Judd Repole skates up to Sicamous goalie Patrick Kasper, dekes him out and scores his first goal of the season. This goal midway through the second period Friday night was the Coyotes second of the game. (Richard McGuire photo)
After a two-game slump on Friday and Saturday, the Osoyoos Coyotes returned to their winning ways on Monday afternoon with a resounding 6-2 victory over the Summerland Steam.
Only Friday night’s game against the Sicamous Eagles was held on home ice at the Sun Bowl.
The 4-3 loss was the first of the season for the Coyotes, who currently sport the best the Kootenay International Junior Hockey League (KIJHL) with an impressive record of 11-2.
The following night, difficulties continued when the Coyotes played to a 3-2 loss against the Heat in Chase.
In Friday’s game against Sicamous, the Coyotes opened scoring in the second half of the first period on a goal by rookie Brett Jewell. Sicamous scored late in the period to end it in a 1-1 tie.
Midway through the second period, Judd Repole skated in and deked out Sicamous goalie Patrick Kasper to score the second Coyote goal of the game.
The game’s turning point, however, came when Sicamous scored two short-handed goals 14 seconds apart in the third period to put the Eagles safely ahead.
The Coyotes pulled goalie Brandon Locket in the final minute for an extra attacker allowing Luc Gradisar to score with 17 seconds remaining. It wasn’t enough though and the game ended 4-3 for Sicamous.
The following night in Chase, in a game packed with penalties to both teams, two of the Heat’s goals came while Coyotes were in the penalty box.
Jackson DeMatos, back in the Coyote lineup after an injury, scored the first Osoyoos goal late in the opening period to end it 1-1.
The Coyotes took the lead midway through the second period on a goal by rookie Blake Holowaty.
Despite outshooting Chase by almost a three-to-one margin in the third period, the Coyotes failed to score.
Chase goalie Michael Byer, who faced a total of 44 shots, was chosen as first star of the game.
Chase managed two goals in the third period, one while the Coyotes had two men in the penalty box, to end the game 3-2.
Not until Monday afternoon in Summerland did the Coyotes get their mojo back, easily thumping the Steam.
Scoring four goals in the first period and one in the second, the Coyotes were leading 5-0 before Summerland managed to score on a power play late in the second.
With one goal each in the third period, the game ended 6-2 for Osoyoos.
DeMatos, who led Coyotes’ in scoring before being sidelined with an injury, seeming to be making up for lost time scoring a hat trick.
The other Coyotes’ goals were scored by Rory Neary, Jewell and rookie Daniel Stone.
Despite their two losses over the weekend, the Coyotes lead the Okanagan Division of the Okanagan Shuswap Conference with 22 points.
The Coyotes are currently taking a six-day break before returning Sunday, Oct. 19 to face the Princeton Posse at the Oliver Arena at 1:35 p.m., This will be their only game in the coming week.
RICHARD McGUIRE
Osoyoos Times
Rainer Glimpel managed to get a breakaway while teammate Luc Gradisar was in the penalty box and the Coyotes were short handed. He was unable to capitalize on it in Friday evening’s game against the Sicamous Eagles. (Richard McGuire photo)
Coyote Ryan Roseboom and Eagle Nicholas Cuglietta collided and took a spill near the Sicamous net in second period action in Friday night’s game at the Sun Bowl. (Richard McGuire photo)
