Bryson Garska, who scored the winning overtime goal Saturday, had a number of near misses earlier in the game. Pictured here, he zooms in on Sicamous goalie Koltin Dodge in the first period. The puck hit Dodge on the pad and deflected wide. (Richard McGuire photo)

UPDATE: Princeton had an overtime loss Monday night in its game with the North Okanagan Knights. It gains one point for this, technically putting Princeton back in third place. The Posse and the Coyotes are now tied at 17 points each, but Princeton still has one game in hand.

They say that all’s well that ends well, and at the end of Saturday’s home-ice game against Sicamous, the Coyotes scored the game’s only goal in overtime to vault into third place in the Okanagan Division.

But the Coyotes didn’t play well in their two weekend games, losing 4-1 in Summerland Friday night, to end their six-game winning streak, and playing sloppily Saturday at the Sun Bowl Arena.

The only saving grace for the Coyotes Saturday night was that the Sicamous Eagles didn’t play much better and neither team was able to score until the second period of overtime.

The Coyotes performed respectably in the first period, coming close a few times as they kept the pressure on Sicamous, but the second period was painful to watch.

At times, it was more reminiscent of bad minor hockey as the Coyotes seemed incapable of holding onto the puck and their passes often ended up on Eagles players’ sticks. Sicamous outshot Osoyoos 16-5 that period as the Coyotes stayed hemmed in their own end much of the time.

Bryson Garska scored the winning goal for Osoyoos 18 seconds into the second overtime period. Brandon Della Paolera and Peter Michailides, who together have performed well in recent games, got the assists.

Coyote goalie Daniel Paul, who faced 41 shots, earned another shutout, his third since Oct. 26.

With the win, the Coyotes squeaked out a single-point lead over the Princeton Posse, replacing them in third place in the Okanagan Division with 17 points to the Posse’s 16.

But that lead could be short lived. The Posse has two games in hand and they face the last-place North Okanagan Knights on Monday. A win for Princeton would push the Coyotes back into fourth place.

In Friday’s game in Summerland, Linden Gove scored two goals in the first period to put the Steam ahead 2-0.

In the second period, Ryan Allen, a former Coyote, made it 3-0. He scored again in the third period while Coyote Bryson Rody was in the penalty box for hooking.

Finally, with just over three minutes remaining in the third period, Della Paolera put the Coyotes onto the scoreboard. Steve Sauer, who was picked up from Princeton in a mid-October trade for Levi Holz, got the assist.

With Summerland now firmly positioned in second place, and the phenomenal Kelowna Chiefs with a virtually untouchable lead in first place, the stage has been set for an Osoyoos-Princeton rivalry for third place that could last for the rest of the season.

A third-place finish for the Coyotes would very likely mean they would face the Summerland Steam in the first playoff round in a challenging, but not impossible series.

Fourth place, on the other hand, would mean almost certain death at the hands of coach Ken Law’s unstoppable Chiefs.

It’s possible that North Okanagan could recover to challenge the Coyotes and Posse, but at this point, with only 10 points, prospects for the Knights aren’t looking good.

In addition to their Monday game against the Knights, Princeton also has a chance to recover its lead over Osoyoos when they play the Kimberley Dynamiters this Friday. The Dynamiters, who lead the Eddie Mountain Division, will be a tougher challenge for them, however.

Then this Saturday, the Coyotes face the Posse in Princeton in a game that will further establish the pecking order between the two rival teams.

The Coyotes then play their only remaining November home-ice game next Wednesday, Nov. 21 when they host the struggling Knights.

RICHARD McGUIRE

Osoyoos Times

Bryson Garska, who scored the winning overtime goal Saturday, had a number of near misses earlier in the game. Pictured here, he zooms in on Sicamous goalie Koltin Dodge in the first period. The puck hit Dodge on the pad and deflected wide. (Richard McGuire photo)

Bryson Garska, who scored the winning overtime goal Saturday, had a number of near misses earlier in the game. Pictured here, he zooms in on Sicamous goalie Koltin Dodge in the first period. The puck hit Dodge on the pad and deflected wide. (Richard McGuire photo)

Brandon Della Paolera, who assisted on the winning overtime goal, had several great scoring opporunities. On this one in the first period, he missed the net. (Richard McGuire)

Bryson Garska and Brandon Della Paolera chase after the puck in the Sicamous end during the first period. (Richard McGuire photo)

Brock Marple (No. 15) chases the puck in front of the Sicamous net in the second period, but he missed it. (Richard McGuire photo)

Osoyoos goalie Daniel Paul reaches for the puck as Sicamous keeps the Coyotes hemmed in their end in the second period. Sicamous outshot the Coyotes 16-5 in that period and the Coyotes seemed unable to hold onto the puck. (Richard McGuire photo)