Friday: El Paso Rhinos 6 @ Atlanta Capitals 3 – We’re on the road this week as we head on over to Duluth to face off against the Atlanta Capitals. The first period is full of rising tensinons as both teams’ defense prevent any scoring, sending us into the second at 0-0. Rhinos take the second period by storm as Koltan Plant and Kacper Gach take some early goals and make it 2-0 for the Rhinos before the four-minute mark. Donovan Bradford follows behind a few minutes later to make it 3, and yet another goal from Gach as we make it 4-0 by the 10:15 mark in the first period. At just past 13 minutes into the period the Capitals finally get on board with a goal of their own and we’d head into the second period with a 4-1 lead for the Rhinos. With the Capitals now playing catch up Riley Erickson attempts to cut the Rhinos lead, making it 4-2 with Rhinos still out in front, but Gach comes in with a hattrick to make it 5-2. For the next few minutes both teams would trade blows and Erickson would score the Capitals’ final goal of the night. But with some time still left on the clock Jake Bamback would take the final goal of the Game for the Rhinos to end the game with a whopping 6-3 victory over the Capitals.
Saturday: El Paso Rhinos 3 @ Atlanta Capitals 4 – Game #2 is on tonight as the Capitals come back for revenge over last night’s defeat at the hands of the Rhinos. Capitals make a quick play early in the first period at just 12 seconds into the game to take a lightning fast goal, stealing the early game lead over the Rhinos. Now the Capitals go on the defense to hold the line as Jackson Black puts up an wall to keep the Rhinos at bay for the rest of the period. After intermission we return to the ice as Atlanta maintains a 1-0 lead over El Paso. With the second period now in full swing we spend the first few minutes duking it out with no clear advantage. At the ten-minute mark we see an explosive battle take place with both teams trading scores back and forth. Jake Bamback for the Rhinos, then Riley Erickson for the Capitals, followed by Kacper Gach for the Rhinos again all in the span of a minute. At the end of it all we arrive at a 2-2 stalemate for a few minutes until we see blows traded again as Brooks Fegers & Nick Marci take one each for the Rhinos and Capitals respectively, ending the period at a 3-3 tie. Ultimately it would be Gibby Medina to take the game-winning goal for the Capitals at the 8:27 mark in the third period.
Sunday: El Paso Rhinos 4 @ Atlanta Capitals 2 – With one final game on the line to decide the winner of the series the Rhinos and Capitals are eager to settle the score. Capitals are eager tonight as Landon Thiessen takes a point at just under seven minutes into the period. The game progresses normally for the next few minutes and momentum swings in the Rhinos’ favor as Kacper Gach ties it up at 1-1 at just past ten minutes. The pace slows down here in the latter half of the period until the last two minutes where the Capitals & Rhinos both take a point each to make it 2-2 at the end of the first. The Caps fought hard in the second period but Rhino offense whittles them down and by the 17 minute mark Gach takes his second of the night followed by Donovan Bradford in the closing moments of the night to make it 4-2. With Dylan Newton holding down the Rhinos’ net in the third period and preventing any opposing scoring, El Paso takes Game #3 wih a 4-2 victory.
