The Osoyoos Coyotes easily beat the Grand Forks Bruins 6-2 in a pre-season exhibition game. (Richard McGuire photo)
The Osoyoos Coyotes got off to a great start in their regular season opener by scoring four unanswered goals in the second period on their way to an easy 5-2 victory over the Grizzlies in Revelstoke Saturday night.
This was the first of four road games the Kootenay International Junior Hockey League (KIJHL) team will play before they finally get to play on home ice on Sept. 24. The Coyotes handily won four of their five exhibition games.
It’s a young new team with 11 rookies in Saturday’s lineup, but it was mostly veterans who picked up points in the season opener.
Still, rookie Sam Reinbolt scored a goal as fellow rookie teammates Brayden Durante and Colton Nikiforuk earned assists.
The first period of Saturday’s game was scoreless even though the Coyotes skated circles around the Grizzlies, outshooting them 16-1.
The Coyotes wasted little time taking the lead in the second period.
Carter Shannon scored just 21 seconds into the period, assisted by Carter Robinson.
Just 16 seconds later, Robinson scored, assisted by Colin Bell and Shannon, making it 2-0.
The Coyotes took a bit of a break from their goal scoring until late in the period when they scored two more goals just 18 seconds apart.
First Bell scored with 6:34 remaining in the period, with Daniel Stone and Judd Repole picking up assists.
Then Reinbolt scored the lone rookie goal, assisted by Nikiforuk and Stone.
The Grizzlies managed two quick goals in the dying minutes of the period, the first on a power play. The period ended 4-2 for Osoyoos.
For the final period, the Grizzlies switched goalie Trevor Dilauro for backup goalie Chris Wielenga, but by then the damage was already done.
Late in the period, Jackson Glimpel scored the Coyotes’ fifth and final goal. Austin Cleaver and Durante picked up assists.
While shots on goal in the second and third periods weren’t quite as lopsided as in the first period, the game total was 48 shots for the Coyotes and 17 for the Grizzlies.
The Coyotes next play this Friday against the Storm in Kamloops, followed by a game Saturday night against the Wranglers in 100 Mile House.
They’ll be in Summerland to face the Steam on Sept. 23 before they finally get to play on home ice the following night against Kamloops.
RICHARD McGUIRE
Osoyoos Times
