NOTE: A Special Thanks to Michael Noel (above, https://mnoelphotography.smugmug.com) for providing the photos.
By Kevin Scott
2026 NA3HL Frontier DIvison Playoffs and Fraser Cup Tournament Information
| Box Score |
Score Sheet | League Scoreboard | Americans Team Statistics |
HELENA Mont., March 16, 2026 —After 47 NA3HL regular season contests and two playoff games, the Great Falls Americans (31-15-3-1) and the Helena Bighorns (36-13-1-0) met on the ice for the ninth and final time this season with everything on the line. The winner will meet the Sheridan WY) Hawks in the Frontier Division Finals for a best-of-three series with the winner of that series earning an automatic berth in the 2026 NA3HL Fraser Cup (National) Tournament in Missouri in two weeks.
During the six meetings during the regular season, Great Falls went 2-3-0-1 against their Montana opponent, the Helena Bighorns. Each squad has won one game apiece in the Frontier Division Semi-Finals not including Monday’s finale to see who moves on to the next round and who calls it a season.
In Game 1 of the Frontier Division Semi-FInals on Friday night in Helena, Great Falls trailed 4-3 after two periods but scored two goals in the third period to edge the Bighorns, 5-4 on the road. Ethan Miller and AJ Prioli each tacked on one scoring play and had an assist. Colton Bacon scored the eventual game-winner with 11:58 remaining in the third to put the Americans ahead 1-0 in the best-of-three series. Four individual players scored for Helena including Cal Kellenberg, Lincoln Kearney, Maddux Hale, and Chase Berg. Kaden Rhyder made 48 saves as the victorious goaltender for Great Falls. Andrew Blake stopped 20 shots but did allow five goals in the loss (game story).
The second game of the series was scheduled to take place on Saturday (March 14) but a winter weather storm around Great Falls and Helena forced the game to be postponed until Sunday as the interstate between Great Falls and Helena was closed to the blizzard conditions. Great Falls hosted Game 2 on Sunday afternoon. Helena came ready to play and avoided elimination in an overtime thriller, 4-3. Both teams scored three goals in regulation but Helena’s Cameron Kimmerly scored in the extra frame for the win and a third game was necessary. Lincoln Kearney from the Bighorns scored on half of his team’s scoring opportunities. AJ Prioli scored twice in the second period and once in the third for Great Falls. His third goal sent the game to overtime. Kaden Rhyder finished with 42 saves in his first playoff loss this season while Helena goalie Andrew Blake denied 31 shots in the win (game story).
Great Falls and Helena each scored two goals prior to the second intermission but the third period belonged to the Helena Bighorns as they outscored the third place team in the Frontier Division, 3-0 in the third period to claim a 5-2 victory inside Steed Arena to advance to the Frontier Division Finals later this week. AJ Prioli and Cooper Clouse each put in goals for the Americans in their final outing of the season.
The Americans erased twelve minutes off the clock in the opening stanza before AJ Prioli put the first goal in the net off a pass from Cooper Clouse. Great Falls took just six shots but went into the locker room with the slim lead.
The Bighorns evened the score (1-1) when Cameron Kimmerly and Braden Davis assisted on a tally by Joe Voix six minutes into the second period. Cooper Clouse answered for the Americans midway with 9:50 remaining on a pass from Tallon Caron, who recorded his third playoff assist. Blake Chapman tied the game with his slapshot with two minutes left before the second intermission. Maddux Hale collected the assist. The Bighorns offense kept firing towards the net accruing 42 shots during the first two periods and the American attempted 16 shots within the first forty minutes.
The Americans were kept off the scoreboard as Helena’s offense produced three goals including an empty net lamplighter with 2:34 left in regulation. Braden Davis, Jeffrey Hershberger and Cameron Kimmerly all put the biscuit in the basket. Maddux Hale picked up his second assist while Blake Chapman, Austin Uecker, Clint Isakson and Chase Berg each recorded one.
The home team attempted almost twice (59-30) as many shots during the sixty-minute affair.
Helena’s goaltender Andrew Blake (28 saves) improved to 2-1 in the playoffs and is currently 17-4-1-0 as his team advances. Kaden Rhyder (18-7-1-1) finished his final season with Great Falls accumulating 18 wins in 28 appearances. The Pennsylvania netminder went 1-1-1 in the three-game playoff series with the Bighorns and created 55 saves.
The Bighorns will move on to the Frontier Division Finals where they will meet the top-seeded Sheridan (WY) Hawks this week in a best-of-three series.
NEXT CONTEST: The Great Falls Americans 2025-26 NA3HL junior hockey season comes to a close. The Americans will be back in action starting in September 2026. Please keep up to date with the Americans on our website (www.greatfallsamericans.com) and through Facebook and X (Twitter) during the offseason.
NOTES: The following eight Great Falls Americans (2005 birth year) are “aging out” of junior hockey after the 2025-26 season concludes. We thank them for playing with the Americans and wish them success in the next chapter of their lives.
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#4 Brennan Pierce Derry, New Hampshire 78 Junior Hockey Games 13 games with the Americans |
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#10 Ethan Miller Mount Pleasant, PA 91 Junior Hockey Games 33 games with the Americans |
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#15 Fisher Hannesson (Captain) Fargo, North Dakota 86 Junior Hockey Games All 86 with the Americans |
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#16 Jarod Lemieux Geraldton, Ontario 64 Junior Hockey Games 32 games with the Americans |
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#19 Keegan Hanson Fargo, North Dakota 88 Junior Hockey Games All 88 with the Americans |
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#27 Cooper Clouse (Assistant Captain) West Fargo, North Dakota 75 Junior Hockey Games 65 games with the Americans |
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#28 AJ Prioli Weymouth, Massachusetts 112 Junior Hockey Games 28 games with the Americans |
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#1 Kaden Rhyder Elizabethtown, Pennsylvania 87 Junior Hockey Games All 87 with the Americans |
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).
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