Friday: El Paso Rhinos 5 @ Louisiana Drillers 6 – We’re off to Lafayette this weekend for a 3-game series against the Louisiana Drillers! Rhinos cede the first point of the night to the Drillers as they score at just under six minutes. Joseph May brings the game to a 1-1 tie for the Rhinos a few minutes later, just before the Drillers take the lead once more for a 2-1 lead before the first period is out. Rocco Romita brings us back to a tie at the start of the second period right before Nick Jones steals the lead. For the next few minutes Rhinos would lead 3-2, but for a third time today we’d see a tie as the Drillers bring it back to 3-3. With one final goal before the period is out Drillers take the lead once more. The puck drops on the third period and right out of the gate the Drillers take their 5th goal of the night. Now at a 2-point deficit it would be on the Rhinos to bring it back. Joseph Gutierrez & Rocco Romita take on the challenge and tie up the game one last time, sending us into overtime. Unfortunately neither team was able to score in extra time, and we’d move on to shootouts where the Drillers took the game 6-5.
Saturday: El Paso Rhinos 2 @ Louisiana Drillers 6 – With both teams returning to the rink for day 2, Rhinos & Drillers are at it once more! Drillers take the lead first in the same fashion as yesterday, but the Rhinos’ Rocco Romita snaps back to tie up the game at 1-1 before the period is out. Zach Marsell takes us into the lead this second period, but unfortunately this would be the last time Rhinos would be on the board tonight as the Drillers’ Jake Bergstorm ties it up at 2-2 again. The third period would be all Louisiana, taking four goals over the course of the period to take a 6-2 victory.
Sunday: El Paso Rhinos 2 @ Louisiana Drillers 1 – For the last game of the series Rhinos & Drillers square off on the ice and gave it their all. Offense & Defense clash on both sides in the first period to no avail, giving us a scoreless period headed into the second. Drillers took the lead late in the second as Johnathon Berndt scores a last minute goal to give them a 1-0 lead over the Rhinos. The same would occur but in reverse in the third as Rhinos take a late game goal with two minutes left on the clock thanks to Joseph May, tying up the game and sending us into overtime. Even in overtime neither team was able to score and we head into a shootout where Donovan Bradford takes the game-winning goal, giving Rhinos a 2-1 victory.
