Morning Star Staff
If it’s any consolation to the North Okanagan Knights, the Sicamous Eagles and Princeton Posse also failed to score on Liam Aitken.
The Okotoks, Alta. product set a Kootenay International Junior Hockey League record Saturday in Armstrong, recording his third consecutive shutout as the Osoyoos Coyotes blanked the Knights 4-0 at the Nor-Val Sports Centre.
Aitken, 18, has played three of the Coyotes’ (8-2-0) 10 games behind the team’s No. 1 goalie, 19-year-old Adam Jones, posting shutouts over the Eagles, Posse and Knights.
“Liam is everything we thought he would be,” said Osoyoos head coach Ken Law, who invited Aitken to the team’s main training camp after watching him shine at tryouts.
“He’s patient, square to the puck, nothing rattles him. He’s even tough on our guys in practice. He’s a very unassuming young man, very likeable. The three shutouts don’t really mean anything to him. He’s just happy that we’re winning.”
Coyotes game star Ryan Roseboom got the only goal Osoyoos would need at 16:43 of the opening period on a powerplay to open the scoring.
Roseboom added a second goal on a powerplay midway through the middle frame, and set up Brayden Durante 10 minutes later to make it 3-0 Coyotes after two periods.
Colin Bell, on a third period powerplay, rounded out the scoring.
“We played a pretty good game but we’re not happy with the outcome,” said Knights head coach Bryant Perrier.
“Their goalie played well. We had some opportunities on powerplays and open nets but didn’t bury them. We stressed getting pucks to the next and getting traffic in front of him, but when he’s playing like he is, it’s tough.”
Daniel Paul made 37 saves for the Knights (4-6-1).
“Our team play is generally pretty good but we want our record to be better,” said Perrier. “We have to stress the importance of being a good hockey team.”
North Okanagan lost forward Cameron Welch after he took a puck to the face, shattering his jaw.
Welch, 17, from Kelowna, has a goal and five points in 10 games. He’s expected to be out of the lineup until at least Christmas.
The Knights, fourth in the Okanagan-Shuswap Division, visit the last place Princeton Posse Friday, 24 hours before hosting the division-leading Summerland Steam Saturday at 7:30 p.m. at the Nor-Val Sports Centre.
