A linesman tries to intervene as players exchange jabs and heated dialogue. (Richard McGuire photo)

Let’s just say the Osoyoos Coyotes and Revelstoke Grizzlies weren’t singing Kumbaya to each other Tuesday night at the Sun Bowl Arena.

Revelstoke won 4-2, including an empty-net goal, to take a 2-1 lead in the Okanagan/Shuswap Conference final.

It was a nasty game in which intimidation seemed to be the object and officials turned a blind eye to some infractions until things got out of hand.

In the final period, referees handed out 14 10-minute misconduct penalties, nine of them to Coyotes as tensions boiled over.

Austin Cleaver scored the first goal of the game on a power play just after the halfway mark of the first period, with Colin Bell and Judd Repole assisting.

But the Coyotes had trouble hanging onto the puck in the first period and Revelstoke outshot them 14-8.

In the minutes following Cleaver’s goal, twice the Grizzlies raced down the rink to score less than a minute apart. Josh Irvine and Jordan Rea got the Revelstoke goals.

The second period saw the Coyotes regain control, outshooting the Grizzlies 15-9 as they often hemmed them into their own end.

Just past the halfway mark in the second period, Jack McNamara received a pass from goalie Daniel Paul and skated in alone to score, tying the game.

The Coyotes couldn’t keep up the momentum though, and nine seconds into a four-minute butt-ending penalty for Cleaver, Matt Cadden scored for Revelstoke with a half a minute left in the period.

For most of the third period, the score remained 3-2 for Revelstoke as the Coyotes tried unsuccessfully to tie it again. They outshot the Grizzlies 11-6 in that period too.

In the final minutes, the Coyotes pulled goalie Paul for an extra attacker, but the gamble backfired when Sho Takai scored for the Grizzlies on the empty net with just 41 seconds remaining.

Things turned uglier at this point and the referees handed out 17 penalties in the final 41 seconds, including 14 misconducts.

The two teams meet again at the Sun Bowl on Wednesday.

They then return to Revelstoke on Friday, and if more games are needed, they’ll be back in Osoyoos Saturday and Revelstoke Sunday.

In the Kootenay Conference series, Kimberley beat Nelson 5-2 to tie the series at two wins each. Their next games are Thursday, Friday and Sunday if necessary.

RICHARD McGUIRE

Osoyoos Times

Tommy Bodtker takes down Carter Shannon as Bodtker’s teammate Jordan Rea skates in to score Revelstoke’s second goal. (Richard McGuire photo)

Jack McNamara skated in alone to score the Coyotes’ second goal, tying the game. Daniel Paul, the Coyote goalie, got the assist. (Richard McGuire photo)

Carter Robinson (left) and Brandon Onstein turn up the heat on Revelstoke goalie Giovanni Sanbrielaz. (Richard McGuire photo)