El Paso Rhinos team captain Nick Gorup notched the eventual game-winner with three minutes left in the third as the Rhinos outlasted the Dallas Hawks, 3-2, at The Igloo in Addison, TX, Saturday night.
Goaltender Andrew Duff picked up the win for the visitors as El Paso continues to increase its lead on idle Tulsa. The Rhinos earned their 30th win and lead the Mid-West Division of the Western States Hockey League over the Rampage by 14 points (30-2-1 for 61 points to Tulsa’s 23-10-1 and 47 points).
After a scoreless first period, El Paso opened up the scoring with a power play blast from defenseman Drew Montague at 9:03 of the second. But that was followed just 40 seconds later by the Hawks’ Justin Kuzki’s goal to tie the game. However, Zach Goller scored unassisted at 15:19 to give El Paso a lead it would not relinquish.
Gorup scored at 17:00 of the third, but the home team wasn’t done as the Hawks’ R.J. Preisser put one more past Duff at 18:19.
Duff gets his 10th win of the season, though, stopping 18 of 20 Dallas shots. The Rhinos outshot their hosts, 57-20.
El Paso wraps up its visit to the Metroplex with a Sunday afternoon game against the Texas Renegades in Fort Worth.
