The Kootenay Savings Super League was back in the hack Thursday with a Fines-Van Yzerloo tilt highlighting a week of close games.
Don Freschi, skipping for Bill Van Yzerloo, was staring at two Ken Fines’ stones, and made a perfect double to score two in the first. Freschi then stole two in two, and made another double to count two more in the fourth, to take a commanding 6-1 lead.
But Team Fines discovered its draw weight, coupled with a few opposition misses. Fines struck for four in the fifth, then stole the sixth to tie the game at six-all. Skip Freschi had a chance to salt the game away with a raise take-out to lay five, but didn’t clip the Fines stone enough, and had to settle for one. Skip Ken, facing three, ended the game with a delicate come around tap off the four-foot with his last rock in the eighth for shot rock and an exciting 7-7 tie.
Team Darrin Albo waged a tight battle with Team Heather Nichol. Skip Heather made some crucial draws this game, calmly drawing the four-foot in the first and third ends, sandwiching around an Albo deuce in the second. Team Nichol was looking to steal in the fourth, before Skip Darrin made a nice double take-out to lay three. Facing four opposition stones in the fifth, Skip Heather kept her team close with another draw to the four-foot. This inspired Team Nichol, as they forced Albo to one in the sixth, then took two in the seventh to be one down coming home without. But Skip Heather’s last rock didn’t curl enough, leaving Albo an open hit and stay for one in a 7-5 win.
It was a defensive battle between Team Rob Ferguson and Team Myron Nichol, with Team Ferguson managing the only deuce in the first end. Team Nichol was forced to take one in the second, then stole one in the third to tie the game. Both teams could only muster singles with their hammer opportunities in the next four ends, although it looked like Nichol was heading to multiple points in the seventh, before Skip Rob made a great hit and roll behind cover for second shot that Skip Myron couldn’t get to, settling for the one point, and a 4-4 tie going home without hammer. Team Ferguson kept it clean, leaving Skip Rob an open hit and stay for one, and a 5-4 victory.
Team Bedard Excavating, skipped by Don Bedard this week, versus Team Nathan Small, skipped by Devo Devine, was another tight battle going down to the last rock. Both teams generated deuces with their hammer opportunities in ends one through four. Team Small blinked first, when Skip Devo’s last rock come-around, tap-for-two brushed a guard, for a Team Bedard steal of one. Devo got his deuce back with a double take-out in six, then was looking to steal three in the seventh, before Skip Bedard made the TSN turning point with an outside angle raise to the pot for one, tying the game at six-all coming home without. Team Small couldn’t keep the front of the house clear, leading to a buried Bedard stone for a steal of one, and an exciting Bedard Excavating 7-6 win.
Usual Skips Horning, Small and VanYzerloo were all away, participating in the Kelowna Cash Spiel. Team Bill King had the bye. Super League curling goes every Thursday at 7 p.m. at the Trail Curling Club.