmons picked up his seventh assist on the season. The Americans kept Gillette goaltender Sean Kelley busy with 12 first period shot attempts. Neither team picked up any penalties during the opening period of NA3HL action.
Trent Dillinger would get the Wild to even the score at 1-1. The short-handed goal by the Wyoming team was assisted by Alex King five and a half minutes into the middle period. Great Falls wasted little time getting the puck into the net as Zack Mese with help from Michael Kliment and Cody Page put the visiting Americans back on top (2-1) 53 seconds after the successful Gillette scoring opportunity. Lance Pennington’s pass to Dillinger would tie the game up (2-2) late in the period. Cody Page received his second assist of the period as Lucas Lomax’s score increased the lead for the Americans to 3-2 before the end of the period. During the first forty minutes, the Americans had 25 shots on goal including 13 after the first intermission. Great Falls capitalized on two of their three power play opportunities as Mese’s and Lomax’s points were key factors for the coach Jeff Heimel’s team.
The fourth-year Americans opened up the final period with a pair of goals by Marvin Simmons and Cody Page in the first six minutes. Erik Gatson assisted on both goals and Robert Kalata and Marvin Simmons were credited with one assist apiece. Both of these goals ensured that Great Falls would get their eighth consecutive win of the 2014-15 season.
Successful power play opportunities proved to be a key component in the Americans win as they converted three out of their five (60%). The Wild failed to pick up points off of their two chances.
The Americans five goals were scored by five different players including Robert Kalata, Zack Mese, Lucas Lomax, Marvin Simmons and Cody Page. Page and Gatson combined for four assists.
Trent Dillinger led the way by scoring twice in the second period for the Wild, who are now 5-3 after eight games.
After a penalty-free first period, both teams combined for eight infractions for 19 minutes of penalty time.
Evan Hauser earned the win by recording 34 saves in 60 minutes while Gillette’s Sean Kelley and Alex Feese combined for 28 saves.
NEXT CONTEST: Great Falls will play the same Gillette team on Saturday, October 18th at 7:00PM in Wyoming.
| Period 1 | Period 2 | Period 3 | Final | |
| Great Falls | 1 | 2 | 2 | 5 |
| Gillette | 0 | 2 | 0 | 2 |
First Period – 1, Great Falls, Robert Kalata (Marvin Simmons), 8:09.
Second Period – 2, Gillette, Trent Dillinger (short-handed) (Alex King), 5:36. 3, Great Falls, Zack Mese (power play) (Michael Kliment, Cody Page), 6:29. 4, Gillette, Trent Dillinger (short-handed) (Lance Pennington), 14:14. 5, Great Falls, Lucas Lomax (power play) (Cody Page, Zack Mese), 15:23.
Third Period –6, Great Falls, Marvin Simmons (Erik Gatson, Robert Kalata), 4:15. 7, Great Falls, Cody Page (power play) (Marvin Simmons, Erik Gatson), 6:46.
Shots on Goal – Great Falls 33, Gillette 36.
Power-play Opportunities – Great Falls 3-for-5, Gillette 0-for-3.
Attendance – 1,086