By Don Urquhart, Times Chronicle
The Osoyoos Coyotes ended their division playoff hopes on Friday, Feb. 24 with a 5-3 defeat at the hands of the North Okanagan Knights in game five of the seven-game series. It was a game well-played but the substantial effort by the Coyotes was just not enough to turn the tables on the Knights.
It’s been a rocky playoff series for the Coyotes, dropping their first two home games and then losing their first match on Knight’s home ice in Armstrong. With their backs against the wall facing elimination, they rallied last Wednesday, Feb. 22 with a 7-6 victory over the knights in overtime.
The Yotes needed a win on Friday to keep their hopes alive, but with a Knights goal at just 1:37 into the game, followed by another at 7:20, the scenario was looking very familiar to game one and two of the series.
But with only 30 seconds left in the period, Joe Davidson scored with a quick powerful wrist shot, sending the team into the dressing room on a high note.
While the first period featured some solid play, the second was an even better one to watch with some extended end-to-end play between the whistles.
Just over four minutes into the second period the Knights put another one past the Osoyoos’ goal keep Rhett Harkot to make it 3-1. Keeping the Yote’s hopes alive, Carter Yarish sunk one for the Coyotes making it 3-2, with both teams heading to their dressing rooms with anything still possible in the game.
The third period again saw some solid hockey being played with no goals scored until after halfway through the period. A one-on-one eventually saw the Knights add one to their tally making it a 4-2 game with less than 10 minutes left in regulation play.
Carter Yarish got another one past the Knights goaltender and again raised the hopes of players and the substantial crowd of 342 in attendance with a 4-3 score. Unfortunately, the Coyotes just couldn’t convert their impressive effort into another goal and eventually, the Knights gained an empty net goal in the final seconds of the game to make it a 5-3 final.
Frustration was clearly getting the better of the Coyotes and within the last minute of the game, the home team racked up four penalties.
The Knights will now face the Princeton Posse in the next round for the Bill Ohlhausen Division crown.
