(File photo)

By Dale Boyd

Osoyoos Times

The Osoyoos Coyotes are looking for a turn around with their home opener after an 0-2 road trip has them winless so far this season.

The Coyotes face off against the Grand Forks Border Bruins at the Sun Bowl Arena on Friday, and first-time head coach Dean Maynard is hoping to turn the early season around in front of the home crowd.

“This is our home opener. All the players understand how important this game is. You don’t want to get into a losing format going into your home opener. It is what it is, that’s where we’re at right now. All the players understand it is a big game.”

The Coyotes took a tough loss in their first match-up in the KIJHL regular season falling 3-2 to the Columbia Valley Rockies at Eddie Mountain Memorial Arena on Sept. 13.

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Evan Della Paolera tied things up for the Coyotes at one goal apiece in the second period, and Connor Funke put one past the Rockies in the last minute of the third, but it wasn’t enough as the Rockies walked away with the win.

“Losing 3-2, it gives us things to work on. Obviously there are a lot of positives as well with the players never quitting, scoring in the last minute with the goalie pulled to make it 3-2 and still battling to score that third goal,” Maynard said.

Maynard added the Coyotes started off their early season road trip “flat footed.”

“We didn’t skate as hard as we could have. Overall, the effort was there, but not a 60-minute effort to win a game,” Maynard said.

The team is still getting their skates under them as the season gets underway, he said.

“We’re pretty raw system-wise. A lot of kids are just learning some of the systems I’ve provided them. So trying to implement them in a game, especially travelling six or seven hours and staying overnight, not in your own bed,” Maynard said.

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The next night, Sept. 14, the Coyotes came out strong agains the Kimberley Dynamiters with Ryan Bester opening the scoring and Tynan Peacock putting one past Dynamiters netminder Blake Pilon on a power play with assists from Kaden Zakall and Blake Astorino. The Dynamiters fought back, scoring twice in the second period.

“An unfortunate result happened, there was an illegal change on the Kimberley side and they tied it up. Which is what it is, and we continue from there,” Maynard said.

Three unanswered Dynamiter goals including an empty-netter in the third put the Coyotes away with a 6-3 loss

“In the third we slowed down. Our start was really phenomenal. We were skating well, passing well, our breakout was really good,” Maynard said. “Our forecheck was really good as well. Our kids made every inch count.”

The line-up is healthy for Friday’s home opener Maynard said, and the focus will be on what went right against Kimberley

“I thought we played well there, just play a full 60 minutes, not 40 or 50 minutes,” Maynard said.

The Coyotes face the Border Bruins on Sept. 20 at Sun Bowl Arena at 7:35 p.m.