Friday: El Paso Rhinos 2 @ West Texas Wranglers 3 – Our boys are out on the road this weekend, heading over to Amarillo for the first of two games! Carter Lehmann starts us off tonight just three minutes in to the period for our first goal. Rhinos held on to this lead for a couple minutes but unfortunately takes a penalty and cedes the man advantage to the Wranglers. Cutter Daniel seizes the opportunity to tie up the game with a power play goal and we’re at 1-1 with both sides vying for control. Caelen Cross takes one more for the Wranglers with just 47 seconds left on the clock.
Wranglers head in to the second with a 2-1 lead after intermission, but there’s still plenty of game ahead. Though this period would only see one goal from Lehmann to tie up the game at 2-2 off a powerplay. That combined with no score changing in the third period sends us into extra time. Cutter Daniels steals the show with 42 seconds to go in extra time and Wranglers take this one with a 3-2 lead.
Saturday: El Paso Rhinos 5 @ West Texas Wranglers 3 – Rhinos & Wranglers return to the rink tonight for the start of the second game. Justin Fielden starts off the game today with 11:23 left in the first, but this would merely be the spark the Rhinos’ needed to snap back in to action. With just over six minutes to go in the first the Rhinos get their golden ticket: A penalty on the Wranglers provides ample opportunity for a power play. Rhinos kick it in to high gear taking not just one, but THREE goals in quick succession. Carter Tulpin, Nick Nunez, & Jaxon McKnight all score goals within this one power-play, rounding out the period with a whopping 3-1 lead over the Wranglers.
Second period has the Wranglers playing catch up, but only one point comes through with Cutter Daniel taking a goal at just over three minutes into the second. 3-2 now with Rhinos out in front and the third period approaches. Tulpin earns himself a hattrick this period and widens the gap to 5-2 halfway through the third and the Wranglers scramble to bring it back. Amarillo does manage to take one final goal in the last minute of the game with Nathan Zane taking the final point, but it’s not enough
