Kootenay Savings Super League saw last season’s top two seeds go head-to-head on Thursday at the Trail Curling Club.
Team Bill van Yzerloo and Team Myron Nichol got reaquainted with van Yzerloo catching a break in the first end when Skip Myron’s last rock attempted double take-out ran straight, breezing by the intended target, and leaving Skip Bill an open draw for four.
Team Nichol got on the board with an open hit for two in the second. The teams traded deuces in the third and fourth ends, before everything went team van Yzerloo’s way in the fifth.
With every rock in play, and no open path to the four-foot, Skip Myron attempted a difficult double angle raise that overcurled. It left Skip Bill a very wide draw path to the side of the 8-foot for a huge five on his way to a 12-4 win, in a game that was a lot closer than the score indicated.
Team Bartlett Excavating, skipped by Cody Bartlett, were in tough against Team Darrin Albo. Team Albo got on the board first with a single in one, then extended the lead in the second with a huge steal of four, when Skip Bartlett’s attempted draw came up short. Cody redeemed himself with a nice hit n roll for two in the third, but Albo restored the five point lead with a come around tap for two in the fourth.
Bartlett looked to get his team within one, attempting a run back hit n stay for three, that just overcurled, giving Team Albo a steal of one in the seventh, and a handshaking (not literally) 9-4 win.
Team Les Lepine and Team Nathan Small played a defensive game to start, blanking the first two ends. A nice hit n roll behind cover by Third James McKenzie, set-up a three ender for Small in the third. They followed that up with a large steal of four in the fourth, when Skip Lepine’s last rock draw overcurled, and clipped a guard, on the way to a 7-2 Small victory.
Team Ken Fines had one bad end that made the difference in their game with Team Brian LeMoel. Skip Ken drew for one in the first, but the second end took a turn for the worse when an attempted freeze came light, guarding three LeMoel stones, followed by a couple of missed take-outs, led to a large five-ender for Team LeMoel. Undeterred, Team Fines took advantage of a last rock miss by LeMoel for an open draw for three in the third.
Both teams traded deuces in fourth and fifth ends, and another two in the sixth, restored LeMoel’s three point lead. Skip Ken, facing three, made a wonderful come around tap off the button for one in the seventh, but couldn’t get any closer, as Team LeMoel played a perfect eighth end, running Fines out of rocks, to preserve an exciting 9-7 win.
The Kootenay Savings Super League goes every Thursday at the Trail Curling Rink, but because of Covid-19, is not open to the public or spectators at this time.