Glacier gets points at home

The Glacier Nationals had a chance to go up against two of the best teams the Frontier Division has to offer this past weekend and while they did lose both games, they still added points to the standings.

The Nationals started their weekend of back-to-back games inside the Havre Ice Dome Friday, when they hosted the Billings Bulls, who upended them by the score of 7-2. Then, Glacier tried its hand against Helena, the only team the Nationals have not beaten this season and while it was close, the Nationals fell short 4-3 after a shootout. But, even with the overtime loss, Glaicer earned a point in the standings.

Friday, Glacier hung with the Bulls for the first period and after the first 20 minutes the scored was tied up at 0-0. But, in the second, the flood gates opened for Billings, which scored four times in the period to put the Bulls up 4-0 heading into the third.

Tommy Kaddatz and Marvin Simmons each scored goals in the third for the Nationals but it was too little too late. Billings added three goals in the closing period to make the final score 7-2.

Cole Semchak earned the win in net for the Bulls with 17 saves. Nolan Slager was hit with the loss for the Nationals after surrendering four goals in 31 shot attempts. He had 27 saves.

Sunday, the Nationals welcomed Helena into the Ice Dome and early on it looked like another easy win for the Bighorns after they grabbed a 2-0 lead at the end of the first period. Yet, the Nationals got back into it with goals by Simmons and Tyler Unekis to tie the score at 2-2. Simmons scored again in the third to give Glacier a 3-2 lead. But, the Nationals couldn't hold it and a goal by Johnny Bonta with 3:40 left in the game sent it into overtime.

In overtime, neither team scored in the five-minute sudden death period, so the game was decided by penalty shots. Both teams missed their first four shots until Blake Babineau connected for Helena and when the attempt of Unekis missed the net, the game was over.

Adam Ranck earned the win for Helena with 37 saves on the night, while Slager lost again for the Nationals after racking up a total of 50 saves.

The Nationals are down to their last two games of the season as they will travel to Great Falls Friday to take on the Americans and return home Saturday to close the season at home against the Billings Bulls. Both games start at 7:30 p.m.