Brett Jewell (right) fires the puck from close range into the back of the net behind 100 Mile House goalie Kristian Stead. This second goal in the first period was the game winner for the Coyotes, who beat the Wranglers 3-1. (Richard McGuire photo)
The Osoyoos Coyotes easily beat the hapless North Okanagan Knights 4-0 Sunday in Armstrong following a 3-1 win over 100 Mile House at home Friday.
The Knights are barely hanging on to life at the bottom of the Okanagan Division of the Kootenay International Junior Hockey League (KIJHL). Their record is almost the mirror image of the Coyotes’.
The Knights have managed only five wins this entire season along with 29 losses and a handful of overtime losses and a tie.
With the weekend’s games, the Coyotes now sit well ahead of other teams in the league with 32 wins, six losses and one overtime loss for a total of 65 points.
With only 13 more games in the regular season, four of them against the Knights, it would take a major catastrophe for the Osoyoos team not to finish in first place.
In Friday night’s game against 100 Mile House, Brett Anderson opened the scoring late in the first period. This was Anderson’s first goal of the season and the first of two he scored this weekend – a good weekend for a player known more for penalty minutes than goals.
Anderson was assisted by rookie and new Coyotes’ Bailey Shaver and Tyler Ostrom.
With 10 seconds remaining in the first period, the Coyotes made it 2-0 when Brett Jewell fired a shot from close range into the back of the net. He was assisted by Jackson Glimpel and Nolan Zweep.
The only goal of the second period went to 100 Mile House, who ruined Coyote goalie Lawrence Langan’s chance for a shutout. Langan otherwise played a good game and was named first star.
In the final period, the Coyotes appeared to slack off and were outshot by the Wranglers 11-5.
Nonetheless, the Coyotes were successful where it counted, getting the only goal of the period. Colin Bell scored early in the period assisted by Colten Braid making the final score 3-1.
On Sunday afternoon in Armstrong, Troy Maclise led off with a power play goal late in the first period. He was assisted by Jewell and Zweep.
Zweep also had a good weekend, picking up three assists in the two games, two in Sunday’s game. He was named second star on Sunday.
Bell picked up his first of two goals late in the second period. Bell also had a good weekend, scoring three goals in the two games.
In the first half of the third period, Anderson got his second goal of the weekend, assisted by Ostrom and Cody Allen.
The final nail in the Knights’ coffin came with just over a minute to go in the third period when Bell got his second goal of the game, assisted by Braid.
The Coyotes face the Knights again on Wednesday at the Sun Bowl Arena. Game time is 7:35 p.m.
They then get an eight-day break before facing the Kimberley Dynamiters on Friday, Jan. 16 in Osoyoos and the Summerland Steam on Sunday, Jan. 18 in Oliver.
RICHARD McGUIRE
Osoyoos Times
Troy Maclise swoops in on 100 Mile House goalie Kristian Stead in the second period, but fails to score. (Richard McGuire photo)
When 100 Mile House goalie Kristian Stead lost his stick (on ice at the right) he had to borrow a regular stick from a teammate. Coyotes Jackson Glimpel (left at back) and brother Rainer Glimpel (right) kept up the pressure, but were unable to score on the beleaguered goalie. (Richard McGuire photo)
