AMHERST – Coming of a weekend split, Amherst CIBC Wood Gundy Ramblers coach Jim Bottomley is looking for consistency as his club heads to Dartmouth Tuesday to face the Metro Shipbuilders.
“Every game is so important right now and if you take a game off anything can happen,” Bottomley said. “We’ve got to get more consistent and keep building as the year goes on. That’s what was so frustrating about Campbellton the other night. We played well, but we have to go harder to win those games. We can’t afford to lose that games we should be winning.”
Tonight’s game is the first of three on the week for the Ramblers. On Saturday, the club hosts the Weeks Crushers, while on Sunday the Mirimichi Timberwolves are here.
Saturday’s game has added meaning in that the team will be celebrating its 45th anniversary with a pre-game celebration featuring many members of the original 1967 Ramblers.
The Ramblers have only played the Shipbuilders once this season, a 5-2 win at home in late September.
The Shipbuilders only have three wins on the season, including a 6-2 victory in Bridgewater last Friday.
“They’re the type of team you don’t want to take lightly. They are hungry for wins. If we don’t come ready to play they could make us pay, like Campbellton did to us on the weekend,” Bottomley said. “Right now, we need to focus on putting some wins together. Our division is so tight that a couple of wins or losses in a row could have a big impact on where we stand. If we get on a hot streak we could move right up the standings.”
While the playoffs aren’t for several months, Bottomley said he expects his players to bring a playoff-like atmosphere to the rink every game.
Also, with the Dec. 1 deadline looming to reduce rosters to 25 carded players, Bottomley said some changes could be coming.
The box office at the Amherst Stadium is open through the week for Saturday’s game from 6 to 8 p.m. nightly. Fans who purchase tickets for Saturday’s game can also get one for Sunday’s at half price.
The box office will also be open from 1 to 3 p.m. on Saturday.
dcole@amherstdaily.com
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