Flathead drops state hockey tourney battle with Butte tte
The Daily Inter Lake
WHITEFISH — Flathead could not hang on to a 4-1 lead on Saturday as the Fusion lost to the Butte Copper City Kings 6-5 in the fifth/sixth place game at the Montana Amateur Hockey Association A division high school state tournament at the Stumptown Ice Den
Vincent Friel put the Fusion up 1-0 in the opening period, but Butte answered minutes later to tie it.
Goals by Colin Hill, Nicholas Cenis and Lincoln Jones gave Flathead a 4-1 edge before Butte battled back with three scores to tie it 4-4.
Butte scored first in the third period, but an unassisted goal by Flathead’s John Savage tied it at 5-all.
Alex Kober, however, scored 22 seconds later to give the Copper City Kings the victory. It was Kober’s second goal of the game.
Flathead had 41 shots on goal to 20 for Butte.
The Fusion lost to the Helena Bighorns 8-2 in a late Friday night pool play game. Team captain Keaden Morisaki scored both goals for the Fusion.
Flathead finished the tournament with an 0-3 mark. The Fusion finished fifth in the final regular-season standings.
State play winds up today with the third/fourth place game at 10 a.m. and the championship game at 12:15 p.m.
Montana Amateur
Hockey Association
High School State Tournament — A Division
At Stumptown Ice Den, Whitefish
Saturday’s Results
Crossover Games Between Top Two Teams From Each Pool
Late Game
Missoula Bruins vs. Great Falls Americans
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Billings Jr. Bulls 0 2 1 — 3
Helena Bighorns 0 0 1 — 1
Shots on Goal
Billings — 36
Helena —14
Scoring Summary
Team — Player — (assist) — Time
Period 2
Billings — Connor Chirrick (Drew Keierleber), 4:27
Billings —Dawson Smith (Chirrick), 7:30
Period 3
Helena — Kaden Lindberg (Ryan Arntson), 0:54
Billings — Duke Cherpeski (empty net) (unassisted), 16:13
Goalies
Helena
Shots Saves
Simon Jolicoeur 35 33
Billings
Carver Thompson 14 13
Crossover Winners Advance To Today’s
Championship Game at 12:15 p.m.
Losers Advance To
3rd/4th Place Game at 10 a.m.
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Fifth/Six Place
Flathead Fusion 1 3 1 — 5
Butte Copper City Kings 1 3 2 — 6
Shots on Goal
Flathead — 41
Butte — 20
Scoring Summary
Period 1
Flathead — Vincent Friel (Lincoln Jones), 4:23
Butte — Robin Bagley (Noah McGee), 8:06
Period 2
Flathead — Colin Hill (Carson White), 0:22
Flathead — Nicholas Cenis (Shane Rieke), 1:28
Flathead — Jones (Logan Hill, Colin Hill), 2:51
Butte — Alex Kober (unassisted), 2:51
Butte —Bagley (Hunter McGinnis, Aidan Francisco), 8:45
Butte —McGinnis (Bagley), 11:46
Period 3
Butte — Brandon Lyons (McGinnis, Russell Park), 5:08
Flathead — John Savage (unassisted), 15:14
Butte — Kober (Robin Bagley), 15:36
Goalies
Butte
Shots Saves
Bryce Stewart 41 36
Flathead
Chase Phillips 20 14
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Pool Play
Missoula Bruins 2 2 2 — 6
Helena Bighorns 0 1 0 — 1
Shots on Goal
Missoula — 39
Helena — 24
Scoring Summary
Period 1
Missoula — Austin Leadbetter (Dalton Roeser), 5:38
Missoula — Henry McDougall (Nathan Hangas, Daniel Liner), 16:37
Period 2
Missoula — Max Triepke (unassisted), 1:30
Missoula — Thad Kendrick (Triepke), 12:07
Helena — Justin Durbin (Colin Sassano, Kaden Lindberg), 13:57
Period 3
Missoula — John Bannon (empty net) (Henry Ledyard), 13:10
Missoula — Eric Ipsen (Roeser, John Bannon), 16:05
Goalies
Helena
Shots Saves
Simon Jolicoeur 38 33
Missoula
Justin Lane 24 23
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Billings Jr. Bulls 3 1 2 — 6
Great Falls Americans 2 0 0 — 2
Shots on Goal
Billings — 57
Great Falls — 25
Scoring Summary
Period 1
Billings — Drew Keierleber (unassisted), 2:38
Billings — Connor Chirrick (Drew Keierleber), 2:49
Great Falls — Braxton Lorenz (Aaliyah James), 10:13
Great Falls — Austin Folds (Lorenz), 10:41
Billings — Duke Cherpeski (power play) (Keierleber, Dawson Smith), 15:46
Period 2
Billings — Keierleber (power play) (Dawson Smith, Chirrick), 15:48
Period 3
Billings — Ryan McNeely (Dayton Smith), 5:06
Billings — Dayton Smith (Brandon Dringman, Nolan Stremcha), 15:43
Goalies
Great Falls
Shots Saves
Cameron Mcintosh 17 15
Colton Rasmussen 40 36
Billings
Carver Thompson 25 23
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Late Friday
Pool Play
Helena Bighorns 3 2 3 — 8
Flathead Fusion 0 0 2 — 2
Shots on Goal
Helena — 30
Flathead — 20
Scoring Summary
Period 1
Helena — Blake Nichols (power play) (Ryan Arntson, Kaden Lindberg) 1:43
Helena — Colin Sassano (Justin Durbin, Lindberg) 6:17
Helena — Sassano (Lindberg, Andrew Elliott) 11:23
Period 2
Helena — Lindberg (Sassano) 2:24
Helena — Jacob Sodja (Lindberg, Wyatt Burrell) 13:06
Period 3
Helena — Elliott (Sassano) 0:32
Flathead — Keaden Morisaki (power play) (Logan Hill), 2:19
Helena — Lindberg (power play) (Sassano, Sodja), 9:40
Helena — Kameron Kottas (Nicodemus Berbos), 10:18
Flathead — Morisaki (unassisted), 13:01
Goalies
Flathead
Shots Saves
Chase Phillips 30 22
Helena
Simon Jolicoeur 20 18