A Perfect Ten

The Glasgow Ice Dawgs were facing a couple of must-win games this past weekend as they look to make the state tournament, and win they did. Handily.

The goal horn first sounded with 14:36 left in the first period Friday night, on a goal by Ian Peterson, assisted by Bailey Hansen. A second goal just 30 seconds later by Kaden Fossum, assisted by Noah Lipszyc, had the Great Falls Americans calling a time-out to regroup. The move didn't faze the Dawgs as goal three by Isaac Braaten, assisted by Fossum, went up on the scoreboard with 11:57 left in the first period. Goalie Colton Pewitt did see some action a couple minutes later, fending off shots with a glove save and some slick stick action.

Goal four, Bridger Barnett with assists from Braaten and Koby Regalado, came on a breakaway rebound, giving the Ice Dawgs the 4-0 advantage. Great Falls registered the first penalty of the game with a 2 and 10. Glasgow failed to convert the man-advantage, but returned the favor when Taylor Johnson took his seat in the box for a 2 and 10 following a solid boarding. The Dawgs' defense held strong and kept the Americans off the scoreboard.

Scoring slowed down in the second but the action did not. Takeaways and breakaways had the crowd looking for that next goal. When that goal came, right at the buzzer, it seemed to take everyone, from the goalie to Barnett, who tossed it in, to the crowd by surprise. Assist on the buzzer goal went to Nick Burke. Glasgow took leave to the locker room with a dominant 5-0 lead.

The Dawgs kept the goal horn blaring in the third despite the Americans making a goalie change, Trevor Johnson on the board with 13:53 left in the game. Barnett claimed his hat trick just 37 seconds later with assists from Braaten and Brit Fairclouch. A mere 14 seconds later Braaten, assisted by Lipszyc, took Glasgow to an 8-0 lead. With 6:34 left, Garrett Lloyd, assist by Burke, made it 9-0. Taking the score to 10-0, and with the final goal of the game, was Fairclough assisted by Braaten with exactly four minutes left on the clock.

The Ice Dawgs had 36 shots on goal for the game and 14 penalty minutes.

Saturday morning the two teams faced off again. Penalties came faster, with Fairclough taking a seat at 12:32 for tripping. But Braaten took the puck to the other end of the ice and netted a short-handed goal with an assist from Regalado, to give the Dawgs a 1-0 lead. Glasgow killed the penalty. Braaten scored again on a rebound shot with 2:43 left in the first, assisted by Barnett.

With 1:27 left in the first period, the Americans logged their first goal at the Valley Event Center, ending the period with Glasgow holding a one-goal advantage.

Glasgow didn't waste time getting an insurance goal up on the board in the second period when Braaten slid the puck over the line following a scrum in front of the Great Falls goalie. A couple of American penalties, including a hit that shook up Fairclough, gave the Dawgs a brief 5-on-3 advantage but no goal. Glasgow took a penalty of their own with Burke in the box for elbowing. Glasgow's defense held strong and the second period came to an end with Glasgow holding on to their two-goal lead.

The third period saw a lot of back and forth but no goals until Great Falls capitalized on a power play, with Braaten in the box for tripping. That was as close as the Americans would get during their time in Glasgow. Matching penalties didn't result in a goal for either team, but with 3:21 left an American took his place in the box, serving two consecutive 2-minute penalties for tripping and unsportsmanlike conduct. Pulling the goalie to even up players on the ice didn't work though, as Fossum for the Dawgs scored an empty-netter with 1:18 left with Taylor Johnson getting the assist.

Great Falls kept their goalie on the bench though, giving Glasgow's Braaten the chance to put the puck back in the net, and ensuring a 5-2 final. Glasgow registered 38 shots on goal to Great Falls' 18. Goalie Brayden Hansen registered 88.9 percent on saves. The Ice Dawgs served a total of 10 minutes in the box compared to the Americans' 32.