Ramblers catapult in SVHL standings

By Jordan Parker

The Eston Ramblers were sitting in third heading into the winter break, a coveted spot in the SVHL standings.

Behind only the Kenaston Blizzards and Kyle Elks, they had 15 points and a 6-3-1-2 record with a few games in hand.

“We finished 2022 in a good position. We had games we can build off of, but we have some hard games in this next bit,” said player Cam Oliphant.

“We just want to do everything we can to keep up this good effort. We’re going to move forward and just play our game.”

While they sat just five points behind first and second place headed into this post-holiday weekend, Oliphant still sees spots where the team can improve.

“We’re a little over halfway through our season. I feel like some games we’ve showed how well we can play, but we need to be more consistent. I’d like better results,” he said.

“We need to be good every night and match our opponents. Consistency is just big in this league.”

While it’d be easy for the team to get ahead of themselves, Oliphant is focused on the short-term at the moment.

“We need to take this one game at a time. We don’t have many games left, and we want to play to a level that we can secure home-ice advantage,” he said. “We don’t worry about anything but who we play next, and we’ll put in 60 minutes of solid play each game.”

While it won’t make-or-break things, Oliphant is clear that the playoff home-ice advantage can influence a game or series.

“It’s just a really nice thing to have. We love playing at home, and I think we play better there. It’s not the key, but it certainly is something that helps,” he said.

As things currently sit, Eston players Jesse Mychan and Jesse Ismond find themselves in the top 10 in scoring in the SVHL. The two imports have 37 points (second place) and 28 points (10th), respectively this season.

“Jesse Mychan has a major offensive upside, and can be a game-breaker for us. It’s so nie to have a guy like that. But the key for us is all our players chip in,” he said.

“Down the lines and stretch, they all contribute. So if one guy has an off night, the others are there. The depth is how you win hard games.”

Coming off an extended Christmas break, Oliphant hopes it gave the team everything they needed to push down the stretch.

“Hopefully the guys enjoyed time with their families or went on trips. It’s nice to have a break, but we’re all excited for this last half, and to see where it takes us,” he said.