The Osoyoos Coyotes and Summerland Steam battle for the puck early in the scoreless second period when the teams were tied 1-1. Two goals in the final period gave the Coyotes a 3-1 win over the division-leading Summerland team. (Keith Lacey photo)
The Osoyoos Coyotes beat the Summerland Steam 3-1 on home ice Saturday after blowing a game in 100 Mile House against the Wranglers Friday in the final minute.
The victory over the division-leading Steam leaves the Coyotes in the middle of the pack in the Okanagan Division with 13 points. Summerland has 18.
In Saturday’s game, Hunter Johnson opened scoring for the Coyotes late in the first period, with Sam Reinbolt and Connor Onstein assisting.
Four minutes later, Summerland tied the game and the score remained at 1-1 until midway into the third period, when Johnson got his second goal of the night on a power play. Reinbolt and Onstein assisted on that one too.
With just under five minutes remaining in the third period, Kaleb Comishin scored the clincher unassisted to give the Yotes the 3-1 win.
Friday night’s game in 100 Mile House was a different story.
After a scoreless first period, the Coyotes scored twice in the second to give them a 2-0 lead.
Seth Kriese scored just before the halfway mark, assisted by Brock Marple.
Then Carter Robinson scored on a power play in the final minute of the period, with Onstein getting the assist.
Early in the third period, the Wranglers scored two goals just four minutes apart, tying the score.
A power play goal by Cameron Welch with just 3:11 remaining in the third period again put the Coyotes into the lead.
Johnson and Carter Shannon got the assists.
In the final minute of the third period, the Coyote lead evaporated.
Darian Long of the Wranglers scored unassisted with just 49 seconds remaining in the period, to tie the game.
Just six seconds later, Wrangler Justin Bond added another unassisted goal, putting 100 Mile House ahead 4-3.
The Coyotes pulled goalie Liam Aitken as they desperately sought to tie the game again, but it was to no avail.
Coyotes Head Coach Ken Law recently has been switching between the two Coyote goalies after losing games, so Daniel Paul replaced Aitken in Saturday’s game.
The Coyotes have just one game in the coming week.
On Saturday, Oct. 21, they host the Princeton Posse at the Sun Bowl Arena.
The following weekend, they’ll play two road games in Armstrong against the North Okanagan Knights and in Summerland against the Steam.
RICHARD McGUIRE
Osoyoos Times
