Osoyoos Coyotes' winger Brandon Watson blasts one past Summerland Steam goaltender Connor DeMelo during a game at the Sun Bowl Arena on Friday, Feb. 17. After scoring two unanswered goals late in the third period, the Steam went on to win the game 5-3. A loss by the Penticton Lakers the same night secured first place in the KIJHL's Okanagan Division for the Coyotes, who host game one of a best-of-seven playoff series against Kelowna Friday night on home ice. Game two of the series will be played Saturday night in Osoyoos. Photo by Mathew White
A record crowd of 489 hockey fans made their way to the Sun Bowl Arena Friday night to see the Coyotes clinch first place in their division, despite suffering a tough loss.
The packed house was on hand to see the Coyotes go head-to-head with the Summerland Steam. Despite a 5-3 loss, a 3-2 loss by the Penticton Lakers at the hands of the Princeton Posse meant the Coyotes left the arena Friday night with the Okanagan Division regular season title for the second year in a row.
“It feels great,” said Ryan Gray, assistant coach with the Coyotes. “You play a long season so it’s what you want. It would have been nicer to secure it on our own, take fate into our own hands and get the two points that we wanted tonight to make that happen … but we’re happy with the end result.”
Gray admitted his players might have felt some pressure compared to the relaxed, already eliminated Summerland that brought about the 5-3 loss.
“We did know that they were going to come out strong,” said Gray. “They’re a relaxed team. This is the end of their season basically and they’re just out here to kind of throw us off course a little bit before we go to the playoffs.”
Friday’s game got off to a bit of a slow start, with Summerland carrying the majority of play early on. But just under three minutes into the first, Steve Sasyniuk opened up the scoring with a great goal following a scramble deep in the Steam’s zone.
Osoyoos would get their first power play a few minutes later, but despite a barrage of shots, nothing made it past Connor DeMelo.
Seconds after the Steam regained their fifth man, the Coyotes took their first penalty of the night, but unlike Summerland, Osoyoos wasn’t able to cap the pressure and Jordan McCallum managed to tie things up in the dying seconds of the power play, making this a 1-1 game going into the second.
“This team’s always got the motivation to try and keep up with the first-place team in the Okanagan Division,” said Gray.
The second period started out with a bang. After a bad turnover in the Steam’s zone, Brandon Watson took control of the puck and slipped one in top shelf, once again securing the lead for the pack.
Less than three minutes later, however, and coming off a great penalty kill, the Steam once again went on the attack and Brock McDonald managed to put one past Cole Buckley with some talented stick work, tying it up at 2-2.
For the next 10 minutes it would be nothing but countless missed opportunities for the Coyotes. Gray reiterated his players were feeling some pressure with the division on the line.
“Even though we’ve been doing it all year, it’s that extra added pressure to perform,” said Gray.
With just over seven minutes left in the second, Kendell Wilson blasted one in over Buckley’s shoulder, giving the Steam the lead for the first time of the night. The Steam nearly increased that lead to two with just over a minute left, but it was declared no goal due to an early whistle.
Five minutes into the third the pack managed to tie things up again with a stunning rebound shot at the hands of Alex Jewell.
Both teams really tightened up after that, only allowing a few penalties for the majority of the third. It wasn’t until there was less than five minutes left that the Steam’s Wilson would be break the tie with his second of the night.
NelsonBowman scored late securing the Steam a hard-earned 5-3 victory.
Including Saturday’s game, which saw the Coyotes edge the Penticton Lakers by a score of 3-2 in Penticton, the Coyotes finished the regular season with 65 points with a record of 31-18-1-2.
The Coyotes will be facing the Kelowna Chiefs in a best-of-seven series in the Okanagan Division semi-finals.
Game one will be held at the Sun Bowl Arena on Friday evening at 7:35 p.m.
Saturday night will feature game two, also at the Sun Bowl Arena.
