Teams: El Paso Rhinos (13-23-2-1, 29pts) vs. Wichita Falls Warriors (19-14-5-2, 45pts)
Where: Kay Yeager Coliseum
Times: 7:05 CST
Broadcast: HockeyTV.com (HOME)
The last time these two teams played, they split the weekend series back in mid-January at the El Paso County Events Center. The Warriors grabbed the first win with a score of 8-0. Harguindeguy and Riley Brueck collected a hat-trick in the chippy and messy affair with 16 individual penalties assessed at the 13:44 mark of the third period with seven major penalties handed out in total for the third period.
The Rhinos took the second game with a 5-2 score with a shortened Warriors bench. El Paso collected 78 penalty minutes, 50 more than the Warriors collected that night.
In the Hunt:
Wichita Falls is sitting 4th in the South Division for the final playoff spot and is three points ahead of Corpus Christi. The Warriors are currently 7-2-1-0 in their last ten games and are on a three-game winning streak after sweeping the Wranglers for the third time this season.
Bottom of the Table:
The Rhinos are 16 points behind the Warriors and sit last in the South Division. In their first year in the NAHL, they’ve been trying to find the right combination of players, making transactions right up until the deadline. It will be a different-looking team than the one we saw for our first series against the Rhinos.
Offense from the Blueline:
Vincent Corcoran is leading all NAHL defenseman in scoring with 5 goals 28 assists for 33 points. Owen Baumgartner is ninth with 26 points, seven goals, and 19 assists.
Tornqvist has been playing solid from the blueline, with his 11 goals in 32 games, putting him third in NAHL Defenseman goal scoring. Look for these three players to lead the charge when the Warriors get set up in the offensive zone.
Pair of Rookies:
Rookies Johnathan Horn and Matt Johnson have led the charge offensively for the Rhinos throughout their roster changes. They are both first and second in team scoring, with seven of their ten leading scorers are playing in their first NAHL season.
This Weekend:
Armored Roofing will be the presenting sponsor for this weekend. We have BUY ONE GET ONE 50% off tickets purchasable at the box office for both Friday and Saturday. We’ll have a silent auction for some game-worn jerseys and door giveaways, so grab a loved one and come out to Kay Yeager Coliseum.
Written by: Scott Masom
