The semifinals of Kootenay Savings Super League wound up last week and when the last stone was thrown, it was number-one ranked 5N Plus rink led by skip Deane Horning left to duel against the number-three seed Rob Ferguson foursome tonight in the A-Event final.
In the A side semifinal last week, Team Ferguson battled number-seven seed Maglio Mens who were fresh off an upset of the second seeded Nichol rink.
In a tight 4-3 game, the turning point came in the sixth end. With Maglio set up to hold Ferguson to one, the Trail skip made one of his classic cross-ice double take outs with his last rock to score a big three points and an uncompromising 7-3 lead.
Skip Ferguson took control early, making deuces in the first and third ends while forcing Maglio Mens skip Don Bedard to make perfect draws for singles in the second and fourth. Bedard’s finesse weight helped him in the fifth end, as he made a difficult raise to the four foot with his last rock for a steal of one.
After the trifecta in the sixth, Maglio Mens had rocks building in the seventh end, but a Bedard draw caught a straight patch of ice, chipping the guard, opening up the four foot, allowing Ferguson to take-out shot stone, and forcing Maglio Mens a take-out for only one.
Ferguson was able to score two in the eighth, closing out Maglio’s with a 9-4 win.
The other A semifinal pitted 5N Plus against fourth seeded Team Schmidt.
5N had chances early, but some straight ice fooled skip Horning, keeping the game close for the first four ends. 5N Plus scored one in the first and stole one in the second, but Schmidt made a dead on the button draw for one in the third to make it 2-1.
Again Horning got caught on a straight patch of ice on his final shot of the fourth, jamming Schmidt’s shot stone on his second shot and rolling out for a Schmidt steal of one, instead of a take-out for three.
Things turned Horning’s way in the fifth, getting a couple of rocks buried behind corner guards, and two double takeouts by second Kevin Nesbitt and third Rob Norbert, leading to a game-changing four ender.
Schmidt blanked the sixth, but again had to hit the four foot for one in the seventh.
Horning made a delicate come around tap for two in the eighth, convincing Team Schmidt they had had enough, in an 8-3 win.
On the B side, second-seed Team Nichol curled to a 10-3 win over number-six seed Team Albo.
Team Nichol was on a mission after last week’s upset loss, scoring four in the second and another three in the fourth on a perfect raise take out.
The Albo rink battled hard and was laying four when skip Myron Nichol made a perfect come around freeze on the four foot for second shot, killing a possible big end and leaving Albo utterly deflated.
The second B semi-final had the number-eight seed Maglio Ladies in a tough match with fifth-seeded Fines foursome.
Skip Teresa Hiram whose rink will play in the Senior Ladies provincials Feb. 11, had Fines on the ropes in the second until the skip made a straight back double for three.
A perfect come around freeze onto his own stone in the fifth led to a Fines steal of two.
Hiram executed a raise double for two in the sixth, closing the gap to 7-4, but nothing went right for the Ladies in the seventh.
Team Fines iced the game with a hit and roll behind cover, leading to a crushing five ender on the way to a 12-6 victory.
Tonight Team Ferguson and 5N Plus face off in the A final, while Team Fines and Team Nichol contest for the B final.
The remaining 4 teams play each other in the C event.
The Horning rink will compete in the Men’s Provincial Curling championship in Parksville Tuesday.