The Osoyoos Coyotes won their fifth straight KIJHL game Saturday evening at the Sun Bowl Arena by defeating the Summerland Steam 7-2. Shown here are Coyotes’ Rory Neary (middle) and Aaron Azevedo working the puck. Azevedo, the league’s second-leading scorer, netted three power play goals to lead the Coyotes to victory. (Lyonel Doherty photo)
The Osoyoos Coyotes continue to dismantle the opposition and have extended their latest winning streak to five games after a pair of impressive victories last week to extend their lead in the overall standings in the Kootenay International Junior Hockey League (KIJHL).
The Coyotes travelled to Armstrong Friday evening to battle the hometown North Okanagan Knights and scored six-consecutive goals between late in the first period and the end of the second period to waltz to an easy 8-3 victory.
They returned to the Sun Bowl Arena in Osoyoos on Saturday night and were never threatened as they skated to an easy 7-2 win over the Summerland Steam.
The two victories give the Coyotes an overall record of 24-4-1, good enough for 49 points and a substantial lead on the rest of the pack in the KIJHL.
So far this season, the Coyotes have scored an amazing 149 goals in 29 games – or an average of just over five per game – while allowing 73. The differential of plus 76 is far and away the best in the league.
On Friday night, Troy Maclise scored early in the first period to give the Coyotes a 1-0 lead.
After the Knights tied the contest a few seconds later, the Coyotes took over the contest.
Ryan Roseboom restored the lead for the Coyotes before the end of the first period.
The Coyotes managed to score the only five goals of the second period to take total control of the contest. Goal scorers included Colin Bell, Colten Braid, Roseboom, Judd Repole and Jackson DeMatos.
North Okanagan managed to score a pair of power play goals in the third period to narrow the gap to 7-3.
Bell scored his second goal of the night late in the game on the power play to give the Coyotes the 8-3 victory.
On Saturday night, the Steam took the lead early in the game with a power play goal, but the Coyotes tied it with a power play marker of their own late in the first period as leading scorer Aaron Azevedo scored, with assists from Rory Neary and Maclise.
Rainer Glimpel and Bell scored 37 seconds apart early in the second period to give the Coyotes the lead for good.
Azevedo added his second of the night, again on the power play, to give the Coyotes a 4-1 lead.
Azevedo currently sits second in league scoring.
After Summerland scored another power play goal, Roseboom scored an important power play goal with only nine seconds remaining in the period to give the Coyotes a 5-2 lead.
Rainer Glimpel and Azevedo, with his third power play goal of the game, rounded out the scoring with the only goals in the third period.
The Coyotes face a stiff test Friday evening when they host the Fernie Ghostriders at the Sun Bowl Arena. Fernie has the second best record in the league.
The Coyotes then host the Columbia Valley Rockets Saturday evening. Game time at the Sun Bowl Arena is 7:35 p.m.
KEITH LACEY
Osoyoos Times
