Not only did the Osoyoos Coyotes suffer a heartbreaking, late game defeat on Wednesday night at the Sun Bowl Arena. They also saw their post season hopes dashed for 2025.
The Merritt Centennials tallied twice in 20 seconds in the final minute to beat the Coyotes 4-3.
It must have felt like a gut punch and pretty much a microcosm of the entire season for Osoyoos, managing just 13 wins in 36 games.
After a scoreless first period, Mathieu Lessard got the Coyotes on the board less than nine minutes into the second. However, before the period was out, Merritt tied the game.
That stalemate held up all the way until the 15:32 mark of the third, when the Centennials jumped in front 2-1.
Some may have figured that would stand as the game winner, but who knew the two teams would combine for five goals in 4:07, late in the final period.
Logan Messer evened things at 2-2 on the powerplay at 16:40, before Kyle Cyr broke down the left wing and deposited a backhand into the net with only 1:36 remaining.
Osoyoos was going to hang on for a dramatic, come-from-behind victory, right? Nope.
Merritt pulled its goaltender and tied the game with just 41 seconds left.
Get ready for overtime, right? Nope again.
The Centennials potted one more 20 seconds later at 19:39, leaving both the Coyotes players and hometown crowd stunned.
Not even the more than 20 first responders on hand during an Osoyoos Firefighters Society sponsored evening could come to the rescue.
Russell Newman (pictured above) was stellar in the Osoyoos net, stopping 54 of 58 shots. Merritt dominated in that category, 58-36, including 23-9 in the third period.
Again, the result mathematically prevents the Coyotes from making the playoffs.
Pride and perhaps the spoiler’s role is all that’s left for the Osoyoos Coyotes, who travel up the hill to Grand Forks on Friday night (Jan. 31st), prior to hosting Sicamous, Saturday night (Feb. 1st) at 7:00.
