After a slow start to the season, Ken Fines has his team on a bit of a roll this past week in the Kootenay Savings Super League action.
Team Fines battled Maglio Ladies in action Thursday, and skip Heather Nichol came out on fire, forcing Fines to take one in the first, then making a beautiful double take-out for four in the second.
Fines bounced back with a delicate come around tap for three, then stole the fourth and fifth ends for a 7-4 lead. The Ladies cut the lead to 8-7 by the eighth, but Fines engineered a three in the ninth, for an 11-7 win.
Defense was the name of the game in the Team Ferguson versus Maglio Mens tilt. With Skip Rob Ferguson away, Joe Ferguson took over the reins and played a patient defensive game against the normally aggressive Russ Beauchamp. Maglio led 3-2 after seven, but got into trouble in the eighth, with rocks overcurling and wicking a few guards, leaving Ferguson an open hit for four and the eventual 6-4 win.
Rellish Transport and Team Albo started slow, leaving points on the ice, as both skips Deane Horning and Darrin Albo struggled early. Rellish led 3-2 after four, but both Horning rocks in the fifth were light and overcurled, giving Albo a tap raise for three. Rellish Transport came back and tied the game at 5 in the seventh. Team Albo’s front end of Issel and Williams played a strong game, leading to a deuce in the eighth and seemingly control of the game. In the ninth, facing three Rellish stones, skip Albo attempted an easy weight take-out and roll behind cover of Horning’s shot stone to put the game out of reach, but got caught not throwing enough weight, overcurling for a miss, and leaving Horning a free draw for four. Team Rellish Transport executed a perfect 10th, running Albo out of rocks for a comeback 9-7 win.
The last game saw Team Nichol and Brost Autoworx face each other. After Nichol started with a deuce, Skip Desiree Borsato executed a nice hit and roll for her own two, then made perfect draw freezes for steals in the third and fourth ends and a 4-2 lead. After Skip Myron hit and rolled out for only one in the fifth, Team Nichol stepped up the offensive pressure, making every come around draw to the button or hit and roll behind cover, leading to steals of two in the sixth, seventh and eighth ends and a comfortable 9-4 Nichol win.
Super League goes again tonight at the Trail Curling Club at 7 p.m.