Eston Ramblers focus on consistency

By Jordan Parker

Heading into the weekend, the Eston Ramblers were 2-1-0, coming off a tough loss to the Loreburn 19ers.

In a game where they were evenly matched, the Ramblers were unable to put together a full 60-minute effort at a time when they needed it. They were felled 7-4 in the tilt.

“It wasn’t too bad a game. But we got off to a slow start. It just wasn’t the way we wanted to jump into the game,” said player Cam Oliphant.

PHOTO BY HELENKA BERNARD

The Ramblers quickly went down 4-0 in the first, then bounced back to make it 4-4 by the end of the second. But things didn’t stay the course.

“Our second was a lot better, and we were carrying the play and had good pressure. We were limiting opportunities, but we couldn’t continue through the third,” he said.

They gave up three more consecutive goals in the third, leaving them down 7-4 by game’s end.

“At times during the third period, we’d played okay. But then we’d take a shift off, and if you do it enough, opposing players will capitalize,” he said.

They found a formidable opponent in the 19ers, who were also 2-1-0 going into the weekend’s busy play.

“Their transition game was good. They had some strong defensemen who rush the puck, and they were good on the back end,” said Oliphant. “Their forwards can rip the puck pretty good. They play hard, and they compete hard.”

Oliphant says the game could have gone either way, but the Ramblers were outmatched that night.

“They just had a better night and came out on top. We outshot them by a few, but both goaltenders also played incredibly,” he said.

“Their goalie made the stops when needed, and our goalie Hudson Killam played well all night for all of us.”

One factor that didn’t come on the ice was the fact the Ramblers played their first away game at the Loreburn Arena.

“It was our first away game, and obviously, we weren’t quite ready to go. If you play hockey, you need to be able to compete during away games, and we weren’t prepared,” he said.

The Ramblers played the Dinsmore Dynamos to a 4-4 double-overtime draw on Friday, lost 5-4 in overtime to the Outlook Ice Hawks on Saturday, and came back home to play the Central Butte Flyers on Sunday and came away with a 7-4 victory.

Oliphant was clear that the team had to push hard through the entire game to compete at a high level and remain as disciplined as possible.

“You need to play that full 60, and many teams in the SVHL have enough good players that if you take a shift off, they’ll get a scoring chance. The wrong guy will make your team pay,” he said.

“We also took some penalties in the 19ers game, and discipline is a huge part of going forward. We have a good powerplay, move the puck well, but have to focus on 5-on-5 too.”

The season is just starting, and Oliphant knows it’s a jog and not a sprint.

“We just need to take things one game, one period, and one shift at a time. We need to be ready from puck drop,” he said.

The Eston Ramblers got back into the win column on Sunday evening with a 7-4 victory over the Central Butte Flyers.