The two Kootenay rinks bounced back from opening draw losses to win their next two matches at the Men’s provincial curling championship in Parksville Wednesday.
The Deane Horning rink from Castlegar and Kimberley’s Tom Buchy rink won their next two matches in the B event, to potentially send them on a collision course in the B semifinal.
After suffering a 7-2 loss Tuesday morning, Horning beat the Rich Bower rink 5-4 in the evening draw, and took down former B.C. Champion Ken McArdle 6-5 Wednesday morning. Horning actually held a 6-2 lead after a steal in the eighth, but McArdle made it interesting taking two in the ninth and stealing one in the final end.
Buchy meanwhile dropped his opening game to Montgomery 8-2, but rebounded with decisive 10-4 and 9-4 wins over Yamada and Perepolkin respectively.
Horning and Buchy now play in the B-side quarter-finals Thursday afternoon, and with a victory will meet in the semifinal Thursday night. The B-final is slated for 2 p.m. Friday with the winner earning a spot in the Page Playoff.
The championship game is slated for Sunday at 5 p.m. The provincial champion will represent B.C. at the Tim Hortons Brier in Edmonton from March 2-10.
The Brier champion will represent Canada at the Ford World Men’s Curling Championship March 30 to April 7 at Victoria’s Save-on-Foods Memorial Centre.