The Kootenay Savings Super League produced two dramatic ties and a few comfortable wins as 10 teams took to the Trail Curling Club ice on Thursday.
With skip Darrin Albo still unavailable, a short-staffed Team Albo, skipped by Dennis Schendler, were in tough against recent Doug Bothamely Memorial cash spiel winner Deane Horning and his Team Bedard Excavating crew. The teams traded deuces to start, then skip Dennis made a nice hit and roll behind cover in the third, leading to a steal of one. Horning came back with a perfect raise take-out for two in the fourth, and a close 4-3 lead before Team Albo took back the lead with an open draw for three. Team Bedard tied the game with a deuce in six, then retook the lead when skip Deane’s cross-ice double led to a steal of two. The scrappy Albo team responded in the eighth with a come around tap for two, and an 8-8 tie.
Team Jill Winters was up for the task against top team Myron Nichol. Winters took one the first, then took control of the even ends with a steal of one in the second. Team Nichol got on the board with a deuce in the third, but Team Winters came right back with their two in four, forced Nichol to one in the fifth, before another two in six, for a 6-3 lead. The game changed back in Nichols favour, when Winter’s last rock draw in seven over-curled, racking on a guard, and allowing skip Myron an open draw with backing for a large four. Nichol has the last end set up for a steal and the win, but Winters had other plans, executing a perfect cross-ice double take-out for one, and an entertaining 7-7 tie.
Team Bill van Yzerloo controlled their match with Sitkum IT, skipped by Nando Salviulo, from start to finish. A perfect board weight hit and roll to the button behind cover by van Yzerloo third Richard Faunt, followed by his corner freeze at the top of the house, eliminated any chance of a Sitkum run back, and led to a huge five-ender in the first end. That might have unnerved skip Nando, as he struggled with his draw weight the rest of the game, leading to van Yzerloo steals in the second, third and fourth ends, and a 10-0 drubbing.
The Marcus Partridge versus Heather Nichol match started cautiously, as the teams traded singles the first two ends. Skip Heather made a perfect come around freeze in the third to steal one, before Partridge had an open hit for two in the fourth. Team Partridge extended their lead to 4-2 with a steal of one in the fifth, then seized control with a steal of three in the sixth when skip Heather’s last rock draw racked on a guard. Team Nichol closed the gap with a deuce in seven, but couldn’t get any closer ending in an 8-4 Partridge win.
Team Ken Fines took a 2-1 lead on the Russ Beauchamp rink after four. With Fines shot stone buried at the top of the button in the fifth, skip Russ made a delicate angle raise to the back of the four-foot to lay second shot, unfortunately it was sticking out just enough to allow skip Ken to play a come-around tap for three. Team Fines kept the pressure on, forcing Russ to make a perfect hit and stay for one facing three opposition stones in the sixth, but the team had no answer in the seventh, giving up a huge five-ender, and a handshaking 10-2 Fines’ win.
Super League play continues on Thursday at 7 p.m. at the Trail Curling Club.