Friday: El Paso Rhinos 4 @ Tulsa Jr. Oilers 2 – Rhinos take a trip on over to Tulsa, Oklahoma this weekend as the Jr. Oilers play host to the first of a 3-game series! The Puck Drops here on Oiler Ice and Rhinos are out to try and strike it rich as Kacper Gach takes the first goal of the night in just 14 seconds. This crude tactic put the Oilers on edge and start aggressively pushing back into Rhino territory. Cooper Smolin would be the first to break ground for the Oilers to take a goal at the 4:31 mark, tying up the game at 1-1. El Paso isn’t out of gas just yet this period though as Brooks Fegers snatches the lead away folllowed up by Francesco Sabato with yet another goal just a few minutes later. At the end of the first period the Rhinos would be up 3-1 over the Oilers. The game enters its second period and the temperature returns to a simmer as both teams find their pace. Malachi Clark makes it 3-2 as the Oilers take the one and only goal of the period, sending us in to the third. As the game winded down and the score looked to be unchanging, one final goal by Derrick Pendersen gave the Rhinos their fourth goal of the night. Rhinos take Game 1 with a 4-2 lead over the Oilers.
Saturday: El Paso Rhinos 0 @ Tulsa Jr. Oilers 1 – Rhinos & Oilers are back at it again tonight as the puck drops for Game #2! Prospects looked thin this game with an uneventful, scoreless first period. Goaltenders Brayden Macko and Andersen Weimer for the Rhinos and Oilers respectively both display wonderful defensive prowess, sending us into the second period at 0-0. Uneventful would be a poor descriptor for the second as we see penalties being dished out left and right. Both El Paso and Tulsa players try to kick the game into a higher gear but end up butting heads instead. Unfortunately for both teams, their opponent’s goaltender held firm and we’d see yet another scoreless period. With the puck dropping on the third the Oilers saw an opportunity and Malachi Clark capitalizes to put the Oilers square in the lead. The rest of the game was keep-away for Tulsa, playing hard defense to hold on to their meager lead. In the end, the Oilers’ strategy pays off and they take Game #2 with a 1-0 win over the Rhinos.
Sunday: El Paso Rhinos 6 @ Tulsa Jr. Oilers 2 – A Midday game is upon us and the mood has changed: Rhinos & Oilers now know their opponent and plan to leave all of it on the ice today to see who’ll come out on top of the series. The puck drops and sparks fly, causing an explosion of energy as both teams are going full speed right out of the gate. Derrick Pendersen takes the first goal of the day for The Rhinos, followed just a few minutes later by Austin Tyler for the Oilers. At 5:24 into the first period we’re tried at 1-1, and for the next few minutes that would remain. The clock hits 11:13 and Grant Norkiewicz steals the lead and Rhinos are ahead once more. Just a minute later Max Anderson makes it 3-1, and another by Ethan McKnight makes it 4-1. Oilers try to bring momentum back in their favor and answer back with a goal by their own Willy Fischer to round out the first period at 4-2 in favor of the Rhinos. The second period was eerily quiet, the puck sliding back and force across the ice but neither team able to break through their opponent’s defense. After the second intermission we return one last time as Nicholas Maffeo takes another goal for the Rhinos. This 5-2 lead stood for the majority of the period until Pendersen took his second of the night to make it 6-2, Rhinos, at the end of the period. El Paso takes Game #3 and comes out on top of the series over the Oilers with this 6-2 victory.
