Coyotes enjoy better weekend than Steam

The Osoyoos Coyotes split two weekend games but were still able to pad their lead atop the KIJHL’s Okanagan Division.

Osoyoos bounced back from a 4-1 road loss to North Okanagan on Friday to beat the Chase Heat 6-4 on Saturday at the Sun Bowl Arena.

The second-place Summerland Steam managed just one point in two games, falling 4-3 in overtime to the Kelowna Chiefs on Saturday after losing 4-1 at home to Chase on Friday.

Osoyoos is in good position to win a fourth straight division pennant with a five-point lead over Summerland with each team having just 10 games left.

SATURDAY — Coyotes 6 Heat 4: Colin Bell tallied two goals and two assists and Jackson Barrett returned after playing for the Penticton Vees on Friday to log a goal and two assists as Osoyoos rallied for the win.

Carter Robinson, Austin Cleaver and Seth Kriese also scored for the Coyotes, who scored three unanswered secondperiod goals after trailing 3-1 after 20 minutes.

Kaden Black, Michael Fidanza, Seamus Collins and Tyler Collens scored for Chase.

Liam Aitken started for the Coyotes and was lifted late in the first period after surrendering three goals on nine shots. Daniel Paul came on to make 13 saves on 14 shots to get the win. Jared Breitkreuz stopped 27 shots for the Heat.

Chiefs 4 Steam 3: Devin Sutton’s second goal of the game on the power play 28 seconds into overtime gave Kelowna the win over Summerland at the Rutland Arena.

Brody Sale and Matthew Alcorn also scored for the Chiefs, who trailed 1-0 and 2-1 at the period breaks.

Cody Swan, Lucas Jirousek and Scott Robinson scored for the Steam.

Joseph Mcleod made 36 saves for the win and Matt Huber stopped 27 shots for the visitors.

FRIDAY — Knights 4 Coyotes 1: Dean Whitcomb scored twice as North Okanagan surprised Osoyoos at the Nor-Val Centre in Armstrong.

Marshall Porteous and Jaden Hay also scored for the Knights, who led 2-1 after each of the first two periods.

Brandon Onstein briefly gave Osoyoos a 1-0 lead.

Zach Willms made 33 saves for the Knights and Paul stopped 27 shots for the Coyotes.

The Knights had been making a late push but lost 4-1 to the Princeton Posse Saturday to fall seven points behind the Posse for the last playoff spot in the division.

Heat 4 Steam 1: Goals by Collins, Collens, Evan Hughes and Kolten Moore gave Chase the win at the Summerland Arena.

Jirousek got the Steam within 2-1 with 2:30 to play but the Heat sealed the win with two late goals.

Conor Webb made 30 saves for the Heat and Maxim Sidelnik stopped 23 for Summerland. The Coyotes lead the division at 26-9-1-1 for 54 points, Summerland is 23-11-1-2 for 49 points, Kelowna 19-13-1-4 for 43 points, Princeton 15-18-2-4 for 36 points and North Okanagan 12-21-2-3 for 29 points.

On Friday, Osoyoos visits Summerland at 7:30 p.m. in the sixth and final “Battle of the South Okanagan” of the regular season.

On Saturday, Summerland visits North Okanagan and Osoyoos welcomes Sicamous to the Sun Bowl in a 7:35 p.m. puck-drop.