GREAT FALLS — The Great Falls Americans of the North American Tier III Hockey League have started their new season 1-3 through the first few games. Although, it's a younger team that needs to build experience, as tenured players Kaden Rhyder and Cooper Clouse said.
"We're really close, a lot of adversity. Obviously it's not the hottest start that we wanted," Rhyder, a goaltender who finished first-team All-Frontier Division last season, said during Wednesday's practice at the Great Falls IcePlex. "But, you know, we're doing a lot of stuff together as a team and I think we're going to turn around really quick here and get on the right track."
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"Everybody gives 100% every time we're on the ice," said Clouse, the team's leading scorer from a season ago. "We just need to turn the brains down a little bit, lock in the IQ and everything will start flowing."
The Americans are younger than they usually are since the landscape of junior league hockey is changing, head coach Greg Sears said.
"There's a little bit more of, you know, a learning curve," Sears said. "It's going to take some time for these guys to adjust to, you know, how good junior hockey is, even at this level."
The returning core for Great Falls made it to the Frontier Division championship series last March, where the team lost 2-0 to the Helena Bighorns. All three reflected similar thoughts that the experience of making that far should rub off on the newcomers.
"Passing our knowledge down to the younger guys, and just do what we're supposed to do, and then the rookies will look up to us," Rhyder said.
"Coach says have a pro approach," Clouse said. "Having a professional approach every day will help us, and taking every day seriously one day at a time, and we'll get there."
"Having those guys' experience is huge to see how we approach every day," Sears said. "Tough schedule early so far, so I think that's been good for us to see that, you know, every night is going to be a hard game."
Rhyder and Clouse feel confident in what this team can accomplish once it molds into what they think it can.
"Going to the Fraser Cup (the finals of the NA3HL) and winning a championship," Rhyder said. "That's what we're here to do, so that's what's going to happen."
"I think we can go to the Fraser Cup and make something happen there," Clouse said.
Great Falls hits the ice again Friday, Sept. 19, in Helena against the Bighorns.
