A pair of first-period goals was all the Kelowna Chiefs needed Friday night at Nor-Val Sports Centre.
Jagger Bowles and Nicholas Kovacik scored two minutes apart late in the opening frame as the Chiefs hung on for a 3-1 Kootenay International Junior Hockey League win over the host North Okanagan Knights.
Colin Robin, assisted by Vernon’s Dennon Leibel and Paul Biegel, answered for the 8-10-0-1 Knights in the second period.
KIJHL scoring leader Nick Josephs (26-23-49 in 19 games) added insurance for the league co-leading Chiefs (16-4-0-1) in the third.
Tyler O’Donnell recorded 26 saves for the win. Zach Dyment had 24 stops for the Knights, who are 1-9 in their last 10 outings and have the league’s second-worst offence (2.74 goals per game).
North Okanagan hosts the Sicamous Eagles (8-10-0-2) Wednesday (7 p.m.) at Nor-Val.
