El Paso Rhinos
Encyclopedia
The El Paso Rhinos are a Junior "A" Tier III
ice hockey team, based in El Paso, Texas
. The Rhinos compete as part of the Mid-West Conference of the Western States Hockey League
(WSHL) they are the current Conference Champions and the USA Hockey Junior A National Silver Medalists. Their home games are played at the Events Center located within the El Paso County Coliseum complex
.
professional hockey player. The Buzzards had ceased operations in 2003 and Herman wanted to bring Ice Hockey back to the city of El Paso. The team began their first season as a Junior "B" Hockey Team and became a Junior "A" team just before the start of the 2007–08 season. The Rhinos youth hockey program also has teams from mini-mites to midget major AA. The Rhinos Organization has an affiliation to the Fairbanks Ice Dogs
of the NAHL.
The Rhinos presence in El Paso has been nothing short of a success. They have consistently set and shattered league records. In 2007–08 they led the league in attendance a trend that has continued into the 2008–09 season. They have also ended each of their seasons with players at the top of the WSHL leaderboards.
With several Rhinos returning to the team for the 2008–09 season as well as new acquisitions joining the team; the defending Thorne Cup Champions kicked off with a win against the Colorado Outlaws. This win set the stage for the rest of the season which saw unparalleled success. The team registered multiple shutouts against every team in their division.
The Rhinos finished the regular season with an impressive record of 45–3–1, not only leading the Mid-West division in points
(91) and wins, but the entire WSHL as well. They secured home ice advantage for the 2009 WSHL playoffs.
The Rhinos performance in the playoffs was excellent, they swept the Colorado Outlaws and the San Antonio Diablos to become the Mid-West Division Champions for a third straight season. In a rematch of the last two Thorne Cup Finals, the Rhinos faced off against the Phoenix Polar Bears
to defend their championship. Despite a great effort by the Rhinos, they lost in the finals without garnering a win. They were one of the two teams who represented the WSHL at the Junior A Nationals. At the close of the 08–09 season the Rhinos finished 1st in their division and 2nd in the WSHL overall.
notched his first shutout of the season. In their series against the Tulsa Rampage, Max Dizgun (G) earned his first shutout by blocking all 19 shots faced.. Nick Gualano (RW) set a new franchise record by scoring an impressive 6 goals in the third game of the series which ended in an 11–0 victory for the Rhinos. The Rhinos captured the division's top rank, coincidentally a rank held by the Rampage since the season's start. The "Rhino Charge" would continue through the next series in Week 5 against their soon-to-be rivals the New Mexico Renegades. Max Dizgun (G) notched his second shutout of the season in the team's first meeting with the Renegades. The Rhinos went on to sweep all 3 games against the Renegades, Erik Carvajal scored a career high 7 goals in 3 games.He later got injured and was forced to retire.
Following a successful test run during the '08–'09 playoffs the team announced on April 28, 2009 that a television deal was signed with Time Warner Cable. All of this season's home games will be broadcast on a tape-delayed
basis by Metrosports. The Rhinos' were victorious in their home opener against the Boulder Bison at the Sierra Providence Events Center in late October. They extended their winning streak
to 12 straight games, however the streak would not last as the Bison won the second game of the series. The loss would not go unanswered as the Rhinos finished out the week with a second win over Boulder, a game in which David Fegler (RW) scored a hat trick
.
A second meeting against the Renegades took place in Week 7 of the regular season. Just as they had during their first series against New Mexico, the Rhinos swept all three games again. This series was unique in that the first game of the series was played at home in El Paso, where they unveiled special Halloween
jerseys (auctioned off for charity); while the 2 remaining games were played in New Mexico
, with the booster club
joining them on the road for the Saturday game. The team will continue their road trip this weekend when they face off against Boulder.
on the ice and auction
them off to help raise funds for local and/or charitable causes. They have raised money for causes including, but not limited to: Susan G. Komen Breast Cancer Foundation
, Special Olympics
, and local youth hockey. The Rhinos also receive strong mutual support from the U.S. Military stationed at nearby Fort Bliss
. The Rhinos not only host Military Appreciation nights, but they also give free admission (courtesy of a local sponsor) to all Military personnel and their families.
Coach Herman was approached by Karrie Kern the CEO of the U.S. Branch of the Zimbabwe
Conservation Task Force, after seeing the team's bus in San Antonio, TX. During their conversation she told him the story of an orphaned rhinoceros
in Zimbabwe named Tatenda, and jokingly suggested the team adopt her as their mascot
. The Rhinos organization thought this was a great idea and so in November 2008 the team adopted Tatenda.
