It was a night of upsets this past week in the Kootenay Savings Super League curling action at the Trail Curling Club.
The young Umpherville rink finally won their second game of the year after knocking on the door for so long, while both co-leaders, Horning and Ferguson, were felled by Castlegar Hyundai and Team Nichol respectively.
With Skip Justin Umpherville out with injury, third Spenser Soukeroff stepped up and took over the reigns of the Junior Mens rink with their battle against Team Fines. After a first end blank, the teams traded deuces. Skip Ken Fines made a take-out through a tight port in the fourth that led to a steal of one and a 3-2 lead. But that was all the Fines team could muster, as Spenser executed a skinning double in the fifth, with his first rock, then a delicate come around tap to sit three. Team Umpherville then stole the sixth, seventh, and eighth ends for a 9-3 win.
Playing against Team Horning, Castlegar Hyundai rotated their roster to have James Mackenzie skipping, while Rob Nobert dropped down to play third. The first end turned in Hyundai’s favour when Skip Deane Hornings last rock slid too far, setting up an easy double for Mackenzie and a three-ender.
The second end was shaping up for a four for Horning, until his first rock again slid too far, leaving Mackenzie a hit-and-roll behind cover, forcing Horning to draw to the fourfoot for his deuce. It was 5-3 for Hyundai playing the fifth, with Horning sitting two practically buried on either side of the four-foot, when Third Nobert threw a perfect skinny double to lay three. Mackenzie put the icing on the cake with a final draw for four, as Hyundai stole another two in the sixth for a handshaking 11-3 drubbing.
Team Nichol, fresh off being crowned Kootenay Senior Zone champs, was battling their familiar foe in Team Ferguson. Nichol got a couple of rocks behind guards early that Team Ferguson tried to freeze to, but either clipped the guard or slid too far, leading to a Nichol draw for four to start the game. The teams traded singles over the next four ends, before Skip Rob manufactured deuces in the sixth and eighth ends to cut Nichols lead to 7-6. Nichol blanked the ninth, to set up an exciting 10th. Trying to steal, and already lying one buried at the top of the house, Skip Rob attempted to draw around cover to the four-foot to lay two for a possible win, but the rock hung just enough to give Skip Myron Nichol an open hit and stay for one and an 8-6 victory.