Carter Shannon fires the puck on Summerland goalie Matthew Huber Friday night. Shannon didn’t score this time, but he did get two goals and two assists and was named first star of the game. (Richard McGuire photo)
It should have been an easy win. But after handily defeating the division-leading Summerland Steam Friday night 5-1, the Osoyoos Coyotes suffered a humiliating 5-3 loss Saturday to the last-place Princeton Posse.
Overconfidence perhaps. Or it may be that the Coyotes’ strength recently has been their power play and the Posse only gave them six minutes to put it to use.
The Coyotes were a different team on Friday when they humiliated the Steam at the Sun Bowl.
All five of the Coyotes’ goals were scored on power plays, with Carter Shannon getting two goals and two assists. Shannon was named the game’s first star.
It helped that the Steam took a number of penalties, many of them foolish. Osoyoos faced the Summerland power play only three times, while Summerland faced the Osoyoos power play 12 times.
The Coyotes opted to put Adam Jones in net rather than rookie Liam Aitken, who has recently set a league record for consecutive shutouts –in the only three regular season games he’s played for the Coyotes.
Jones played solidly, only allowing one goal in the 22 shots he faced.
Despite allowing five goals, Summerland goalie Matthew Huber was named visiting star of the game because he faced a much greater challenge – 46 shots from the Coyotes.
Aitken, who started in goal for the Coyotes Saturday night in Princeton, did not have a good game.
After his recent three victories, he let in three goals on just six shots in the first period.
Jones replaced him in the last two periods.
Despite the disappointing score, the Coyotes still dominated play in all three periods, taking 50 shots on Princeton goalie Bobby Milligan. The Posse only managed 21 shots on the Coyotes.
Princeton scored first eight minutes into the game, and then added a second goal less than six minutes later. In the final minute of the first period, they made it 3-0.
The Coyotes scored eight minutes into the second period on a goal by Carter Robinson, assisted by Daniel Stone and Judd Repole.
A Princeton power play goal late in the period made it 4-1, but that score lasted less than a minute.
Kaleb Comishin scored for Osoyoos, assisted by Hunter Johnson and Connor Onstein, to end the second period with the Posse up 4-2.
Princeton scored early in the third period to put the Posse ahead 5-2 and that score persisted until just before the final minute.
The Coyotes pulled goalie Jones for an extra attacker. They managed to score, but it was too little, too late.
The final Coyotes’ goal went to Austin Cleaver with Repole and Jackson Glimpel getting assists.
On Friday night, the Coyotes opened the scoring just past the halfway mark of the first period on a goal by Repole, assisted by Colin Bell and Shannon.
Late in the period, Summerland scored to end the first period in a 1-1 tie.
The only goal of the second period was scored by Shannon, with Kyle Rosolowski getting the assist. There were no more goals in the second period.
With Summerland once again playing a man short close to the halfway mark in the third period, Shannon scored his second goal, assisted by Daniel Stone and Repole.
Two minutes later, Bell scored, with Repole and Shannon getting assists.
With two and a half minutes remaining in the third period, and Summerland yet again with one man in the penalty box, Ryan Roseboom scored his fifth power play goal in three games. Bell and Stone got the assists.
Saturday’s loss leaves the Coyotes in third place in the Okanagan Division, one point behind Kelowna and two behind the Summerland Steam.
The Coyotes play the Kelowna Chiefs in two games this weekend. On Saturday they travel to the Rutland Arena in Kelowna, and Sunday evening they host the Chiefs at the Sun Bowl.
RICHARD McGUIRE
Osoyoos Times
Ryan Roseboom flips the puck past Summerland goalie Matthew Huber to score the Coyotes’ fifth goal on a power play. (Richard McGuire photo)
Carter Shannon swoops in on Summerland goalie Matthew Huber Friday night. Shannon didn’t score this time, but he did get two goals and two assists and was named first star of the game. (Richard McGuire photo)
Colin Bell flips the puck past Summerland goalie Matthew Huber to score the Coyotes’ fourth goal on a power play. (Richard McGuire photo)
