Ramblers Comeback For Character Win!

2010-01-13


If ever the Ramblers needed a character-building win, Tuesday’s performance was just what the doctor ordered.
Having surrendered four goals in a span of two minutes and 17 seconds late in the middle period to fall behind 5-1 to the host Commandos, the bordertowners, a little more than 48 hours removed from trading two of their leaders, got up off the mat and fought back to win 6-5 in a shootout in Maritime Junior A Hockey League action.
“I can’t remember us having a character-building game like that in  years,” Ramblers head coach and general manager Corey Crocker said.
“We didn’t blast the team in the dressing room after the second period. We had a good discussion about what we needed to do better, and our kids knew we could come back.”
It’s Amherst first road victory since Oct. 23, ending a 13-game winless drought away from the Stadium.
Rookies carried the load in the comeback. Mitchell O’Neill got it started at 5:15, and Kodi Estey made it 5-3 just 45 seconds later. Wes Herrett pulled the Ramblers within one at 12:37 with his first goal of the season, and O’Neill evened it up 36 seconds after that.
Brandon Street, in just his fourth game with Amherst after leaving the Quebec major junior league’s Victoriaville Tigres last month, gave the visitors an early lead on the power play 7:39 after the opening faceoff, and netted the shootout winner.  Jeremy Barron added a pair of assists and also scored in the shootout. Justin Matthews assisted on Street’s goal, giving him eight points in his last five games.
“All four lines contributed,” Crocker said. “Street is getting better every game and our guys really came together as a team, but the best thing was just to see our kids excited and smiling after the game. They worked hard and they deserved to win tonight.”
The Ramblers pulled into a three-way tie with Yarmouth and Halifax for fourth in the Bent Division. Halifax lost 3-2 at home to Pictou County in overtime last night, with former Amherst captain Adam Chipman picking up an assist for Pictou. Yarmouth had the night off.
OVERTIME – Tuesday’s other game saw Truro shut out visiting Campbellton 6-0 ... Ramblers forward Simon Bissonnette was scratched with a groin injury. Crocker said Bissonnette was held out for precautionary reasons and shouldn’t miss an extended period of time ... Amherst visits Bridgewater on Friday, then returns home to take on powerhouse Woodstock the next day at the Stadium at 7 p.m.