The Wranglers saw another contest go to overtime getting a 3-2 victory on Friday then followed that up with a 4-1 statement win on Saturday.
Amarillo improves to 26-14-5-2 (59 points) to stay in fourth place just two points back of El Paso for third in the NAHL South Division.
Amarillo will have a busy upcoming weekend hosting Odessa on Friday and Saturday before traveling to play Oklahoma City for a Sunday matinee.
Friday Night
The first period saw a defensive battle as both goalies were perfect between the pipes. This game was scoreless after the first intermission, but early into the second period that changed when Jackie Ivy was able to execute a perfect cross pass to Grayson Gearhard, who then swatted the puck in between the pipes putting the Wranglers up 1-0.
The Ivey twins (Jack and Ben) have reached an important milestone in their junior hockey careers surpassing 100 career NAHL games over the weekend.
In the third with the game tied 2-2, a goalie clinic started as both Connor McDonagh for the Wranglers and Micheal Manzi for the Rhinos stood on their heads for another perfect period of goal tending leading to the Wranglers 18th overtime contest of the season.
Three minutes into the overtime period, Topi Puikkonen of the Wranglers was able to catch a beautiful feed from the assistant captain defenseman and recent University of Alaska Anchorage commit Nolan Gagnon to end this exhausting and exciting game giving Amarillo the 3-2 off the Puikkonen goal.
McDonough was magnificent between the pipes stopping 23-of-25 shots for his 20th win of the season. McDonough is now tied for the second most wins in the entire NAHL.
Saturday Night
Historically at the Budweiser Bullpen, the First Responder event has been one of the most exciting, electrified and important events of the hockey season. This night’s affair amplified this historic and traditional celebration.
The celebration began with one of the most unique, touching and important puck drops ever seen in the Budweiser Bullpen honoring first responders in the community, followed by a poignant and touching video tribute displayed on the Jumbotron.
El Paso started the scoring off at the 9:48 mark of the first period when Medrick Bolduc bounced the puck past Wrangler goalie McDonough giving the Rhinos a 1-0 lead, however that’s as good as things got for El Paso.
Special teams were the key for Amarillo when with 51 seconds left in the first period and the Wranglers in a power play Kyle DeMarco sniped one from the point to tie this game at 1-1 going into the first intermission.
The start of the second was more of the same when Amarillo received an unassisted goal from Puikkonen which was his 19th on the year putting the Wranglers up for good 2-1.
The Wranglers went on to score two more power play goals to wrap this game up in a statement victory. McDonough put on yet another goalie clinic while displaying his catlike reflexes in stopping 30-of-31 shots for his 21st win in net.
How Are They Now
I recently had a conversation with the most prolific scorer in Amarillo hockey history, Logan Jenuwine, as part of the 2018-19 Amarillo Bulls.
Jenuwine was a crucial member of arguably the most productive lines ever in Amarillo hockey that included Gabe Seger (Cornell) and Alex Peterson (U-Mass, Lowell).
Jenuwine is a senior playing Division I college hockey at American International College in Springfield, Mass.
Jenuwine’s scoring records still holds to this very day and there are some that say his 60-goal season will never be eclipsed. Jenuwine says he’s never forgotten his playing days back in Amarillo.
“My favorite year of hockey was in Amarillo,” Jenuwine said. “So, I’m always glad to do whatever I can to help grow the game there in Amarillo. The people in the community of Amarillo are so incredibly kind and giving, and that was the icing on the cake as part of my favorite year in hockey. I don’t know if I would be able to go back in time and accomplish a scoring record like that again. It was a magical time and it just seemed like every time I received a pass from Gabe Seger, it went into the net.”
Jenuwine is playing in his fifth season of hockey eligibility and is in the master’s program at American International College working on his MBA.
Editor’s Note
Please listen for Tommy Tee‘s weekly recap of the Amarillo Wranglers hockey on the “Drive at Five” with Lance Lahnert every Thursday afternoon at 5 p.m. exclusively on 102.9 FM the Panhandle Sports Star.