Morning Star Staff
Four straight goals and solid goaltending lifted the North Okanagan Knights to a 4-3 Kootenay International Junior Hockey League win Saturday night before 400 fans at the Revelstoke Forum.
North Okanagan (9-10-1) visits the Osoyoos Coyotes (13-5-0) Wednesday night at the Sun Bowl Arena.
“We had a lot of penalties to kill off in the third period but we got through it,” said Knights head coach Bryant Perrier. “It’s two points on the road and, as ugly as it was, we still found a way to score four goals.”
After the Grizzlies (6-12-0) opened the scoring with 2:47 left in the first period, the Knights replied with the next four, including two before the end of the frame.
Layne Greene scored his third of the year, unassisted, 46 seconds after the Revelstoke goal, and Matthias Urbanski netted his first of two, on a powerplay at 19:12, giving the Knights a 2-1 lead after 20 minutes.
Logan Geefs upped the advantage to 3-1 less than three minutes into the middle frame, and Urbanski scored his seventh of the year 73 seconds later to make it 4-1 North Okanagan.
The Grizzlies closed to within a pair with 13:56 left in the period, and cut the gap to one goal with a powerplay marker at 17:48 of the third, but could not beat Daniel Paul for the equalizer with the teams playing six-on-four.
According to the game sheet, the Knights were whistled for four minor penalties at 17:35 to just one for the Grizzlies after a skirmish.
Revelstoke was 1-11 on the powerplay, North Okanagan 1-10.
“For as many penalties that were called on us, I thought we handled our discipline very well,” said Perrier.
“I’m not whining or complaining but there were lots of things not consistently called, and then in the last seven or eight minutes, the referee’s game plan changed. The calls have to be the same from the beginning of the game to the end of the game.”
Paul was brilliant, making 49 saves as Revelstoke outshot North Okanagan 52-27.
The Knights chased Grizzlies starter Giovanni Sambrielaz after the second Urbanski goal. He was replaced by Chris Wielenga.
Vernon products Michael LeNoury and Jordan Rea were held off the Revelstoke scoresheet while Nicholas Higgs did not dress.