©
Junior ice hockey
Junior hockey is a catch-all term used to describe various levels of ice hockey competition for players generally between 16 and 20 years of age...
ice hockey team, based in El Paso, Texas
El Paso, Texas
El Paso, is a city in and the county seat of El Paso County, Texas, United States, and lies in far West Texas. In the 2010 census, the city had a population of 649,121. It is the sixth largest city in Texas and the 19th largest city in the United States...
. The Rhinos compete as part of the Mid-West Conference of the Western States Hockey League
Western States Hockey League
The Western States Hockey League is a Amateur Athletic Union-sanctioned Junior 'A' ice hockey league that has teams located in the Southwest and Western United States.-History:...
(WSHL) they are the current Conference Champions and the USA Hockey Junior A National Silver Medalists. Their home games are played at the Events Center located within the El Paso County Coliseum complex
El Paso County Coliseum
El Paso County Coliseum is a 5,250-seat multi-purpose arena, in El Paso, Texas. It opened on May 22, 1942 and seats up to 7,000 people, for concerts.-Late 1940s – 1970s:In addition to rodeo, many legendary music artists have performed here....
.
Team history
The Rhinos were founded in 2006 by Cory Herman, a retired former El Paso BuzzardsEl Paso Buzzards
The El Paso Buzzards were a professional ice hockey team. They were a member of the Central Hockey League. They played their home games at El Paso County Coliseum....
professional hockey player. The Buzzards had ceased operations in 2003 and Herman wanted to bring Ice Hockey back to the city of El Paso. The team began their first season as a Junior "B" Hockey Team and became a Junior "A" team just before the start of the 2007–08 season. The Rhinos youth hockey program also has teams from mini-mites to midget major AA. The Rhinos Organization has an affiliation to the Fairbanks Ice Dogs
Fairbanks Ice Dogs
The Fairbanks Ice Dogs is a Tier II Junior A ice hockey team in the North American Hockey League's West Division. The Ice Dogs play home games at the 2,200-seat Big Dipper Ice Arena in Fairbanks, Alaska...
of the NAHL.
The Rhinos presence in El Paso has been nothing short of a success. They have consistently set and shattered league records. In 2007–08 they led the league in attendance a trend that has continued into the 2008–09 season. They have also ended each of their seasons with players at the top of the WSHL leaderboards.
2006–07 Season (Junior B)
The El Paso Rhinos inaugural season saw them clinch the WSHL Midwest Division Title and finishing in second place with a record of 40–6–1. Two of the team's players Willhite (RW) and Jendras (F) were in the league's top ten scoring leaders. Goaltender Brennan was ranked third amongst the league's goalies with a GAA of 2.72.2007–08 Season (Junior A)
The Rhinos had a hard fought season that culminated at the WSHL finals. They finished up the season with a record of 48–1–2. After winning 6 straight games in the playoffs the team captured the Thorne Cup and became Champions of the WSHL in March 2008. Goaltender Natali closed his season with a No. 3 ranking in the WSHL with a GAA of 1.99. While Willhite (RW) and Kohn (RW) wrapped up in the league's scoring leader top ten. The team represented the WSHL at the National Tournament winning 2 of 3 games, but losing to the National Champions from New Hampshire.2008–09 Season (Junior A)
The Rhinos finished the regular season with an impressive record of 45–3–1, not only leading the Mid-West division in points
Point (ice hockey)
Point in ice hockey has three official meanings:* A point is awarded to a player for each goal scored or assist earned. The total number of goals plus assists equals total points. In some European leagues, a goal counts as two points, and an assist counts as one...
(91) and wins, but the entire WSHL as well. They secured home ice advantage for the 2009 WSHL playoffs.
The Rhinos performance in the playoffs was excellent, they swept the Colorado Outlaws and the San Antonio Diablos to become the Mid-West Division Champions for a third straight season. In a rematch of the last two Thorne Cup Finals, the Rhinos faced off against the Phoenix Polar Bears
Phoenix Polar Bears
The Phoenix Polar Bears are a USA Hockey-sanctioned Junior A Tier III ice hockey team based out of Phoenix, Arizona. Their host facility is the Desert Schools Coytotes Center in Chandler, Arizona...
to defend their championship. Despite a great effort by the Rhinos, they lost in the finals without garnering a win. They were one of the two teams who represented the WSHL at the Junior A Nationals. At the close of the 08–09 season the Rhinos finished 1st in their division and 2nd in the WSHL overall.
