The North Okanagan Knights tuned up for Tuesday’s home date with the Kootenay International Junior Hockey League’s top team by beating the league’s worst.
The Knights, who will host the 13-1-0-0 Kelowna Chiefs Tuesday at 7:30 p.m. at the Nor-Val Sports Centre, downed the winless Osoyoos Coyotes 4-1 Saturday in the South Okanagan to salvage a split of their two-game division weekend road trip.
Kevin-Thomas Walters scored three times against Osoyoos (0-14-0-2) to earn player of the game honours for the Knights (6-9-0-2) while goalie Sean Kanervisto made 47 saves for the win.
READ MORE: North Okanagan Knights silence winless Coyotes
Dayton Bryan, with his first of the year, had the other goal for North Okanagan, who sit tied for third in the Bill Ohlhausen Division with the Princeton Posse.
The Posse scored a 3-2 overtime win against the Knights Friday in Princeton with Josh Olson scoring his second goal of the game at 4:02 of the extra session to give Princeton the extra point.
Both teams have 14 points though the Posse have two games in hand on North Okanagan.
READ MORE: KIJHL denies North Okanagan Knights appeal
The Knights were clinging to a 2-1 lead in the third period – thanks to second-period goals 16 seconds apart from Cameron McKenzie and Nicholas Teale – when the Posse equalized at 4:37.
Kanervisto made 37 saves in taking the loss. Jaysen MacLean made 20 tops to earn the victory.
@VernonNews
roger@vernonmorningstar.com
Like us on Facebook and follow us on Twitter.