Coyote captain Rainer Glimpel goes on the attack in a recent game against Nelson. Glimpel was red on on the weekend, scoring five goals in Sicamous and leading the Coyotes to a 7-4 victory. The Coyotes also beat the Kelowna Chiefs 5-2 on Friday and the Princeton Posse 5-2 last Wednesday. (Richard McGuire file photo)
The Osoyoos Coyotes are red hot and so is their captain Rainer Glimpel.
After a somewhat slow start in their first three games – when they had one win, one loss and one overtime loss – the Coyotes have now reeled off four-consecutive victories and taken over first place in their division in the process.
The Coyotes had a great weekend as they jumped out to a 3-0 lead in the first period and cruised to a 5-2 victory over the Kelowna Chiefs in the home opener at the Sun Bowl Arena on Friday night.
They followed that up with an impressive 7-4 victory over the Sicamous Eagles on Saturday night in Sicamous.
Glimpel scored five goals in an impressive performance in Sicamous.
The Coyotes defeated the Princeton Posse 5-2 last Wednesday evening in Princeton.
The Coyotes now sport an impressive record of 5-1-1, which is good enough for 11 points and first place in the Okanagan Division of the Kootenay International Junior Hockey League. They are one point ahead of the Summerland Steam, a team that has also played seven games.
In the home opener against Kelowna, Braeden Tuck scored four minutes into the game to give the Coyotes a 1-0 lead they would never relinquish.
Carter Robinson increased the lead to 2-0 two minutes later and Tuck scored his second goal of the period to extend the lead to 3-0 after 20 minutes of play.
The Chiefs scored the lone goal of the second period, but the Coyotes extended the lead to 4-1 early in the third period with Cody Allen scoring the goal. After Kelowna scored with 10 minutes remaining to close the gap to 4-2, Daniel Stone scored for the Coyotes with just over one minute remaining to ice the game.
In Sicamous, captain Rainer Glimpel opened the scoring for the Coyotes three minutes into the game.
After Sicamous scored two power play goals five minutes apart to take a brief lead, Ryan Morell scored a power play goal for the Coyotes in the final minute to tie the game at 2-2 after 20 minutes of play.
Rainer Glimpel scored early in the second period and then netted his hat trick marker 10 minutes later on the power play to give the Coyotes a 4-1 lead. Glimpel scored in the last minute of the second period and netted his fifth goal with just over two minutes remaining in the game.
Glimpel is now third in league scoring with nine goals and eight assists in seven games.
Against Princeton last Wednesday, the Posse scored in the first minute to briefly take the lead, but Bobby LaRue and Jackson Glimpel scored nine seconds apart to give the Coyotes a 2-1 lead.
Princeton tied the game late in the first period before Judd Repole and Daniel Stone, with a shorthanded effort, scored the only two goals of the middle frame to give the Coyotes a 4-2 lead.
Carter Shannon scored the lone goal of the third period as the Coyotes waltzed to the 5-2 victory.
Head coach Ken Law and his players will be looking to extend the winning streak Saturday night in Revelstoke against the Grizzlies.
They return home on Sunday, Oct. 11 to host the Sicamous Eagles. Game time at the Sun Bowl Arena is 7:35 p.m.
KEITH LACEY
Osoyoos Times
