Team Heather Nichol, skipped by Jan Kambick, was in tough against Team Marcus Partridge this past week in the Kootenay Savings Super League.
Facing three with her last stone, Skip Jan tried a come around freeze that just nicked the guard, rolling into the open, allowing Marcus a free hit for four. Jan made a nice draw for one in the second, but Team Nichol couldn’t catch a break the rest of the way, as Team Partridge took two in the third, then stole the rest of the way, for a 10-1 win.
Team Bill van Yzerloo was matched up against Team Darrin Albo, skipped by Dennis Schlender. Van Yzerloo third, Rich Faunt, turned the first end around with a long run back raise double take-out, leading to a deuce. After blanking the second, Team Albo looked to tie the game in the third, but Skip Dennis’s last rock draw came up a millimetre short for only a single. After another deuce in the fourth, Team van Yzerloo thought they were in complete control with a steal of three in the fifth, to lead 7-1. But Skip Bill’s last rock take-out in the sixth, just over curled, jamming on his shot rock with his shooter rolling out, to allow Team Albo an open draw for three. Albo closed the gap with a steal in the 7th, before Team VanYzerloo ran them out of rocks in the eighth to hang on for a 7-5 win.
Top spot was on the line, as Team Myron Nichol faced off against Team Bedard Excavating, skipped by Deane Horning. Team Bedard caught onto the ice early, for a steal of two in the first, followed by a Nichol blank before Skip Myron navigated a tight port to tie the game with take-out to lie two in the third. It was a defensive battle the rest of the way, as the teams traded singles in the fourth and fifth ends, a blank in six, followed by a Nichol steal of one in the seventh had them up 4-3 coming home without.
Facing a crowded house, Horning made a perfect draw to the button with his first rock. Nichol decided it was too dangerous to try and remove, so he played for the tie, drawing for a guard. Horning went for the win, attempting a difficult double angle raise take-out of Nichols second shot stone, but it didn’t have a chance, breezing by the shot stones, for an entertaining 4-4 tie.
Team Russ Beauchamp waged a close fought match with Team Sitkum IT, skipped by Nando Salviulo. It was all singles on the board, with Sitkum cruising with steals in the second and fifth ends for the early 4-1 lead. Momentum swung Beauchamp’s way in the sixth as Skip Russ executed a perfect come around tap for two, then tied the game with a steal of one in the seventh, and pulling out the 5-4 win, with another steal in the eighth.
Team Ken Fines was playing a short staffed Team Desiree Borsato, who brought Carol Palmer out of retirement to call the game. Team Fines pounced early, with an open hit for four in the first, followed by a steal of three in the second. Brittany Palmer, throwing Borsato fourth stones, got her team back in it with a cross ice double for three, then stole a single in the fourth with a perfect come around freeze on the button, to close the gap to 7-4. But that was as close as the Ladies would get, as Team Fines kept it clean the rest of the way, blanking the fifth, before drawing for one in the sixth for a hand shaking 8-4 Fines victory.
It is a log jam at the top of standings heading into the Christmas break. Team Fines, Myron Nichol and Bedard Excavating are all tied with 16 points, with Van Yzerloo one point behind. The Kootenay Savings Super League resumes Thursday Jan. 4 at 7 p.m. in the Trail Curling Club.