Saturday: El Paso Rhinos 4 @ Amarillo Wranglers 5 – We’ve reached the end of the year folks, but we’ve still got one more series to go! Rhinos are off to Amarillo this weekend to face off against the Wranglers for Game #1 of the final couple games of 2025! Wranglers take the early lead tonight with Jake Boulanger stealing the first goal of the night. Wranglers hold on to a 1-0 lead for the majority of the period but Brendan Murray ties it at 1-1 with just over five minutes to go. Amarillo doesn’t want this stalemate to last and Caden Hegarty takes back the lead, but with a last second goal from the Rhinos’ Tommy Shore we’re tied once more at 2-2.
After the exchange in blows in the first period we return to the ice after intermission where Amarillo decides they need to take the initiative. Boulanger and Hegarty both take two goals in under a minute past the halfway point in the game and double their lead to 4-2 over the Rhinos by the end of the second period. Deep in the third the Rhinos are looking for opportunities and Kamden Kaiser takes back-to-back goals, bringing the game back to another tie. With time ticking down and the board reading 4-4 the Wranglers make their final move with Kirill Evstigneev taking the game-winning goal with 6:23 left in the period.
Wranglers take Game #1 with a 5-4 lead over the Rhinos.
Sunday: El Paso Rhinos 5 @ Amarillo Wranglers 2 – Hot of the heel’s of last night’s game the Rhinos are back on Amarillo ice to try and take revenge! Potulny starts us off tonight at a little past ten minutes in to the first period for a 1-0 lead with Rhinos out in front. Amarillo picks up the slack and just a few minutes later Ty Izadi brings it back to a tie with a goal at the 6:56 mark. Despite this temporary setback, the Rhinos bring it back with Ethan Woolcott taking back the lead just over a minute later. At the end of the first period it was Rhinos 2 – Wranglers 1.
Troy Hunka furthers the Rhino advantage early in the second period, followed minutes later by Chase Nyitray to put us up 4-1 over the Wranglers. With the second period coming to a close the Rhinos keep the Wranglers at bay and we’d return to the ice in the third period with a sizable lead. Daniel Rassega gives Amarillo their second goal of the day deep in the third, but unfortunately for them this’d be their last. With one final goal from Potulny the Rhinos secure a 5-2 victory for Game #2, splitting the final series of 2025.
