Ramblers Win!!!

Now that’s how you stop a losing streak.
The Ramblers lit the lamp early and often en route to an 8-4 triumph over the Bridgewater Lumberjacks in Maritime Junior A Hockey League action Tuesday night at the Stadium.
It was the first win for the bordertowners since Nov. 27, a span of eight games. It was also the most goals the Ramblers scored in a game this season. Their previous high was six on Sept. 24 against Yarmouth.
“This was huge for our organization,” said rookie forward Mitchell O’Neill outside a raucous Ramblers dressing room. “We had all four lines going, everybody contributing and that’s what we need to do to win hockey games.”
Indeed. Eleven different Ramblers had at least a point. Amherst led 2-0 after the first period and effectively salted the game away in the second, taking a 6-1 lead into the dressing room.
Justin Matthews, with two, Josh Coleman, Simon Bissonnette, Adam Chipman, Eric Boudreau, Derek Smith and O’Neill accounted for the scoring. Coleman, Chipman and O’Neill added assists, and Trevor Layton picked up a pair of helpers. Jon Waye made 30 saves in the Amherst net.
The Ramblers played the first of four games in six days prior to the Jan. 10 roster deadline, all against Bent Division opponents.
“This gives us lots of energy heading into Thursday (a road game with Pictou County),” said Matthews, named the game’s first star.
“We haven’t won in a while, and it feels good. It was nice to see the boys having fun again.”
NOTES – Newly acquired forward Brandon Street is still waiting for his release from the Quebec major junior league’s Victoriaville Tigres to be finalized, and did not play last night ... Forward Kody Orr and defencemen Wes Herrett and Brandon Mercer served the first of their two-game suspensions, and head coach Corey Crocker served his one-game suspension last night, all stemming from a fight-filled Dec. 19 game with Halifax ... Forward Scott Bragg played without a full cage for the first time since having his jaw broken Sept. 24 by Yarmouth’s Dakota Johnson and got into a late-game dust-up with Taite Paul, incensing Paul to the point where he charged across the ice and punched a linesman in the back of the head twice trying to get at Bragg. Paul received a match penalty on top of the fighting major.