Osoyoos Coyote Taylor House (the player in the white jersey in the foreground) gives Osoyoos a 3-1 lead against the Squamish Wolf Pack in the second period of play on Sept. 3. The Coyotes would go on to win the game 7-1. Photo by Jen Jensen - Click on picture for larger image
OSOYOOS TIMES-September 8, 2010
By Paul Everest – Osoyoos Times
The Osoyoos Coyotes can boast that they are still undefeated for all time after winning a pair of exhibition games and tying a third match this past weekend.
The team played its first game ever on the evening of Sept. 3 before an enthusiastic crowd of more than 280 people at the Sun Bowl Arena in Osoyoos.
Taking on the Squamish Wolf Pack, the Coyotes and the crowd participated in a moment before the game to honour Squamish resident and minor hockey player Daniel Savage who passed away on his 17th birthday last month.
His father Paul owns Rattlesnake Canyon.
Billy McGladrey started in net for Osoyoos and Johan Peterson was between the pipes for Squamish.
At the 10:53 mark, Osoyoos scored its first-ever goal at the hands of Sam Nigg with an assist from Jacob Bergeron and Cody Haddow.
Just more than a minute later, the Coyotes went ahead 2-0 thanks to Oliver’s Stefan Jensen who got some help from Thierry Martine and Graham Zagrodney.
Squamish was able to capitalize on a hooking penalty against Osoyoos’s Nick Kapusty, however, and Khalin Marsolas cut the Coyotes’ lead to one point at the 8:56 mark, with the first period ending with Osoyoos ahead 2-1.
Squamish outshot Osoyoos nine to eight in the period.
The Coyotes came out firing early in the second to go ahead 3-1 at 18:21 when Taylor House found the back of the Wolf Pack’s net with help from Davis Firlotte and Brock Anderson.
Nigg scored his second goal of the game at 15:14 with an assist from Brett Leidl on a power play.
There were some tense moments halfway through the period when Squamish’s Connor Cross took a hard hit against the boards.
It took a few minutes for Cross to get back to his feet and he had to be helped off the ice.
At the 10-minute mark, Jordan Liem took over in net for Squamish, but the goaltending change did little to help the team’s fortunes.
Jensen found the net for the second time during the game at 15:56 in the third period on a power play after being robbed of a goal by Liem moments earlier.
He was assisted by Martine.
There was a close call at 14:15 when McGladrey went out to clear a puck, got held up and barely made it back to the net to prevent Squamish from scoring.
But by this point, Osoyoos was in control of the game.
House scored again at 12:11 with help from Anderson and Jensen scored his third goal of the game at 9:30 after capitalizing on a rebound with assists from Martine and Jared Ramstead.
Squamish made a valiant late run just before the two-minute mark but McGladrey was able to suppress the attack to give Osoyoos a 7-1 victory.
The teams squared off again the next night before a crowd of more than 260 at the Sun Bowl Arena with Kyle Laslo in net for Osoyoos and Peterson goaltending for Squamish.
The first period was fast-paced with Squamish putting a great deal of pressure on Osoyoos early on in the game.
But it was Osoyoos that once again drew first blood with Bergeron scoring at 13:57 with assists from Van Bettauer and Steve Sasyniuk.
At the end of the period, Squamish had outshot Osoyoos 18 to 12, but the Coyotes had managed to maintain their one-point lead.
In the second period, Squamish continued to press Osoyoos, but Dallas Barker was able to give the Coyotes a 2-0 cushion at 8:58 after Kapusty tapped the puck to him.
Squamish was finally able to get a shot past Laslo after seven minutes and 44 seconds of play at the hands of Jarret Babych with an assist from Marc Chabot.
The second period ended with Osoyoos ahead 2-1 but Squamish had once again fired more shots than the Coyotes with a tally of 29 to 19.
Shanson Lunny took over in net for Squamish in the end of the second period and he was able to keep the Coyotes at bay for the rest of the game.
At the 13:37 mark in the third period, Laslo mishandled the puck and Squamish punished him for the mistake, tying the game thanks to a shot from Chabot on a power play goal.
The game would end with a 2-2 tie as there is no overtime in exhibition games.
On Sept. 6, the Coyotes travelled to Penticton to take their first road victory against the Lakers with a final score of 5-2.
The Coyotes’ first regular season game takes place at the Sun Bowl Arena on Sept. 10 against the Kelowna Chiefs at 7:35 p.m.
There will be a tailgate party in the arena’s parking lot before the game at 4 p.m. and the arena’s beer garden will be open for the game.
The team plays Revelstoke at the Sun Bowl Arena the next night at 7:35 p.m.
Starting Sept. 15, EZ Rock will be broadcasting all Coyotes away games beginning with a road game against Penticton.
[email protected]
