Fresh off a bye week, the El Paso Rhinos will look forward to taking on the Superior Roughriders at the Hospitals of Providence Events Center this weekend. The Roughriders hold an 8-9 record and have only managed to win two games on the road this season.
Both of these talented hockey squads have been known to get a little scrappy when it comes to playing each other, and the history can fill in the argument. The Rhinos have averaged 6.1 power plays per game, while the Riders average 7.8 power plays per game. The winner of this game will likely be determined by who is able to stay out of trouble, penalty-wise.
Although the Roughriders were able to sneak out a win in their most recent game against the Cheyenne Stampede, it is their only one in the past five outings against fellow WSHL competitors. The Rhinos have also struggled as of late, dropping their last two home games against the Wichita Jr. Thunder.
One player to look out for when attending the games this weekend is Rhinos’ defenseman Brennan Johnson. The Rhinos veteran has done a good job preventing fast breaks and challenging opposing teams’ offensive studs. Not to mention, Johnson also has scored a goal to go along with one assist, proving he can help out the team in all facets of the game. His game is aggressive, and his penalty minutes can back that statement up, but it’s definitely something the Rhinos need to stay competitive.
The Roughriders seem to have found a play-maker of their own in forward Kyle Reilly. The Colorado-native has constantly kept his team in games, and is on fire with 3 goals and 2 assists in the past five games alone. The Rhinos will need to constantly keep an eye on #23 because if they don’t, he will make their jobs even harder than they need to be.
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-Caleb Colmenero
