Out-shot by a margin of 52-29 Friday night, the North Okanagan Knights were poised to steal a game against the Kelowna Chiefs, but a last-minute goal from Matt Saretsky tied the game and paved the way for a 5-4 Chiefs shootout victory.
Chiefs forward Matt Keylor opened the scoring with his team-leading 13th goal of the season just before the five-minute mark of the first period. A few minutes later, Austen Rayburn scored to give the Chiefs a 2-0 lead.
Not to be outdone, the Knights got first-period goals from Carter Will and Dane Dietz to even the score at 2-2.
In the second period, the Knights took their first lead of the night when Gage Parrell scored his team-leading 12th goal of the season, assisted by Richard Burden and Will.
With two minutes to go in the second, Saretsky tied the game at three goals apiece with the first of his two goals on the night.
The Chiefs out-shot the Knights 17-8 in the third period but it was Will who scored with less than five minutes to go to give the Knights the lead.
But Saretsky was determined not to let the game slip away, scoring the tying goal with 35 seconds left in regulation time.
Overtime solved nothing with both teams registering three shots in the extra frame, sending the game to a shootout.
Rayburn and Jake Kessler both beat Knights goalie Michael Malinowski in the shootout to give the Chiefs a thrilling 5-4 win.
With the win, the Chiefs pulled closer to the Knights in the Kootenay International Junior Hockey League害羞草研究所檚 Bill Ohlhausen division standings. The Knights are second in the division with 28 points in 33 games played. The Chiefs are one point back, also having played 33 games.
The two teams go head-to-head again tonight (Jan. 13) at Kelowna害羞草研究所檚 Rutland Arena. The puck drops at 7 p.m.
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