Ramblers Outlast Wildcats 8–6 in Home-Ice Thriller

The Amherst Ramblers treated their fans to an unforgettable afternoon at Amherst Stadium, skating away with an 8–6 victory over the Valley Wildcats in a fast-paced, back-and-forth battle that had the crowd of 814 on its feet from start to finish.

The Ramblers wasted no time establishing momentum, turning their first-period power plays into goals. At 6:40, forward Anthony Gaudet opened the scoring with help from Cooper Cormier and Owen Aura, sending the home fans into an early roar. Minutes later, Mark Corbett doubled the lead on a crisp feed from Gaudet. Valley managed to cut the deficit when Belanger scored at 14:56, but Amherst wasn’t done—Corbett restored the two-goal cushion late in the frame, capitalizing on another power play to make it 3–1 after twenty minutes.

The second period turned into a rollercoaster. Amherst extended its lead early when Cormier struck again just 25 seconds in, finishing another slick setup from Cormier and Gaudet. But the Wildcats came roaring back, showing no quit. Four unanswered Valley goals—by Arsenault, Lucier, Belanger, and MacDonald—briefly put the visitors ahead 5–4. The momentum seemed to shift, but Amherst refused to back down. With time winding down in the period, Aidan Silvaggio found the back of the net at 16:29, for his first in the MHL, tying the game 5–5 and reigniting the building’s energy heading into the third.

The final frame belonged to the Ramblers. Midway through the period, Ty Peddigrew finished a quick passing play from Aura and Luke Jardine, restoring Amherst’s lead. As Valley pressed for the equalizer, the Ramblers’ special teams struck again—Cooper Cormier buried a power-play marker at 18:11, extending the advantage to two. With the Wildcats’ net empty, Bailey Shortall iced the game with a long-range shot at 19:50, sealing the 8–6 win and setting off cheers throughout the arena.

Amherst dominated the shot clock, outshooting Valley 68–29, and went 4-for-5 on the power play while holding the Wildcats to just one man-advantage goal on three chances. The Ramblers’ ability to respond under pressure and convert on special teams proved the difference in a game filled with momentum swings and offensive fireworks.

With the win, the Ramblers continue to build momentum as they move deeper into their Maritime Hockey League schedule. Amherst will look to carry this confidence forward when they return to action later this week.