The El Paso Rhinos put the cherry on top of a magical 2017-18 season with a 3-2 win over the Ogden Mustangs at a sold out El Paso County Events Center on Sunday, securing the franchise’s third Thorne Cup title.
Western States Hockey League (WSHL) Tournament MVP Nikita Pintusov scored the go-ahead goal at the 2:10 mark of the third period and the Rhinos held on for the final minutes to conclude the season at 55-3-1.
The Rhinos trailed 1-0 early in the first period before the team was able to knot the game up at 1-1 halfway through the second period with a shot from JC Dubecky.
Leeam Tivers helped put El Paso ahead 2-1 with a netter at the 7:29 mark of the third period before Ogden was able to tie the game back up 11 seconds later.
Five minutes later following the Mustangs’ knotter, Pintusov became the hero of the night to give El Paso it’s third Thorne Cup (2007-08, 2013-14, 2017-18).
The Rhinos will return to the ice for the 2018-19 campaign in October.
