Rainer Glimpel gains control of the puck in a recent Sun Bowl game against the Fernie Ghostriders. With recent wins over Princeton and Kelowna, the Coyotes have a firm hold on first place in the KIJH and at the moment the Ghostriders are their major challenger for top spot. In this game early in December, Fernie beat Osoyoos 4-2. The Coyotes will play the Summerland Steam in two games this weekend. The Steam hold the number two spot in the Okanagan Division, 12 points behind the Coyotes. (Richard McGuire file photo)
The Osoyoos Coyotes won both their hockey games last week to continue as the top team in the Kootenay International Junior Hockey League (KIJHL).
The Coyotes beat the Princeton Posse 4-2 in Princeton last Wednesday, before beating the Kelowna Chiefs 6-4 on Friday evening at the Sun Bowl Arena.
The pair of wins gives the Coyotes 57 points in total, ahead of their second-place rivals the Fernie Ghostriders, of the Eddie Mountain Division, who have 51 points.
All other teams in the league are well behind, and in the Coyotes’ Okanagan Division, the closest contender is the Summerland Steam with 45 points.
Osoyoos faces the Steam in the first two games after Christmas when Summerland visits the Sun Bowl this Saturday, Dec. 27 and the two teams play in Summerland the following night.
In last Wednesday’s noon game in Princeton, the Coyotes disappointed local school children who were brought to the game to cheer on the Posse.
After a scoreless first period, Brett Jewell opened the scoring a quarter of the way into the second period.
Just over a minute later, Princeton tied the score and with just over five minutes remaining in the period, the Posse took a 2-1 lead.
Goals by Blake Holowaty and Troy Maclise in the final minutes of the second period gave the lead back to the Coyotes at 3-2.
In the third period, while Jewell was in the penalty box for boarding, Jackson DeMatos scored a short-handed goal for the Coyotes, resulting in the final 4-2 score.
In Friday night’s game against Kelowna, the Coyotes played a strong first period, outscoring the Chiefs 3-0 and also outshooting them 17-8.
Coyotes’ goals were scored by Ryan Roseboom, Joshua Windley and DeMatos. For Roseboom and DeMatos, these goals were their first of two each that night.
Windley, a 17-year-old reserve player from Oliver, was playing his first game for the Coyotes.
In the second period, the Chiefs recovered and actually outshot the Coyotes, with both teams picking up three goals each.
DeMatos got his second goal of the night just 11 seconds into the period before Kelowna got its first goal of the night less than a minute later.
Neither team managed to score during much of the second period until Jewell scored on a power play with just over five minutes remaining. A minute later, Roseboom got his second goal of the night.
In the last few minutes, Kelowna scored two quick goals, the second one on a power play while Bailey Shaver was in the penalty box.
The Chiefs scored their final goal near the midway mark of the third period.
The Coyotes played both of last week’s games with Lawrence Langan back in goal after several games in which Brett Soles has done goaltender duty for Osoyoos.
DeMatos, who picked up three goals and one assist in the two games was chosen as first star in both games.
Saturday’s game against Summerland gets underway at 7:35 p.m. at the Sun Bowl Arena.
RICHARD McGUIRE
Osoyoos Times
