Article courtesy of Vernon Morning Star
Grizzlies trip up Knights

Published: November 30, 2011 10:00 AM Updated: November 30, 2011 10:12 AM

The North Okanagan Knights can’t buy a break at the Revelstoke Forum.

Threatening to rally after trailing by three goals early, the Knights lost all momentum when the Grizzlies’ Braden Seyl netted a rink-long flutteringwrister that took a bizarre bounce in front of netminder DustinNikkel as he went out to play the puck.

The shorthanded marker stood as the winner as Revelstoke iced the North Okanagan 6-4 in front of 250 Kootenay International Junior HockeyLeague fans Saturday night.

“It’s almost like we’re cursed in that building,” said Knights’ head coach Kris Mallette. “We battled hard to make it 4-3 and to have that one go in the way it did, it kind of took the wind out of our sails.”

The Knights (16-9-0-1), who trail the Grizz (18-5-0-1) by four points in the Doug Birks Division, entertain Revelstoke in a rematch tonight at Nor-Val Sports Centre. They visit the Kelowna Chiefs (11-14-0-1) Friday at Rutland Arena.

With defenceman John Saunders called up to the BCHL Vernon Vipers, the Knights dressed just four blueliners Saturday night.
Singles by Kyle Schwartz, Seyl and Braeden Monk had Revelstoke up bythree in the first period. The Grizzlies’ Devon Hascarl, a Vernon product who has five points in six games with the BCHL Westside Warriors, finished with four assists. Tye Sanford, another Vernon native, had one.“Hascarl has been playing really well for us,” said Kevin Kraus, a firstyear assistant coach with Revelstoke and former Viper captain. “He’s trying his best to stay up there (in Westside), and every time he comes back, he seems to play better and better for us.”

A late shorty by Armstrong’s Brett Hawrys, assisted by Ryan Scheidt and Eric Chore, cut into the lead before the first intermission.
Schwartz restored the Grizzlies’ three-goal lead before singles by Tanner Burns and Chore cut the lead to one.

“They came back and it ended up being a real good game. We’re startinga pretty good divisional rivalry here,” said Kraus.
Singles by Revelstoke’s Braeden Monk and North Okanagan’s Bryce Koch (after Seyl’s winner), completed the scoring.

The Knights came into the tilt on a high after they knocked off the firstplaceKamloops Storm (23-3-0-2) Friday, but stumbled out of the gate.
“We beat ourselves,” he said. “The kids were raring to go, but found ourselves in the hole early.”