2009–10 Season (Junior A)
The Rhinos regular season kicked off while on the road with a 2–1 series win over the Boulder Bison. Early season momentum was definitely in effect for the Rhinos' second week where they swept the San Antonio Diablos 3–0. Aside from the team's offense stepping up their gameplay significantly, Andrew Duff (G)Goaltender
In ice hockey, the goaltender is the player who defends his team's goal net by stopping shots of the puck from entering his team's net, thus preventing the opposing team from scoring...
notched his first shutout of the season. In their series against the Tulsa Rampage, Max Dizgun (G) earned his first shutout by blocking all 19 shots faced.. Nick Gualano (RW) set a new franchise record by scoring an impressive 6 goals in the third game of the series which ended in an 11–0 victory for the Rhinos. The Rhinos captured the division's top rank, coincidentally a rank held by the Rampage since the season's start. The "Rhino Charge" would continue through the next series in Week 5 against their soon-to-be rivals the New Mexico Renegades. Max Dizgun (G) notched his second shutout of the season in the team's first meeting with the Renegades. The Rhinos went on to sweep all 3 games against the Renegades, Erik Carvajal scored a career high 7 goals in 3 games.He later got injured and was forced to retire.
Following a successful test run during the '08–'09 playoffs the team announced on April 28, 2009 that a television deal was signed with Time Warner Cable. All of this season's home games will be broadcast on a tape-delayed
Broadcast delay
In radio and television, broadcast delay refers to the practice of intentionally delaying broadcast of live material. A short delay is often used to prevent profanity, bloopers, violence, or other undesirable material from making it to air, including more mundane problems such as technical...
basis by Metrosports. The Rhinos' were victorious in their home opener against the Boulder Bison at the Sierra Providence Events Center in late October. They extended their winning streak
Winning streak (sports)
In sports, a winning streak refers to a consecutive number of games won. A winning streak can be held by a team, as in baseball, football, basketball, hockey, or by an individual, as in tennis...
to 12 straight games, however the streak would not last as the Bison won the second game of the series. The loss would not go unanswered as the Rhinos finished out the week with a second win over Boulder, a game in which David Fegler (RW) scored a hat trick
Hat Trick
Hat trick, hat-trick or hattrick may refer to:* hat-trick — in various sports, achieving three goals, wickets, etc. in a single match* Hattrick — online football management game** Hattrick Limited — producers of this game...
.
A second meeting against the Renegades took place in Week 7 of the regular season. Just as they had during their first series against New Mexico, the Rhinos swept all three games again. This series was unique in that the first game of the series was played at home in El Paso, where they unveiled special Halloween
Halloween
Hallowe'en , also known as Halloween or All Hallows' Eve, is a yearly holiday observed around the world on October 31, the night before All Saints' Day...
jerseys (auctioned off for charity); while the 2 remaining games were played in New Mexico
New Mexico
New Mexico is a state located in the southwest and western regions of the United States. New Mexico is also usually considered one of the Mountain States. With a population density of 16 per square mile, New Mexico is the sixth-most sparsely inhabited U.S...
, with the booster club
Booster club
A booster club is an organization that is formed to support an associated club, sports team, or organization. Booster clubs are popular in American schools at the high school and university level...
joining them on the road for the Saturday game. The team will continue their road trip this weekend when they face off against Boulder.
Community Outreach
The Rhinos frequently wear specialized jerseysHockey jersey
A hockey jersey, traditionally called a sweater , is a piece of clothing worn by hockey players to cover the upper part of their bodies. "Sweater" is the correct reference in Canada, despite the material...
on the ice and auction
Auction
An auction is a process of buying and selling goods or services by offering them up for bid, taking bids, and then selling the item to the highest bidder...
them off to help raise funds for local and/or charitable causes. They have raised money for causes including, but not limited to: Susan G. Komen Breast Cancer Foundation
Susan G. Komen Breast Cancer Foundation
Susan G. Komen for the Cure, formerly known as The Susan G. Komen Breast Cancer Foundation, often referred to as simply Komen, is the most widely known, largest and best-funded breast cancer organization in the US....
, Special Olympics
Special Olympics
Special Olympics is the world's largest sports organization for children and adults with intellectual disabilities, providing year-round training and competitions to more than 3.1 million athletes in 175 countries....
, and local youth hockey. The Rhinos also receive strong mutual support from the U.S. Military stationed at nearby Fort Bliss
Fort Bliss
Fort Bliss is a United States Army post in the U.S. states of New Mexico and Texas. With an area of about , it is the Army's second-largest installation behind the adjacent White Sands Missile Range. It is FORSCOM's largest installation, and has the Army's largest Maneuver Area behind the...
