Ryan Roseboom and Judd Repole keep up the pressure on North Okanagan goalie Daniel Paul. (Richard McGuire photo)
The Osoyoos Coyotes beat the two bottom teams in the Okanagan Division in games on Saturday and Wednesday, but the games were surprisingly tight.
The Coyotes pulled off a narrow 3-2 win over the Princeton Posse Wednesday night, only scoring the game winner in the final minute.
Then on Saturday at the Sun Bowl Arena, they came close to blowing a three-goal lead when the North Okanagan Knights scored two quick power play goals in the third period, but in the end, the Coyotes pulled off a 6-4 win.
In Saturday’s game, the Coyotes outshot North Okanagan 41-21 and they often kept the Knights hemmed in their own end, keeping up intense pressure on Knights goalie Daniel Paul.
Judd Repole opened the scoring late in the first period Saturday with Ryan Roseboom and Austin Steger assisting.
Early in the second period, Roseboom added another goal, with Colin Bell and Steger getting the assists.
Two minutes from the end of the period, Bell scored on a power play, with Roseboom and Steger assisting.
The Coyotes went into the third period up 3-0, but they also started the period with Colton Rhodes in the penalty box.
Just over a minute into the third period, the Knights scored on the power play and less than three minutes later they did it again.
Suddenly, it was a tighter 3-2 game.
Less than a minute later, however, the Coyotes got their own chance to score on a power play. Cody Allen got the goal and Austin Cleaver and Jackson Glimpel got the assists.
Seth Kriese scored for the Coyotes a few minutes later, restoring the Coyotes’ three-goal lead with the game at 5-2. Rhodes and Kaleb Comishin assisted.
Late in the period the Knights relieved their overworked goalie Paul and replaced him with backup Conor Webb.
Webb was in net only seconds when Osoyoos scored again to make it 6-2. Allen got his second goal of the night, assisted by Carter Robinson and Austin Cleaver.
North Okanagan stepped up their game in the final minutes and managed to score two more goals, but by then it was too little, too late and the game ended 6-4 for Osoyoos.
On Wednesday in Princeton, the Coyotes took the lead in the first two periods, scoring one goal in each.
Daniel Stone scored in the second half of the first period, assisted by Sam Reinbolt.
Then Cleaver scored unassisted while the Coyotes were shorthanded early in the second period.
The first two periods also saw the Coyotes outshoot the Posse 33-18.
Whether or not it was overconfidence, the Coyotes eased off in the third period.
Princeton closed the gap to 2-1 seven minutes into the third period, and five minutes later Tristyn Olson scored an unassisted, shorthanded goal to tie the game.
The two teams battled it out until Lane French of the Posse took his second cross-checking penalty in the space of minutes.
Then with just 52 seconds remaining in the third period, Steger scored the tie-breaking power-play goal. Bell and Stone assisted.
The Posse is now two points ahead of the Knights, thanks to an overtime loss for Princeton on Friday, as the two teams fight to the death for a playoff spot.
With the two wins for Osoyoos, the Coyotes are now in first place, nine points ahead of the Summerland Steam.
The Coyotes now have only five games remaining in the regular season, making it likely that they’ll face either Princeton or North Okanagan in the first round of the playoffs.
The Coyotes play two games in Summerland, Friday evening Feb. 10 and Monday afternoon Feb. 13 on the Family Day holiday.
Next Saturday they host the Kelowna Chiefs at the Sun Bowl Arena.
RICHARD McGUIRE
Osoyoos Times
The Osoyoos Coyotes keep up the pressure on North Okanagan goalie Daniel Paul during the second period Saturday night. The Coyotes won 6-4. (Richard McGuire photo)
