NOTE: A Special Thanks to Michael Noel (above, https://mnoelphotography.smugmug.com) for providing the photo.
By Kevin Scott
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GILLETTE, Wyo.., October 18, 2025 — After seven weeks of competition in the NA3HL’s 2025-26 junior hockey season, the Great Falls (Americans (5-6-1-1) has played five of their seven opponents in the NA3HL’s Frontier Division before Saturday’s game against the Gillette (WY) Wild.
The Americans have gathered wins over the Badlands (SD) Sabres and the Yellowstone (WY) Quake (both 2-1-0-0) and the Helena Bighorns (1-1-0-1) and are still searching for a win against the Bozeman Ice Dogs (0-2-0-0) and the Sheridan (WY) Hawks (0-1-0-0).
Gillette (5-4-1-0), under new head coach Wilson Anderle, has wins over Wyoming rivals, Sheridan (1-1-0-0) and Yellowstone (1-0-0-0), South Dakota foe, Badlands (1-1-1-0) and Bozeman (1-1-0-0) and fell to the Helena Bighorns (0-1-0-0) on October 4th. Due to arena availability, the Wild have played nine of their ten contest inside their home arena (Spirit Hall Ice Arena) with one road game in Rapid City, South Dakota.
Could Great Falls pick up their fourth road victory of the season?
The Gillette Wild topped the Great Falls Americans in overtime, 4-3 thanks to a goal from Riley Schmidt in the extra frame in their first matchup of the 2025-26 NA3HL season on Saturday night inside the Spirit Hall Ice Arena in Gillette, Wyoming. Cooper Clouse finished with one goal and one assist for the Americans.
Gillette and Great Falls could not find a way to score for the first 14 minutes of the opening period. Then the Wild’s Beau Delich answered with a wrist shot that went by Americans netminder Cole Murphy for the only score of the period. Dylan Peterson and CJ Lang helped the host team get on the scoreboard first. The Wild outshot the Americans, 11-9.
Michigan product Riley Hattan put the biscuit in the basket for his first goal as a member of the Americans nearly three minutes into the second period to even the score (1-1). Carson Sears and Kiefer Lundmark were each awarded the assists on Great Falls’ first goal of the game. Gillette’s Caleb Johannes answered for the Wild off a pass from Max Arlt and Riley Schmidt to put the Wyoming NA3HL team back in front (2-1) less than two minutes after the Americans scored. Tallon Caron took advantage of the Wild’s penalty kill and accured his sixth goal of the season with assistance coming from Cooper Clouse and Bryce Webb. That goal tied the game at 2-2 before the second intermission.
In the third stanza, Dominic Arndt scored his second goal of the year with helpers coming from Riley Schmidt and Brayden Waters to break the tie. The third scoring drive by Gillette occured during the first 46 seconds of the period with the Americans down a man (penalty). The home team led 3-2 until the final two minutes when Cooper Clouse put in the equalizer to send the contest into a five-minute overtime. Ethan Miller, who scored a hat trick and dished out two assists in his debut on Friday’s 6-2 win over the Badlands (SD) Sabres, earned his third assist and teammate Gavin Denis registered his eighth assist on the game-tying play.
The game was decided in overtime when Riley Schmidt scored the game-winning tally that was set up by Max Arlt and CJ Lang.
Great Falls accounted for 32 of the 67 shots-on-goal in the 62 minute contest.
The Americans scored on one of their five power play opportunities while the host team failed to convert on their three chances.
Gillette goaltender Matthew Bennett improved his record to 2-1-0-0 by stopping 29 of the 32 shots from Great Falls. Cole Murphy (5-2-1-0) amassed 31 saves in 62 minutes of action in the net for Great Falls.
NOTES: The 3rd Annual Breast Cancer Awareness Weekend will be coming up on October 24th and 25th when the Americans play host to the Sheridan (WY) Hawks (Friday) and the Yellowstone (WY) Quake (Saturday). The Americans, along with Benefis Health and the Sletten Cancer Institute, support “Think Pink for the Girls” where the ice at the Great Falls Ice Plex is painted pink and the players will wear special edition pink jerseys on both nights. There will be an opportunity for fans to purchase a framed team photo signed by the team wearing their pink jerseys through the DASH activation. We will also have a “#1Fan” special edition jersey auction as well. Click here to view the auction.
The Americans Booster Club is raffling off a Remote Controlled Zamboni Cooler with the ticket drawn at the October 25th contest against the Yellowstone (WY) Quake. Tickets are $10.00 each. Click here for more information. To purchase tickets, please see any of the Booster Club members at any of the home games or contact Adam Stanczak (406-564-6771).
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 Great Falls Americans will return home to the Great Falls Ice Plex since their last home game on September 27th against the Helena Bighorns. Great Falls will host a pair of opponents from Wyoming with the Sheridan Hawks in town on Friday, October 24th and the Yellowstone Quake (Cody, WY) making their first trip to Great Falls on Saturday, October 25th. Both games start at 7:05PM (MST) and can be seen live on NATV.
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