Friday: El Paso Rhinos 6 @ New Mexico Ice Wolves 5 – Semi Finals are upon us as the New Mexico Ice Wolves host the first two games in Albuquerque! First plays of the night are explosive with both sides trading blows and possession of the puck. Ice Wolves are unlucky and find themselves on the short end of a power play, allowing Ethan Woolcott to take the first goal of the night just five minutes in to play. Deep in the period, the Ice Wolves’ Sean Smith ties it back up at 1-1 just a couple minutes before Jacob Solano steals back the lead for the Rhinos, putting us up 2-0 at the end of the first.
New Mexico takes to the locker room for a strategy meeting and returns to the second period with a new plan in mind. Andrey Moskvitin and Nayan Pai spearhead this new attack plan and take two goals to turn the game in their favor in the opening half of the second. With the score now 3-2 the Rhinos’ Ian Kastamo puts us back in the running at 3-3. With the clock running down Ice Wolves send out Nayan Pai yet again for a powerplay goal to position them square in the lead at 4-3 by period’s end.
One more to go and Brock Fairbanks hits an insurance goal for the Wolves who now lead 5-3 over the Rhinos, but this wouldn’t be the end as just over a minute later Woolcott cuts the lead back to within one point. With just over a minute to go in regulation time it would be Kamden Kaisser who would save the game by taking one final goal to tie up the game at 5-5, sending us in to over time.
Overtime woudl be quick though as Alexander Stephen comes through with a Game-Winning goal early in extra time.
Rhinos take Game #1 with a 6-5 win over the Ice Wolves.
Rhinos also lead in shots on goal 42 to Ice Wolves’ 29, goaltender Michael Modelski saving 24
Saturday: El Paso Rhinos 5 @ New Mexico Ice Wolves 2 – Game #2 is a-go here in Albuquerque as your El Paso Rhinos are ready to follow through after last night’s win to see if they can take another!
First period is anything but boring as these two teams clash once more on New Mexico Ice. Tensions boiled over at the halfway point in the period as a Holding Minor on Kamden Kaiser leads to some fighting just a couple minutes later. Rhinos come out on top of the scrap with a powerplay opportunity where Tommy Shore takes the first, and only goal of the period, putting us up 1-0 headed in to first intermission.
Jeremy Sprung answers back early in the second period for the Ice Wolves and takes an early goal to tie us at 1-1. It wouldn’t be until the closing moments of the second period where anyone would score again with Woolcott temporarily taking back the lead for the Rhinos just before another Ice Wolves goal from Jake Kasay. 2-2 at the end of the second period but this would be the Ice Wolves’ last chance in the spotlight.
More brawling occured early in the third period, allowing the Rhinos another chance on a powerplay to break away with the lead as Jacob Solano earns himself a goal off a power play to take the lead. Woolcott takes yet another goal with just two minutes to go in the third, followed by Alexander Stephen off an empty net to take our fifth goal of the night.
Rhinos take Game #2 with a 5-2 lead over the Ice Wolves, and now we wait for the conclusion back in Rhino Country.
Friday (Apr. 24th): New Mexico Ice Wolves 2 @ El Paso Rhinos 3 – Ice Wolves are in Rhino Country this week to take on our boys on Home Ice for what could potentially be the last game of the series! First period is action-packed with slashing, elbowing, kneeing, and general roughing penalties handed out like Halloween candy as both teams go to war. Fighting broke out once more in the last minutes of the period, sending us in to the second with a 0-0 score.
Aidan Bergner uses the first intermission to prepare himself and comes back to the ice after puck drop to take a goal in just under two minutes, putting the Rhinos up 1-0 with 18:15 left on the clock.. New Mexico answers in kind and sends out Sloan Farmer who brings the game back to a tie with a goal of his own. 1-1 now and to nobody’s surprise, yet another fight begins with even more penalties handed out. Rhinos come out of this battle with the man advantage and Ethan Woolcott takes the opportunity to steal back the lead. Unfortunately the Ice Wolves regain their strength and temporarily overwhelm the Rhinos with a man advantage of their own and Sean Smith snags himself a goal, tying us again, this time at 2-2.
Both teams head to the locker rooms for one more intermission and with stamina running low decide to lock in for the third period. For the Rhinos, should they win here the series would end in their favor, but for the Ice Wolves the entire season hinges on this one period to see if we move on to game 4. The puck is thrown up and down the ice with control shifting hands to no avail. We remain locked at 2-2 as time runs down, sending us into overtime where Jacob Solano would steal the game-winning goal.
Rhinos take Game #3 to end the series on home ice, advancing to the South Division finals.
