Rhinos rip the Runners, 8-3

New Mexico Runners goalkeeper Nate Yeager sprawls to make a save Saturday in his team’s 8-3 loss to visiting El Paso. (Photo courtesy of Vince Maisano)

RIO RANCHO – Thanks to the inclement weather that postponed the New Mexico Runners’ trip to Amarillo on I-40 on Sunday, they lost only one game – on Feb. 10, which kicked off in the Rio Rancho Events Center after that day’s morning snowfall was only a memory.

The visiting El Paso Rhinos (4-3) scored three goals in the opening period, then two more in the second for a commanding 5-0 lead at intermission.

About two minutes into the second stanza, the Runners’ Vince Aragon spoiled the Rhinos’ shutout bid with a goal, and less than five minutes later, he found the net again to slice the lead to 5-2. Aragon, with 11 goals, leads New Mexico in scoring.

Undaunted by the Aragon tallies, El Paso scored the next three goals to make it 8-2, with Colton Oord closing out the game’s scoring with 4:45 left to play to make it 8-3.

Runners (1-6) goalkeeper Nate Yeager earned three of his 11 saves in the second frame, and by game’s end has saved more than 50 percent of shots on goal four times this year.

The win drops New Mexico to 1-6 and still in last place of the Midwest Division, while the Rhinos are in second place with two wins so far over the Runners, who get an opportunity to even the season record with two games slated for Feb. 24-25 in El Paso.

Those are the Runners’ next games; they close out the season – still hoping to eclipse the four wins they have in each of their first four seasons – at home March 3 vs. first-place Wichita and March 17 vs. fourth-place Kansas.

For an interesting look at a recent Runners’ road trip to Wichita, Kan., visit the Runners’ Facebook page. The roadie was 9-10 hours each way, via two vans for the players and staff, plus team owner Andres Trujillo.