The long-anticipated battle of the Frontier Division took place this weekend, and Steed Arena didn’t have an empty seat in the house.
Friday night began with an uneasy start for Helena, with Gillette quickly scoring the first goal, putting them up 1-0. Helena fired back, and the first period ended with Helena up 3-2. Helena dominated the second period with 4 more goals, and Gillette with one, starting the third period with a 7-3 lead for the Bighorns. The third period was a bit of a battle for both teams, Gillette got lucky with a couple more goals, but the game ended in Helena’s favor, and an 8-5 win. Goals for Helena were scored by Cai Robinson (Owen Gruener, Finn Theriault), Ty Moore (Joe Feamster, Owen Gruener), Gavin Barr (Garrett Bogan, Finn Theriault), Jack Lambert (Owen Ramsay, Owen Gruener), Tim Mattingly (Finn Theriault, Trey Pajera), Finn Theriault (Tim Mattingly, Cai Robinson), Cai Robinson (Finn Theriault), and Dylan Cunningham (Ty Moore, Camden Cunningham). Bighorn’s goalie Malik Johnson stopped 21 of the 26 shots on his net.
Saturday’s game was all on the line for both teams, determining who would hold the number spot in the Frontier Division. It didn’t take long for Helena to prove that they were the deserving team, scoring two goals in the first period, another 3 in the second, and ultimately winning the game 5-2. Goals for Helena were scored by Owen Ramsay (Ty Moore, Jacob Losch), Braden Cunningham (Camden Cunningham), Ty Moore (Dylan Cunningham, Jack Lambert), Braden Cunningham (Ty Moore, Dylan Cunningham), and Ty Moore (Dylan Cunningham, Tim Mattingly). Helena goalie Alex Lamont excelled in net, saving 36 of the 38 shots against him.
These two teams will meet again in February, on Gillette’s home ice, and again in playoffs. Helena will spend next weekend with two games against Butte, Friday in Butte, and Saturday at home in Helena. Get your tickets for Saturday’s game at Play It Again Sports (general admission only), or online at Tickets for Helena Bighorns vs Butte Irish | vivenu