Saturday: Ice Hawks 3 @ El Paso Rhinos 4 – Rhinos & Ice Hawks took to the ice this weekend for the start of a new series. Ice Hawks snag the first goal of the night as Aaron Best scores 13:22 into the first period. Zachary Ware retaliates for the Rhinos with less than two minutes left in the period, bringing the game to a 1-1 tie going into the second. Lucas Helland of the Ice Hawks brings one more goal not too long after the teams retake the ice. This would not go unanswered as Connor Thompson and Payne Pent score two more goals for the Rhinos. Robby Rabroker brings the game to another tie halfway through the final period as the Ice Hawks score once more. Unfortunately for the Ice Hawks Caden Butler gets the puck in the net as the Rhinos take the lead yet again. The night ends with a well earned 4-3 victory for the Rhinos.
Sunday: Ice Hawks 4 @ El Paso Rhinos 3 – The Second game of the series sees Ice Hawks taking a 4-3 victory over the Rhinos. The early game belongs to the Ice Hawis as Tyler Larsen brings us the first goal of the night. Jakob Holley doubles the Ice Hawks’ score to 2-0 over the Rhinos before Kaiden Hafele cuts the lead in half, ending the second period at 2-1 with the Ice Hawks out in front. Zachary Ware finds a goal at the beginning of the third period as he brings the Rhinos back into the fight at a 2-2 tie. Garrett Conner and Richard Indermill break the tie with two more goals for the Ice Hawks, doubling their lead once more. Ware cuts the lead one final time with the final goal of the night for the Rhinos.
Monday: Ice Hawks 2 @ El Paso Rhinos 4 – After last night’s Ice Hawk victory the series is pushed into Game 3. Connor Thompson is the first to strike giving the Rhinos the first point of the night deep into the first period. Lucas Helland answers shortly after, scoring his own goal for the Ice Hawks. The first period ends with a 1-1 tie. Noah Henslee puts the Ice Hawks temporarily in the lead before Zachary Ware scores for the Rhinos, bringing the game to one more tie at 2-2. Tristen Elmhurst didn’t let the game sit even for too long as he pushes the Rhinos to a 3-2 lead over the Ice Hawks at the end of the second period. With the game all tied the third period was a grueling fight as both teams tried their hardest to end the stalemate. In the final minute of the game Tristen Elmhurst scores one last time, putting the Rhinos on top of the Ice Hawks to end the game.
El Paso Rhinos will advance to Round 2 of the Fraser Cup Playoffs.
