It was a night of close games and one unexpected blow-out this past week in the Kootenay Savings Super League curling action at the Trail Curling Club.
It was a game of ones early between Team Darrin Albo and Team Ken Fines. Albo was forced to draw for one in the first, then made two perfect draws behind cover in the second and third, leading to single steals and a 3-0 lead. The teams traded singles in the fourth and fifth before things heated up in the sixth. Albo rubbed a guard with his last rock, allowing Fines a chance for an open hit for four, ultimately rolling out, and settling for a field goal to tie the game. Fines had two rocks buried on the four-foot in the seventh, before Skip Albo made two incredible shots. The first, a perfect weight through a tight port to raise one up onto the button, the second, a peel weight double, spinning in a second rock to count two. Team Albo then ran Fines out of rocks in the eighth for a 6-4 victory.
Related read: Super League Curling: van Yzerloo suffers first loss
It was a short game between Team Rob Ferguson and Team Bedard Excavating, with usual skip Deane Horning still away on holidays. Team Bedard, with Don Bedard skipping, looked to have a steal of one in the first, but Skip Ferguson was on fire this night, making the perfect come around two guards, tapping the shot stone just far enough to count three. Ferguson held Bedard to one in the second, then made an easy double for four in the third. Team Ferguson stole three more in the fourth, for a handshaking 10-1 drubbing.
Team Bill King had a difficult time with Team Myron Nichol. King chose to blank the first, then rubbed a guard with his last rock in the second for a Nichol steal of three, before coming up an inch short in the third for another steal of one. Team King looked to get back in the game with a free draw for three in the fourth, then forcing Nichol to draw for one in the fifth. But things went sideways in the sixth, with Team King conceding after Nichol stole another three, for the 8-3 win.
Team Heather Nichol were playing anything but a last place team against Team Nathan Small. Skip Heather drew for one in the first, then another draw around cover in the second led to a steal of two. Team Small tied the game with an open hit for three in the third, forced Heather to draw for one in the fourth, then retook the lead with a perfect cross-ice double for three in the fifth. Team Nichol responded with an open draw for two, tying the game at 6-6 after six, setting the stage for two exciting final ends.
Skip Heather made an unbelievable angle-raise double take-out with her last in seven to sit two, forcing Small into a delicate come-around tap to take one, and be one down coming home without. Team Small got a draw in early to the four-foot, then guarded the heck out of it, leaving Skip Heather a long angle double raise take-out for the win with her last rock, that over-curled, giving Team Small the steal and a nail-biting 8-6 win.
Team VanYzerloo had the bye.
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