Sam Reinbolt (left) shoots from close range to score the Coyotes’ first goal in their game against Kelowna Saturday night. (Richard McGuire photo)
The Osoyoos Coyotes clinched a first-place finish in their division Saturday night, shutting out the Kelowna Chiefs 2-0.
The win at the Sun Bowl, which follows a 4-1 victory over the Summerland Steam Friday, gives the Coyotes 73 points to second-place Summerland’s 62.
Even if Summerland wins all four of its remaining games and Osoyoos doesn’t win another, the Steam can no longer overtake the Coyotes in the Okanagan Division of the Kootenay International Junior Hockey League.
The shutout went to Coyotes goalie Liam Aitken, who was named first star of the game. For Aitken, who turns 19 on Wednesday, this was his seventh shutout in 17 games played this season.
Aitken faced 40 shots from Kelowna and the Chiefs outshot the Coyotes in the first two periods 31-23. Only in the third period did Osoyoos manage to outshoot Kelowna 18-9.
With their first-place finish, the Coyotes will face the bottom team qualifying for a playoff spot in the first playoff round.
The Princeton Posse and the North Okanagan Knights are locked in a close battle for that playoff spot. Both teams lost their games Saturday and are currently tied at 30 points each, though the Knights have a game in hand.
Sam Reinbolt opened the scoring for the Coyotes late in the first period, firing a shot from close range past Kelowna goalie Brandon Gaucher. The assists went to Connor Onstein and Hunter Johnson.
The second period saw no goals scored, though both teams had several good opportunities.
A minor scuffle between Austin Cleaver of the Coyotes and Landon Gran of the Chiefs in the first period erupted into a full-fledged fight in the second period. The gloves were off and the linesmen had to pull the two apart.
Cleaver and Gran took fighting majors and game misconducts, and their teammates Evan Della-Paolera and Tyson Taylor took 10-minute misconducts, along with a minor to Della-Paolera for head contact.
With eight minutes remaining in the third period, Colin Bell scored the second Coyote goal, assisted by Ryan Roseboom.
Kelowna pulled goalie Gaucher for an extra attacker as the period entered its final minute, but neither team managed to score.
The Coyotes play in Summerland again on Monday afternoon.
Their remaining two games of the regular season are next Friday against the North Okanagan Knights in Armstrong and a return visit by Kelowna to the Sun Bowl next Saturday.
RICHARD McGUIRE
Osoyoos Times
Carter Robinson got a breakaway late in the second period, but Kelowna goalie Brandon Gaucher managed to foil him. (Richard McGuire photo)
Linesmen Riley Kouwenhoven and Matthew Frizzy try to pull apart Austin Cleaver of the Coyotes and Landon Gran of the Chiefs as they go at each other in the second period. Both got major fighting penalties and game misconducts. (Richard McGuire photo)
Hunter Johnson and Connor Onstein keep up the pressure on Kelowna goalie Brandon Gaucher in the second period Saturday night. Neither team managed to score that period. (Richard McGuire photo)
