Jacob Oster is looking to get his groove on.
The 18-year-old Guelph Storm goaltender came into training camp as the undisputed number one goaltender after Owen Bennett, who Oster split duties with a year ago, wasn't even in camp.
The results have been – even Oster admits – a little inconsistent.
Oster allowed three goals in 26 minutes of action Friday night at the Sleeman Centre as the Storm wrapped up its pre-season with a 5-3 loss to the Mississauga Steelheads.
He finished the pre-season with a 4.81 goals-against average and .881 save percentage.
The Storm opens its regular season Friday at home against Hamilton.
"I think training camp went pretty well for myself, but I'm trying to get myself back into my groove again that I finished off last year with," Oster said.
"I think I've sort of hit a mental block right now that I'm starting to get over. I'm working through my mental block right now and I think I'm doing it pretty well."
Oster has been working with the team's mental conditioning coach, Ashwin Patel, and echoed the words of the great Carey Price when talking about what he needs to do in not letting bad goals get to him.
"You have to have a short mind. Not think about anything and let it go. Carey Price said it once in an interview, that he doesn't think about goals during the game, he thinks about them after the game. That's the time to reflect on them and think what you could have done different."
Storm coach Scott Walker said Oster is a hard working player with the right attitude.
"He's a great kid with a great attitude," Walker said. "I'd just maybe like to see him calm down in his game a little bit. Relax a little bit. He's excited, he's trying to be 'the guy,' but sometimes you can try too hard.
"We'll see. Nothing's guaranteed. We want guys pushing one another."
Backup Dixon Grimes suffered a lower body injury a week ago and is likely a week away from skating. Ethan Kowaltsch, a Mississauga draft pick borrowed on an emergency basis, played the second half of Friday's game and he or someone else will likely be needed on an emergency basis to start the regular season.
Oster said he didn't come into camp thinking he was 'the man.'
"George (Burnett) told me at the end of last season, when you come into camp don't take anything for granted. Come in and compete. Prove yourself. Prove your role and earn it. That's the mentality I came in with this year," the Ottawa native said.
With a bunch of players away at NHL camps, the Storm started the game with 15 skaters and ended it with 14 after Cam Allen left early when he was cut on a hard hit along the boards in the first period.
Defencemen Peyton Robinson and Nikko Minkkinnen, back after missing a couple of weeks with injury, scored Guelph's goals, both on the power play.
