Rare defeat of Helena lifts teamThe Yellowstone Quake coupled a 5-3 win at Helena with a 6-2 home ice victory over the Bozeman Ice Dogs over the weekend to move into a tie for second-place honors in the NORPAC's America West division. Friday's win at Helena marked only the fourth time in 37 games that an opponent has come out on top of the Big Horns. The Quake now boast two of those four wins. Alex Vazquez and Kory Sosnowski each scored first-period power play goals and teammate Mathew Schulz sandwiched a full-strength goal between them to give the Quake a 3-0 lead less than 15 minutes into the contest. The Big Horns rallied with a pair of power play goals late in the period to make the score 3-2 at the first intermission. Team goals leader Chris Rinaldi scored a short-handed goal for the Quake to open scoring in the second period. Schulz added the team's third power play goal of the night mid-way through the second for a 5-2 lead. Helena managed just one goal and 21 shot attempts over the final 40 minutes of action. The team got off to a similar fast start on Saturday night. Vazquez and Nick Kent each scored first-period goals against Bozeman. Sosnowski, Chase Cooney and Donald Barlow added goals in the first 12 minutes of the second period to give the Quake a five-goal lead before the Ice Dogs snapped the shut out with 40 seconds remaining before the second intermission. Rinaldi lit the lamp off a feed from Sosnowski for the final Quake goal of the night. Bozeman closed the scoring with a power play goal three minutes later. The victories clinched a post-season berth for the Cody team and lifted the Quake into a second-place tie with Missoula in the America West standings, although the Maulers have played one fewer game to date. That second-place deadlock could get broken this weekend as the Quake travel to Missoula for games Saturday and Sunday against the Maulers. The Quake also play a Friday game at Bozeman. The next home-ice action for the team will come Feb. 5-7 when the team hosts Butte in advance of back-to-back games against Helena. Just 10 games remain in the regular season.

Rare defeat of Helena lifts team

The Yellowstone Quake coupled a 5-3 win at Helena with a 6-2 home ice victory over the Bozeman Ice Dogs over the weekend to move into a tie for second-place honors in the NORPAC's America West division. Friday's win at Helena marked only the fourth time in 37 games that an opponent has come out on top of the Big Horns.

The Quake now boast two of those four wins.

Alex Vazquez and Kory Sosnowski each scored first-period power play goals and teammate Mathew Schulz sandwiched a full-strength goal between them to give the Quake a 3-0 lead less than 15 minutes into the contest.

The Big Horns rallied with a pair of power play goals late in the period to make the score 3-2 at the first intermission.

Team goals leader Chris Rinaldi scored a short-handed goal for the Quake to open scoring in the second period.

Schulz added the team's third power play goal of the night mid-way through the second for a 5-2 lead.

Helena managed just one goal and 21 shot attempts over the final 40 minutes of action.

The team got off to a similar fast start on Saturday night. Vazquez and Nick Kent each scored first-period goals against Bozeman. Sosnowski, Chase Cooney and Donald Barlow added goals in the first 12 minutes of the second period to give the Quake a five-goal lead before the Ice Dogs snapped the shut out with 40 seconds remaining before the second intermission.

Rinaldi lit the lamp off a feed from Sosnowski for the final Quake goal of the night. Bozeman closed the scoring with a power play goal three minutes later.

The victories clinched a post-season berth for the Cody team and lifted the Quake into a second-place tie with Missoula in the America West standings, although the Maulers have played one fewer game to date. That second-place deadlock could get broken this weekend as the Quake travel to Missoula for games Saturday and Sunday against the Maulers. The Quake also play a Friday game at Bozeman.

The next home-ice action for the team will come Feb. 5-7 when the team hosts Butte in advance of back-to-back games against Helena. Just 10 games remain in the regular season.