By Darrell Cole
Amherst Daily News
AMHERST – Amherst Ramblers coach Jim Bottomley is about to send a strong message to his hockey team: play a full 60 minutes or be prepared to sit.
Bottomley was still smarting after the Ramblers blew a late lead and lost to the Summerside Western Capitals in Maritime Junior Hockey League play Wednesday.
The Ramblers fared no better tonight in New Glasgow, getting blanked 1-0 by the Pictou County Weeks Crushers. Mitchell Deruelle accounted for the scoring at 8:16 of the third period. Ramblers goalie Richard Tingley stopped 31 shots.
“We need to get back to a full 60-minute effort. It’s cost us two games that we should have won and it’s got to stop,” Bottomley said prior to last night’s game. “We took a couple of bad penalties and they tied it up and scored the winner right after that. We lost our focus for a couple of minutes and it cost us the game.
“The guys who are prepared to do what it takes to win will be the ones who play.”
The Ramblers return to action at home Saturday when the club faces the Metro Marauders, who shut out the Truro Bearcats 2-0 last night in Dartmouth. Game time is 7 p.m.
On Sunday, Amherst is at Arthur J. LeBlanc Arena in Dieppe for an afternoon contest against the Commandos at 2:30 p.m. Dieppe beat the Ramblers 2-1 in October.
dcole@amherstdaily.com
