Friday: El Paso Rhinos 4 @ Amarillo Wranglers 2 – Happy Halloween Rhinos Fans! We’re on the road this week as we head on over to go head-to-head with the Amarillo Wranglers. Puck Drop was earlier than usual today, dropping at 10 in the morning on Wrangler Ice and the Rhinos were ready to tussle. Jackson Potulny takes point today and earns himself a goal at a little under six minutes in to the first period. Wranglers take a couple penalties over the next few minutes while the Rhinos keep the fight going. with 3:44 left on the clock Ethan Woolcott takes the second goal of the day for a 2-0 lead at the end of the first.
Wranglers didn’t take kindly to these early goals though and as tensions rose in the second period they could no longer contain the energy. A brawl broke out on the ice, not too big, but big enough to give a roughing penalty over to the Wranglers. Even while down on momentum Amarillo brings it back with two goals in two minutes as Caden Hegarty and Alfons Jentler tie up the game by the 6:37 mark. Rhinos do manage to take back the lead with Brendan Murray stealing a goal with just over a minute to go in the second, putting El Paso up 3-2 by seconds’ end. Woolcott takes one final goal with 10:12 left on the clock and Rhinos double their score over the Wranglers for a 4-2 lead, securing the victory in Game #1.
Saturday: El Paso Rhinos 2 @ Amarillo Wranglers 3 – Back at it again for Game #2 the Rhinos & Wranglers hit the ice! The puck dropped on the first period to a charged atmosphere as the Wranglers look to get revenge after yesterday’s defeat. Fights break out a few times this period but no scoring was tallied for either side, sending us in to the second period at 0-0. Domeniks Domokejevs takes the first goal just a few minutes in to the second and make it 1-0 before the action truly begins. The period closes out with the Wranglers in the lead but not before even more fists fly, putting us in to the third with more scrapes than scores. Jacob Miller doubles the score for the Wranglers just two minutes in to the second and Amarillo kept their lead for the majority of the period. Unfortunately for the Rhinos we take yet another penalty, giving the Wranglers a power play goal at just under ten minutes to go. Jake Boulanger takes the opportunity to make it 3-0 Amarillo. Kamden Kaiser puts the Rhinos on the board just a minute later with our first goal of the night and Tommy Shore takes another for two goals. Ultimately Amarillo’s defense held out and they’d take Game #2 with a 3-2 Victory.
