The Wranglers lost a tough overtime contest 2-1 to gain a point Friday and then dropped Saturday’s game 5-2.
Amarillo is struggling at the moment losing seven straight falling to 13-19-1-3 overall with 30 points. The Wranglers are six points out of the final playoff spot in the North American Hockey League South Division.
Amarillo will play host to the El Paso Rhinos this weekend at the Budweiser Bullpen. Puck drop 7:15, as they try to get back on track and capture the must needed points to make a valid playoff run.
Friday’s game
With only two players remaining from last season’s squad, a new head coach, and a win-thirsty crowd, the Wranglers were on the hunt for some much-needed points. This was the first engagement this season of these two teams.
The intensity on the ice was quantifiable when at the 18:54 mark of the first period and on a power play, Amarillo forward Jacob Miller was able to execute a cross pass to defenseman Sal Cerrato, who found line mate Ashton Breyer who hit the back of the net to give Amarillo an early 1-0 lead.
Amarillo maintained this slim lead going into the first intermission after some smash mouth and high intensity hockey. The Wranglers were wearing a special red, star studded, striped jersey for this weekend’s games. These special jerseys were auctioned to benefit the Butler Family after Saturday night’s game.
The Ice Wolves answered back at the 7:14 mark of the second period when Herman Asberg slapped one past Amarillo goalie Charlie Zolin.
Neither team scored in remaining regulation, thus forcing the most exciting overtime protocol in all sports – 3 on 3 hockey. With the taste of one point in Amarillo’s mouth, they wanted more. However, this game ended quickly in the 3-on-3, five-minute overtime when Ice Wolves forward Mayan Pai rifled one past Amarillo goalie Zolin to end this intense hockey game.
Zolin played like a cobra on Red Bull, saving 38-of-40 shots, taking the loss and dropping to 9-1.

Saturday’s game
It was kids’ appreciation night at the Budweiser Bullpen and the Amarillo hockey fans were out in full force hoping to see a rebound from the disappointing overtime loss the night before.
In front of one of the largest Amarillo crowds of this season, the Ice Wolves, who were “hungry like the wolf” scored two unanswered goals in the first period, giving them a 2-0 lead ending the first frame.
Captain Morley Phillips made the game interesting at the 5:59 mark of the second period to bring Amarillo within one goal.
Amarillo‘s point leader defenseman Salvatore Cerrato scored his 10th goal of the season, however that was not enough as Amarillo took it on the chin and lost their seventh game in a row 5-2.
Midway check-in
With 23 games left in the regular season and six points out of the playoffs, Amarillo has a challenging task ahead of them. One of those challenges is the volatility at the head coaching position.
There are players on this team who have played under five different head coaches in 32 games, which represents a little over a half a season. Also, there are only two players left from last season‘s roster who are on this current team.
These challenges make a playoff run that much more difficult. New coaches mean new systems, new systems need more time and with 23 games left in the season in the very tough NAHL South Division, Amarillo will need help from other teams for the Wranglers to succeed. The seven-game losing streak is the second longest losing streak in the Wranglers history and you have to go back to the inaugural season when Amarillo lost 11 games in a row.
Under the strong direction of president, general manager Harry Mahood, and new head coach Corey Wogtech with a plethora of new players, the new look, Amarillo Wranglers must find a way to execute those new systems quickly and to get the puck in the net.
Editor’s Note
Please listen for a special edition of 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.