Ramblers take game 1 versus Loreburn
By Jordan Parker
The Eston Ramblers are gearing up for a busy stretch, with provincials and playoffs set.
While they earned a bye in Round One of the Hockey Sask Provincials, their road in the SVHL playoffs has begun.
The Ramblers finished their season with an 8-6-1-3 record and 20 points. It was enough to propel them to fifth in the league out of 10 teams.
PHOTO BY HELENKA BERNARD
Meanwhile, their playoff opponent finished two points again. The Loreburn 19ers had an 11-7-0-0 record, and the two met for the the first time on Friday.
The Ramblers took game one 6-3 vs Loreburn, outshooting their opponents 44-31.
Player Cam Oliphant says heading into the playoffs, the team feels good about how they played overall in regular season play.
“We were alright with where we finished. The league was tight, and we lost a few in overtime. Those points are a big difference in a league like this,” he said.
“Overall we were really satisfied, and I’m confident in this series against Loreburn.”
The team was suffering from some issues beyond their control before the playoffs hit, and Oliphant is confident things will be better moving forward.
“We were playing decent hockey, but we were short-staffed in terms of players. But coming into the playoffs, the team is confident,” he said. “Everyone is back, and we’re a full and energized team again.”
He knows there are things to look out for in the Loreburn team, and is wary of them.
“They have one key line that is pretty high-powered offensively. We need to key in on those guys,” he said.
“They’ve also got a few d-men who are good players, and we need to keep them in check. Their goalie is good, and we need to find a way to beat them.”
In terms of the provincials, Oliphant didn’t know who their opponent in the second round would be at the time of his interview with Your Southwest. The weekend saw Birch Hills triumph in the first round of Senior C over Rosetown, and they will next play Eston.
That series began with an 8-3 trouncing by Birch Hills against Rosetown on Saturday, February 4th, and now Eston can prepare for their opponents.
One thing Oliphant did know, however, was that they needed to remain focused as a team as they played SVHL and provincials.
“We just need to take things one game at a time. We can’t constantly worry about both leagues,” he said.
“You focus on your next tilt, and we just need to fine-tune our game, play our style, and do this the right way.”
Provincial game-times will be announced this week, and you can next catch the Ramblers in SVHL playoff action on Wednesday, February 15, for game two in Loreburn.