Injuries to seven players left the Osoyoos Coyotes with no choice but to dress only 12 skaters and two goaltenders on Saturday night at the Sun Bowl, the league minimum for a game.
As if 60 minutes wasn’t enough for those still healthy enough to play, the Coyotes took a gutsy 2-1 overtime decision from the visiting Chase Heat.
A season high attendance of 372 sat through a scoreless first period,
Coletyn Boyarski (pictured above) finally broke the ice at the 12:31 mark of the second, a lead that held up until nearly the halfway point of the third period, when the Heat converted a five-on-three powerplay.
It took a spectacular Kenny Gerow goal line save in the dying seconds to force sudden death as Chase had the man advantage in the final two minutes of regulation.
Osoyoos eventually got its chance on the powerplay in overtime and just as the Heat penalty was about to expire, Boyarski potted his second of the game to send a raucous crowd home happy and allow he and his teammates an exhausted celebration.
Shots on goal finished tied at 28 apiece. Gerow was sharp in net in picking up the win.
The two points clinched second place in the Bill Ohlhausen Division for the Coyotes, who are likely to meet North Okanagan in the opening round of the playoffs, beginning February 17th.
Well before that however, Osoyoos hosts the Summerland Steam next Wednesday night (Feb. 1st), getting underway at 7:35.
