Atlético Ottawa’s two-match run in the CPL has been quite a rollercoaster ride. From a critics-silencing opening draw with York9 FC to a heavy defeat against Valour FC, the club has given its fans lots to pour over – and that’s not accounting for the red cards. Captain Ben Fisk is looking for the ups and downs to level out at The Island Games and a bit more stability to settle in, perhaps starting with their Sunday afternoon tilt against FC Edmonton. "We have to take each game individually and remove yourself from the emotions – that’s how you find consistency," Fisk told CanPL.ca. "We are coming off a bad result so you can take motivation from that – if these guys aren’t then I don't know what will. "A loss like that is never as bad as it felt at the time. On the flip side, the result against York is never as good as it felt on the field when you take the emotion out of it." Ottawa will be without Milovan Kapor on Sunday after he was sent off against Valour. Incredibly, all six goals conceded by Ottawa thus far have come after going down to 10 men. Fisk, 27, called for more intensity from the side, adding an exhausting second half while playing a man down versus Valour was a sticking point for him. RELATED READING: Paulus hopes to rekindle ‘special’ Edmonton-Ottawa rivalry in 1st CPL meeting "I addressed it the same as every other game – let the emotion of the result and your personal performance and put them aside," Fisk said. "Re-watch the game from a neutral standpoint and take it from there. I always give myself 24 hours before I re-watch games like that so I can let the dust settle, of course." This Ottawa club has been quietly making history, though it may be hard to tell from inside the Charlottetown bubble. There was no roar of the crowd when they entered the pitch in their inaugural game, no cheers when Mo Kourouma scored the club’s first goal, no jeers after that Valour loss. Fisk said a highlight for the team was seeing photos of the socially-distanced viewing party at TD Place in Ottawa for their first CPL match. "Getting on the bus after the game, I got sent a photo of a person in a Fisk jersey at TD Place. As a player, you come back from 90 minutes of serious hard work being down a man for 40 minutes and all that… seeing everyone there was unbelievable, as a player, there’s nothing like it,” Fisk said. Back in Charlottetown, the side has been getting some much-needed facetime with one another. Between a bizarre Madrid pre-season to self-isolation in Ottawa, Fisk says this 24-hours-a-day exposure has been great for team morale. "It’s been awesome – the best part about the bubble," Fisk said. "A lot of ping pong, cards, PS4, sitting on the patio, having a coffee, getting to know each other for real. "Not many teams have as many new faces as we do. Guys are just learning each other's stories, which is fantastic."

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