Bulls beat Nationals twice

It's been a while since the Glacier Nationals of the North American Tier 3 Hockey League tasted the winner's circle. And this weekend, despite showing increased competitiveness, their losing skid was extending by two games at the hands of the Billings Bulls.

The Bulls, who like the Nationals play in the Frontier Division, knocked off Glacier Friday night in Billings by the score of 7-2. Then Billings completed the sweep Saturday night with an 8-3 victory.

In the first game between the two teams Friday, Billings and Glacier were tied 0-0 at the end of the first period, but in the second, the Bulls finally got something going on offense, as Zach Heiser and Keith Gustin each found the back of the net to put the Bulls up 2-0.

In the third period, Billings extended its lead to 4-0, before the Nationals finally got on the board as Hunter Mason scored his first goal of the season to make it 4-1. Mason would add another goal later in the period, but three more goals by Billings, which scored a total of five in the third period cemented the 7-2 win for the Bulls. Travis Green got the loss in net for Glacier, while the winning goaltender for Billings was Chayo Goodwin.

Saturday, there was no slow start for Billings, as the Bulls opened the game with a pair of goals in the first period to go ahead 2-0. The Bulls added another early in the second to make it 3-0. Yet, Riggs Zeidler of the Nationals found the net for his first goal of 2016 and, later, Gavin Cline scored for the third time this season to make it 3-2.

However, consecutive goals by Billings to end the stanza pushed the lead to 5-2 and three more goals to open the third period made the lead 8-2. Zeidler did add another bright spot for the Nationals, scoring his second goal of the season in the closing minutes, which made the final tally 8-3 in favor of Billings.

While Zeidler and Cline scored the goals for Glacier in the loss, the Nationals also tallied four assists, two by Lindros Beard and one each by Hunter Mason and Grant Denton. Simo Huhtanen got the win in net for the Bulls, while Mikhail Pahrebets was hit with the loss for Glacier.

The Nationals are currently 0-6 on the season, but have a three-game home stand upcoming, starting this weekend with back-to-back home games against Billings inside the Havre Ice Dome Friday and Saturday night.