By Kevin Scott
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BLAINE, Minn., December 18, 2015 — The Great Falls Americans (19-6-1) hockey team handed the Euless Jr. Stars (6-20-1) their twentieth loss of the season on the first day of the 2015 NA3HL Showcase Tournament in Minnesota on Thursday evening.
The Americans faced the NA3EHL East team, which is one of two Top Prospects teams playing in the tournament along with the NA3EHL West squad, on Friday night. The Wisconsin Whalers handed the NA3EHL East team (1-1-0) a 10-1 during Thursday’s action at the showcase tournament.
Kevin Perry helped the NA3EHL East Top Prospects team pick up a 3-2 victory over the Great Falls Americans with his successful penalty shot in overtime during the second day of action on Friday afternoon at the 2015 NA3HL Showcase tournament in Blaine, Minnesota.
Tegan Harrington gave the Americans a 1-0 lead after one period with his power play score at the 7:51 mark. His goal came off a power play opportunity set up by Jesse Johnson and Tanner Congdon. Both teams combined for 17 shots-on-goal but only Harrington’s goal got by the East goaltender Trevor Trudeau.
The East Top Prospects squad netted two goals in the middle period to give them a slight lead. Kevin Perry and Austin Braley assisted on Noel Fischer’s power play goal to tie the contest at 1-1 during the first five minutes of the second period. Ryan Gauvin provided the go-ahead points off the stick of Dylan Legarie with 1:21 left before the second intermission. There were 10 minor penalties and two major penalties that happened in the second stanza.
Great Falls found a way to get back in the game and send the game into an extra period. Tanner Congdon accumulated the second goal for the visiting team with 54 seconds left in regulation. Josh Larson and Miles Giorgione each assisted on the game-tying goal.
Kevin Perry chipped in the game-winning penalty shot against Americans goaltender Lauren Massie for the win early in the overtime.
Despite the setback, Great Falls did out-shoot the NA3EHL East team 29-28 including 13 in the third period.
Both squads finished with 11 infractions but the NA3EHL East team had 16 more minutes of penalty time than Great Falls (38-22). Each team scored on one of their power play chances.
A night after Massie was credited with his ninth win; he experienced his first overtime loss of the season (9-4-1). The Alaska net minder stopped 25 of the 28 shots he faced in nearly 62 minutes of action. The victory went to East goaltender Trevor Trudeau, who finished 27 saves while allowing two goals in the first and third periods.
The Toledo (OH) Cherokee, who play the Americans in the final day of the tournament on Saturday, out-scored the La Crosse (WI) Freeze 5-3 during Friday’s action at the Schwan Super Rink. The Cherokee did fall to the Granite City Lumberjacks 2-0 on Thursday evening.
NEXT CONTEST: The Americans close out the 2015 NA3HL Showcase Tournament with a game against the Toledo (OH) Cherokee (15-9-2) on Saturday, December 19th in the final day of the prestigious tournament in Blaine, Minnesota. The action begins at 9:45AM (MST) from the Schwan Super Rink. Click here for tournament information.
Story Courtesy: North American 3 Hockey League (NA3HL): Day 2 full of offense at at the NA3HL Showcase (December 19, 2015)