WHITEFISH — With tough opposition on the horizon, the Glacier Nationals couldn’t afford to drop points against AWHL bottom-feeder Bozeman.

They didn’t.

The Nationals (4-10-1 AWHL, 18-15-3 overall) won 7-3 Friday and completed the sweep Saturday with a 5-2 win at Stumptown Ice Den.

The four points gained in the two wins gives Glacier 39 on the season, good for fourth place in the NORPAC standings. The top four teams make the playoffs.

The Nationals have competed against teams from the NORPAC and the AWHL and their combined points count toward NORPAC playoff qualification. With four games remaining, Glacier is five points ahead of fifth-place Tri-Cities.

“We’ve been feeling pressure for the last two months really,” Nationals left wing Tucker Spooner said of the playoff race. “Every point matters and we’ve played tough competition in two leagues.”

The Nationals set the tone early on Saturday with Sebastian Adnell finishing off a broken play 4:08 into the first period. Newcomer Mark Williams sent an outlet pass to Spooner on the right wing, but the pass was too hot and Spooner deflected the puck into the right corner of the offensive zone. Chasing down the lose puck, Spooner found Adnell in the slot, who fired a wrist shot past Bozeman goaltender Jude Hull.

Williams, a puck-moving defenseman acquired a week and a half ago from the Duluth Clydesdales of the SIJHL, said it was exciting getting thrown into the NORPAC playoff race.

“I think it’s great,” Williams said. “It’s really exciting to have a chance to end my junior career with a shot at the playoffs.”

A strong skater with good hands, Williams created Glacier’s second goal 14:43 into the first period when he carried the puck up the left wing and fed a pass in front to Spooner, who knocked it past Hull to put the Nationals ahead 2-0.

“He brings energy,” Spooner said of Williams. “He’s a fast kid, he makes plays for us. He’s basically our quarterback on the back end.”

A pair of penalties late in the first period gave Bozeman a two-man advantage and the Icedogs capitalized when Steven Nisbet deflected Brett Barczewski’s shot past goaltender Mitch Tyson, but that proved to be minor hiccup for Glacier. The Nationals dominated puck possession in the second period and used a relentless forecheck to take a 4-1 lead after goals by John Tesarek and Jordan Carter.

A defensive zone giveaway by Bozeman (1-42-0 AWHL) gave the Nationals another goal 3:38 into the third period when Andreas Persson corralled a turnover and fired a wrist shot over Hull’s outstretched glove.

Penalties bogged down the Glacier offense the rest of the period and Barczewski scored toward the end of a five-minute major power play to make the score 5-2, but the outcome was never in doubt.

Glacier outshot Bozeman 41-31.

“We played solid,” Spooner said. “It could’ve been better. There were times when we played real shaky and our goaltender picked us up, but overall it was a good game.”

The Nationals play at Missoula and Helena Friday and Saturday, then wrap up the regular season the following weekend with a home-and-home series against Missoula. Helena leads the AWHL with a 40-2-1 record while Missoula is 24-18-2.

Bozeman101—2

Glacier221—5

Scoring summary

First period

Gla - Sebastian Adnell (assist Tucker Spooner, Mark Williams), 4:08

Gla - PP Spooner (Williams, John Tesarek), 14:43

Boz - PP Steven Nisbet (Garrett Bryan, Brett Barczewski), 18:29

Second period

Gla - SH Tesarek, 0:06

Gla - PP Jordan Carter, 9:49

Third period

Gla - Andreas Persson, 3:38

Boz - PP Barczewski (Nisbet), 7:28

Team statistics

Shots on goal - Bozeman 31, Glacier 41. Saves - Bozeman 36 (Jude Hull), Glacier 29 (Mitch Tyson). Power plays - Bozeman 2-10, Glacier 2-5. Penalty minutes - Bozeman 19, Glacier 44.