. The Rhinos not only host Military Appreciation nights, but they also give free admission (courtesy of a local sponsor) to all Military personnel and their families.
Coach Herman was approached by Karrie Kern the CEO of the U.S. Branch of the Zimbabwe
Zimbabwe
Zimbabwe is a landlocked country located in the southern part of the African continent, between the Zambezi and Limpopo rivers. It is bordered by South Africa to the south, Botswana to the southwest, Zambia and a tip of Namibia to the northwest and Mozambique to the east. Zimbabwe has three...
Conservation Task Force, after seeing the team's bus in San Antonio, TX. During their conversation she told him the story of an orphaned rhinoceros
Rhinoceros
Rhinoceros , also known as rhino, is a group of five extant species of odd-toed ungulates in the family Rhinocerotidae. Two of these species are native to Africa and three to southern Asia....
in Zimbabwe named Tatenda, and jokingly suggested the team adopt her as their mascot
Mascot
The term mascot – defined as a term for any person, animal, or object thought to bring luck – colloquially includes anything used to represent a group with a common public identity, such as a school, professional sports team, society, military unit, or brand name...
. The Rhinos organization thought this was a great idea and so in November 2008 the team adopted Tatenda.
2010–11 Player Stats
| Player Stats | |||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Name | # | GP | Goals | Ass. | PPG | PPA | SHG | SHA | GWG | GWA | PSG | ENG | SOG | PIMs | Pts |
| Tyler Beasley | 17 | 46 | 41 | 53 | 8 | 16 | 4 | 2 | 7 | 5 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 43 | 94 |
| Todd Thomas | 18 | 46 | 28 | 34 | 5 | 13 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 33 | 62 |
| Frankie Posillico | 9 | 45 | 21 | 34 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 12 | 55 |
| Tyler Benson | 3 | 44 | 14 | 19 | 8 | 5 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 94 | 33 |
| Ben Henne | 20 | 42 | 11 | 19 | 0 | 2 | 5 | 1 | 1 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 54 | 30 |
| Vinny Bohn | 2 | 46 | 10 | 19 | 2 | 6 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 50 | 29 |
| Garrett Poland | 16 | 46 | 5 | 20 | 2 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 6 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 28 | 25 |
| Tyler Ridgedell | 23 | 44 | 15 | 8 | 4 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 6 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 151 | 23 |
| Matt Tritsch | 8 | 19 | 13 | 6 | 1 | 3 | 2 | 0 | 4 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 20 | 19 |
| Mike Fazio | 15 | 12 | 5 | 11 | 3 | 3 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 15 | 16 |
| Mike Rivera | 28 | 18 | 6 | 10 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 16 |
| Gunner Bjorklund | 22 | 29 | 4 | 7 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 33 | 11 |
| Jackson Dorsey | 10 | 45 | 1 | 10 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 53 | 11 |
| Ryan Harrison | 14 | 28 | 5 | 6 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 22 | 11 |
| Brandon Roseboro | 12 | 30 | 1 | 7 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 23 | 8 |
| Juan Tellez | 25 | 14 | 5 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 7 |
| Chris Wilhite | 24 | 17 | 3 | 4 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 8 | 7 |
| Carter Achilles | 19 | 31 | 2 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 108 | 6 |
| Brent Grant | 21 | 24 | 0 | 6 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 6 |
| Trevor Anderson | 11 | 11 | 2 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 5 |
| Brett Polaski | 5 | 21 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 3 |
| Axle Anderton | 4 | 23 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 12 | 1 |
| Murray Bates | 17 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| Trent Casper | 30 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Eddie Fritz | 31 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Cory Herman | 18 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| Ryan Rivera | 1 | 6 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Goalie Stats | ||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Name | # | GP | Shots | GA | GAA | Save % | Goals | Ass. | PIMs | Pts | TOI | W | L | OTL |
| Trent Casper | 30 | 24(24) | 678 | 60 | 2.68 | 0.912 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 22:21:12 | 18 | 5 | 0 |
| Eddie Fritz | 31 | 2(8) | 18 | 0 | 0.00 | 1.000 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 01:01:12 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Ryan Rivera | 1 | 11(27) | 297 | 28 | 2.54 | 0.906 | 0 | 0 | 7 | 0 | 11:01:32 | 7 | 3 | 1 |
External links
- http://www.elpasorhinos.com/ – Official Team Website
- http://www.wshlhockey.org/ – Official League Website
- http://www.elpasohockey.org/ – El Paso Hockey Association