Glacier looks for first wins

The Glacier Nationals got a rough introduction into the North American Tier 3 Hockey League last week, losing two games by the combined score of 18-2. Yet, after getting their feet wet in junior hockey, the Nationals are ready to get back on the ice in search of their first win.

The Nationals will get their first chance at redemption Friday when they travel to Gillette, Wyoming, for the first of back-to-back games against the Wild, a rival team within the Frontier Division. The Nationals and Wild will play at 7:05 p.m. Friday and Saturday night in Gillette.

Last Friday, Glacier had the unenviable task of opening the 2014-15 season on the road against junior hockey powerhouse Helena, which defeated the Nationals 10-0. Then, last Saturday, the Nationals played their first home game at the Havre Ice Dome and were defeated 8-2 by the Great Falls Americans, another traditionally strong junior team.

One mitigating factor is that the Nationals have just one returning player, so the other 19 members of the roster were making their debut in junior hockey. But, now the Nationals have that experience under their belt as they travel to take on the Wild, who opened their season with a 3-2 victory over Billings.

"Gillette has traditionally been one of the stronger teams in the (AWHL)," Nationals General Manager Butch Kowalka said. "They are going to be a tough, physical team and we need to match that physical style of play. But it was good for our boys to get a game under their belt. They improved a lot even last weekend, and I expect them to improve even more when we play Gillette."

The Wild may not be as strong as Helena or Great Falls, but they are another experienced team that joined Helena and Great Falls in qualifying for the playoffs in the American West Hockey League last season.

The Wild are also fortunate enough to return their leading goal scorer from last season in forward Alex King. King (5-11, 195) scored a team-high 28 goals for Gillette and was also fourth on the team a year ago with 23 assists, giving him 51 total points on the season.

Another key player that returns for the Wild this season is forward Michael Burke (5-10, 190). Burke scored just a couple goals a year ago but has already made his presence felt this season with a goal in the win over Billings. Dalton McCann (5-10, 190) also returns for Gillette after scoring 12 goals and notching six assists last season.

When it comes to goaltending, the Wild are also in good shape. Sean Kelley (5-10, 180) also returns for Gillette after winning 19 games as the starting goalie a season ago. Against Billings, Kelley earned the victory and had 27 saves, while surrendering just two goals.

The Nationals are led by their lone returning player from a year ago in Karson Frisk. Frisk (6-3, 190) scored a goal against the Americans last Saturday and also had 10 goals and 10 assists a year ago for Glacier. Jarod Ackerman (6-0, 175) was the other Glacier player who found the back of the net against Great Falls.

For the third straight game, Ryan Lund (6-0, 195) will start out in net for the Nationals. Last weekend, Lund surrendered 15 goals but also had 88 saves against Helena and Great Falls. He will be a key factor again this week and will need to play well for the Nationals to have a chance to steal a win on the road.

Another important factor for the Nationals will be limiting the penalty minutes after they had more than 27 against Helena and 37 against Great Falls.

"We definitely need to stay out of the box more against Gillette," Kowalka said. "I think the thing that the boys start to see is that they need to execute all the little things. We need to be the first one to the puck and just hang in with their physical style of play. But the little things will be important."

The Nationals, who are 0-2, are looking for their first win, but winning on the road will be tough, especially in back-to-back games against a playoff caliber team.

"These first three games against Helena, Great Falls and Gillette are kind of trial by fire," Kowalka said. "But, we have done well against Gillette in the past, and we are trying to go down there and get a win. If you can win one on the road you are doing good, if you can win two you are doing great, so that is what we are going to try to do."

The Nationals and Wild will play both Friday and Saturday nights in Gillette at 7:05 p.m.