Trail Mens Retirees Curling saw turning points a plenty as the majority of matches went down to the wire last week at the Trail Curling Club.
In a game that featured angle raises and double takeouts by both skips, Tom Hall and Murray Walsh, it came down to a draw to the four foot by Hall with his last rock to sit shot, buried. Trailing by one, with hammer Walsh had a draw to the pin to tie or a two inch tap-back for the win. With back-eight weight Walsh’s rock did not curl enough to make contact. Make the thrilling final 5–3 Hall.
In a high scoring but close game team Serge Pasquali trailed by one to team Alvin Caron after six ends. Team Pasquali with hammer in the seventh had an opportunity for four, but did not make the shot, giving up a steal of one and an 8–5 Caron win.
After trading deuces in the first two ends it was team Brett Rakuson with steals of one in the next three ends over team Pat Burke that proved to be the turning point. Taking one in the sixth and stealing one in seven Burke closed the gap to one. Burke forced Rakuson to throw his last rock in eight, Brett made it for the 6–4 win.
In a wild game that was tied 5-5 after seven ends, it was team Harvey Handley that had hammer in eight. The Forrest Drinnan foursome were forced to junk up the house and play for the steal. The plan worked with Drinnan emerging with the 6–5 victory.
In what should have been the turning point, a score of five in the second end, for team Kevin Oliver turned out to be just enough. As team Ernie Brown, down but not out, scored in five of the eight ends to salvage a 7 – 7 tie.
Teams Clare Coleman and Dan Horan were tied after four ends, but the turning point came after Coleman took two in the fifth, then stole two in the sixth and one in the seventh for an 8–3 victory.