There were some real nail biters and one blowout this past week, as the Kootenay Savings Super League wrapped up its first half of the season.
Castlegar’s Team Bill van Yzerloo started quickly against Team Bartlett Excavating, skipped by Cody B, when Team Bartlett just ticked or nicked multiple times, leaving Skip Bill an open hit for four.
A perfect hit n roll by Barlett lead Randi Ludwar led to an open draw for two in the second. Facing multiple guarded rocks in the third, Skip Bartlett drew to the back of the 4-foot, forcing van Yzerloo to draw to the full 4-foot for a single.
Draw weight eluded Bartlett in the fourth and fifth ends, giving van Yzerloo steals of two in both ends. Skip Cody made an excellent hit n roll to the 4-foot in the sixth for one, but had had enough, conceding to a 9-3 Team van Yzerloo win.
It was a close battle between Team Darrin Albo’s Rossland rink and Team Nathan Small. Both teams were forced to one in the first and second ends, then Albo stole a single in the third when Small’s last rock draw slid too far. Skip Nathan bounced back with a perfect double for two in the fourth.
Noted for his take-outs, Skip Albo came up with clutch draws in the fifth for a single and the sixth to steal one. It was a roller-coaster seventh end, with momentum swinging several times, culminating in another double take-out from Skip Small for a deuce to be one up coming home without.
In the eighth, Team Small had multiple chances to run doubles, but kept ending up on the wrong side of an inch, giving Skip Albo an open hit for four, and an exciting 8-5 win.
There were multiple rocks in play in the first end for both Team Ken Fines and Team Myron Nichol before Team Nichol third Dustin Ford ran a triple, eliminating all the Team Fines stones, and potentially setting up a 5-ender; but Skip Nichol’s last rock overcurled, settling for a deuce.
Both Teams were forced to singles in the second and third ends before Skip Nichol’s last rock in the fourth came up short, allowing Skip Fines a free draw for three. A sweeping error led to only a Nichol single in the fifth, then a steal of one in the sixth when Skip Fines’ attempt at an outer edge in-off didnt roll far enough. Team Fines blanked the seventh, then Skip Ken made a clutch draw to the 4-foot in the eighth, tying the game at five.
There were many uncharacteristic misses in the game between Team Les Lepine and Team Brian LeMoel.
Skip Lepine came up short on his draw for three in first, settling for a deuce, followed by Skip LeMoel’s last rock take-out crashing on a guard, resulting in only a single.
Team Lepine missed another chance at a three-ender when Skip Les’ last rock overcurled, giving LeMoel a steal of one in the third, followed by a missed draw in the fourth for another LeMoel steal of one. Team Lepine manufactured a deuce in the fifth, but Team LeMoel came right back with a 3-ender in the sixth to retake the lead 6-4.
Skip LeMoel breezed both of his take-out attempts in the seventh, allowing Skip Lepine an open draw for three to be one up coming home without. Skip LeMoel didnt have to throw his last rock when Skip Lepine’s attempt at a quiet weight hit n roll overcurled, leaving two LeMoel stones for the entertaining, but error filled 8-7 LeMoel win.
In Kootenay Savings Super League Standings, at the end of the first half: van Yzerloo leads with 12 points, LeMoel has 10, Small 9, Albo 8, Nichol 6, Bartlett Excavating 4, Fines 3, and Lepine 2.
Related read: van Yzerloo-Albo games goes down to wire
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