Team Rowsell is in first place in the St. John’s Super Curling League following it’s 9-5 win Sunday over John Shephards men’s team at the ReMax Center.
Team Labatt 201 101 0x = 5
Stavanger Dental 010 020 4x = 7
Despite losing their first 4 games, Stavanger Dental has had a hot hand and is one of 3 teams with 4 losses still in the playoff hunt. Team Labatt also has 4 losses, but saw this head-to-head game slip away after outcurling Stavanger Dental for six ends. The women, skipped by Stacie Curtis, were ahead until the 7th end …. their only blemish coming in the 5th end when the last rock by Curtis picked up debris and raised a second opposing rock into the rings (skip Stephen Trickett was then light on an attempted draw for 3 which would have tied the game 4-4). Disaster however was soon to again strike Team Labatt; they gave up a 4-count in the 7th end putting the junior men ahead 7-5 with one end remaining (Trickett made a nice quiet weight hit which boosed his foursome sufficiently to prevent a come-back). The men made them all in the 8th end and ran the women out of rocks for the win.
Team Strong 022 010 1x = 6
McInnes Cooper 400 204 0x = 10
This game was pre-played at the request of McInnes Cooper. The Trent Skanes skipped foursome scored enough points in just two ends (a total of 8 in the 1st and 6th) to put away the women. The quad in the first happened when Heather Strong’s second rock chipped a guard trying to bury facing 3 counters. In the 6th, Skanes scored 4 again on a short raise after Strong narrowly missed an in-off. The women overcame the first 4-count with deuces in the 2nd and 3rd ends. In the 2nd, Strong with hammer executed a thin double takeout through a port, and Skanes rolled out on a hit against 3 counters in the 3rd. The loss dropped the women back to .500, and McInnes Cooper is now 4-2; good for a 3-way tie for third place in the Standings.
John Sheppard Men’s Team 100 202 00 = 5
Rick Rowsell Men’s Team 031 010 13 = 9
Team Rowsell, coming off their first loss of the Season, gave up a steal in the first end and a couple of deuces, but prevailed over a stubborn 14th place team for a last-rock victory. Scores of 3 in both the 2nd and 8th ends were the difference for Team Rowsell. The win boosted their record to 6-1 which is good for sole possession of first place. With the score 5-5, playing the 7th end, Matthew Hunt, throwing last rocks for the John Sheppard Team, attempted an angle raise against 4 counters (one nibbling the top of the button). It overcurled and sat second shot, half exposed for Rowsell’s hammer. However, Rowsell chose to draw for a pair and was light — an extra end seemed likely. The more experienced team took over in the 8th end; in trouble all the way but with hammer to tie, Hunt had nothing but a double raise takeout which undercurled giving up the second 3-count and a 9-5 victory.
Team A. Harvey 020 100 x = 3
Olson Curling Supplies 005 032 x = 10
Team A. Harvey, playing the 3rd end leading 2-0, then saw all the breaks in the game go against them for the remainder of the contest. It started with giving up a 5-ender, set up when opposing third, Evan Kearley, executed the shot-of-the-day; a pretty quiet-weight 12-foot angle raise takeout. Olson Curling Supplies skip, Adam Boland, made a draw for 3 in the 5th end and followed it up wuth a steal of 2 for a 10-3 lead after 6 ends. In that 6th end, Geoff Cunningham (throwing last rocks for Team A. Harvey) did not hit enough of a guard that he intended to angle raise against 3 counters. The decisive win ended the 2-game SuperLeague losing streak for Olson Curling Supplies and their 5-3 record gives them sole possession of 6th place in the Standings, one win out of 3rd place.
Shelley Nichols Women’s Team 102 4x = 7
Carroll Investments 010 0x = 1
The Shelley Nichols Women’s Team was due for a victory; their 6-game SuperLeague losing streak (going back to Draw #2 on October 5) is probably a career high for them. They made no mistake of the opportunity against a sliding Carroll Investments foursome, and were in command in all ends. The only bright spots for the men were in the 2nd end (when the women forced skip Andrew Taylor to make a short outturn raise against 4 counters) and in the 3rd end (when Nichols was forced to make a nice double takeout with hammer to score a pair for a 3-1 lead). In the decisive 4th end, the men missed a port on a draw attempt against 4 counters for a big steal and making the final score 7-1. Both teams now have 6 losses and will be playing for “small money” and pride for the remainder of their SuperLeague season. That scenario often spells “giant-killer”.
STANDINGS (and W or L streak) after 51 of 91 GAMES:
6 – 1 1W Rick Rowsell Men’s Team
5 – 1 2W Colin Thomas Men’s Team
4 – 2 1L Jeff Thomas (Fun ‘N’ Fast)
4 – 2 4W Paul Harvey (Miller Lite / Platinum Business Solutions)
4 – 2 3W Trent Skanes (McInnes Cooper)
5 – 3 1W Adam Boland (Olson Curling Supplies)
4 – 3 1W Andrew Symonds (Therapeutic Services Physiotherapy)
4 – 4 1L Team Strong
3 – 4 1L Stacie Curtis (Team Labatt)
3 – 4 3W Stephen Trickett (Stavanger Dental)
3 – 5 3L Rob Thomas (Team A. Harvey)
3 – 6 5L Andrew Taylor (Carroll Investments)
2 – 6 1W Shelley Nichols Women’s Team
1 – 8 3L John Sheppard Men’s Team
