It was the biggest point of the North Okanagan Knights’ season Friday night at Nor-Val Sports Centre in Armstrong.
The Knights tied the Okanagan-Division leading Osoyoos Coyotes 4-4 to take a one-point lead over the Princeton Posse for the fourth and final playoff spot in the division.
The Knights faced the Posse Saturday night in Princeton.
Osoyoos, with 36 wins, needed a goal from Austin Cleaver with 42 seconds left to gain the tie. Cleaver’s 11th snipe of the year came 15 seconds into Drayton Martin’s minor penalty for holding.
Cameron Welch’s ninth of the season two minutes earlier gave the Knights a 4-3 lead.
Jaden Hay, with his 12th for the Knights, and Reid Wilson, with his fifth, swapped first-period tallies.
Louis Shortreed netted his second of the year for the Knights, while Cleaver counted for the Coyotes, in the middle stanza.
D-man Jason Shaigec recorded his fifth of the season on an early powerplay to put the Knights up 3-2 in the third operiod. Bryson Cecconi fired his second of the year five minutes later to level the score.
The Knights (12-28-1-5) got 44 saves from Daniel Paul, while Adam Jones counted 40 saves for the Coyotes.
North Okanagan needed a win in Princeton to clinch a playoff berth. The Knights will only complete a suspended game against the Summerland Sting on Tuesday night if it makes a difference in the playoff picture.
