The El Paso Rhinos edged the Boulder Bison, 4-3, taking two of the three games played against the Bison in Boulder, CO, this weekend.
The win improves El Paso to 18-3-0 (36 points), dropping the Bison to 11-7-0 (22 points).
Following his Texas hat trick in the Rhinos 9-3 win over their hosts Saturday night, Nick Gualano opened the scoring at 5:55 of the first period.
Boulder’s Mark Owen put home a power play goal less than a minute later to the game at 6:53. But Austin Balko gave El Paso the lead on the man advantage with just 1:21 left in the opening frame.
After a scoreless second period, the Bison’s Jordan Roberts tied things again, 2-2, with a short-handed goal just 1:18 into the third.
This time, it was the visitor’s turn to score quickly, as Donald Geary scored at 2:37.
The Rhinos’ Navarone Copley got the game-winner just over two minutes later, and, despite a late goal from Boulder’s Ryan Gauthier, scored with an empty Bison net, El Paso was able to hang on for the hard-fought win.
The Rhinos are now 6-3 against Boulder in a series that is already turning into one of the biggest rivalries in the Mid-West Division of the Western States Hockey League.
El Paso returns home in time for classes Monday morning, playing next in Albuquerque against the New Mexico Renegades on Friday, Nov. 13, before returning to the Sierra Providence Events Center for the last two games of the weekend series, Saturday and Sunday, Nov. 14-15.
Those games will be televised the day after each game is played on MetroSports, Time Warner Cable ch. 24. Time Warner digital subscribers can also watch Rhinos Hockey on MetroSports On-Demand, digital cable ch.
832.
Fans can also watch the game streamed live through the Rhinos website, www.elpasorhinos.com <http://www.elpasorhinos.com/>. For tickets and information, go to the Rhinos’ website or call 915/479.PUCK (7825).
