Updates to come
As the Rock Turns will be updating the site in upcoming months and will post a new blog shortly. Hope you are able to throw rocks at your local curling club soon.
World Men’s Finale
Jeff Stoughton has brought a world championship back to Manitoba.
Steve “Tick Man” Gould did his job as Scotland’s guards are now unusable. Scotland lies one early, but it’s a side 12 stone.
Reid Carruthers then cleared the Scotland guard and counter.with his first stone to leave the trailers with nothing..
Jon Mead then peeled Scottish Granite. And Stoughton didn’t have to throw his last stone.
Canada wins, make the final 6-5.
An interesting tidbit: There is a Beausejour, Man., tie to both Stoughton world titles.
In 1996, Stoughton beat my father, Rom Borkowsky of the Beausejour Curling Club in the opening game of the MCA bonspiel. That was his first game which led to to a provincial berth.
Then in 2011, Stoughton won the Manitoba men’s title in Beausejour, which sent him to the Brier.
World Men’s ninth end
What do you do if you are Tommy Brewster? Blank and go for a deuce in 10? Or get a deuce now and hope for the best?
Brewster looked confused midway through the end, as though he had little idea what to do. Can’t say that I blame him. Stoughton had an edge in this end based on his calls and team execution. Example? Stoughton himself is curling 95 per cent.
Brewster probably lost this game by failing to hold his shooter when hitting for two with his last rock. He only scores one, trails by one (6-5) and gave the hammer back to Canada in the 10th end.
World Men’s eighth end
Canada clearly looking for a deuce, and they are set up for one, thanks to the way Scottish takeout bids roll out..
Stoughton has a split house with no double kill opportunities for the Scots. In the end, Canada draws full four a deuce and a 6-4 lead heading into the ninth end.
World Men’s Seventh
Stoughtonian spinarama. That spells entertainment – and a blanked end.
Still 4-4, but Canada has hammer in an even-numbered end. Advantage Stoughton.
World Men’s sixth end
While this one won’t go down in the books as a textbook end, Canada holds Scotland to a light tap back of a counter touching button for one.
Tied at four after six, with Canada holding hammer.
Normally steady Gould
When was the last time Canada’s Steve Gould missed two guards by 14 and 10 feet in weight? I’m betting it hasn’t happened in five years or so.
World Men’s at the break
Did Tom Brewster let Jeff Stoughton back in the game by being heavy on a freeze attempt? Brewster tried to freeze to a Stoughton stone in the top four. But watched it sail to the back four/eight foot rings.
Canada’s Jon Mead predicted there could be a shot for three, and there was. Stoughton got it with a clutch tap. Big momentum shift as Canada leads 4-3.
World Men’s End 4
Scotland’s Tom Brewster has the momentum after that steal of one. Stoughton tried to drive a Scotland stone in the four on to one in the back four for one. Stoughton got one, but the other hung around in the four and wound up as shot stone.
Scotland leads 3-1 heading into five.
World Men’s final
Four ends in and you have to like the way the Scots have approached this game. Tom Brewster’s triple kill in the first to lay five certainly showed he could mix it up with the Canadian champion Jeff Stoughton team.
In the House – Hunter hangs ‘em up
Brandon’s Lana Hunter went to three mixed nationals. (BRANDON SUN FILE PHOTO)
Lana Hunter has hung up her corn broom.
One of the last true tuck sliders in Manitoba’s competitive women’s curling, Hunter has decided to retire from the game after 12 provincial Scotties appearances and three provincial mixed titles.
“It’s time for family, friends and different things,” Hunter said. “All the people I’ve met over the years, that’s what I’ll miss. That and the different bonspiels that you go to in a year. I’ve had some success, too, and that makes it more fun. I’ve had the opportunity to play with a lot of good people.”
The Brandonite has contemplated retirement for a couple of years. However, with a shot at the Canadian mixed curling title last November in Morris, Hunter had to slide from the hack for one more competitive season.
“I’ve really enjoyed playing in the mixed because curling with the men is a whole different game,” Hunter said. “The strategy is different and the camaraderie is different.”
Hunter’s highlight was playing in the 2004 Scotties Tournament of Hearts in Red Deer, Alta., where she threw lead rocks for Lois Fowler‘s team that went 7-4 and lost the Page 3-4 game to Marie-France Larouche of Quebec 9-4.
The deciding factor to call it quits came when Hunter tired of missing out on family events.
“I missed a lot of volleyball this season and if (former Brandon University Bobcat) Teagan (Hunter) turns pro this year, I want to go and see her play, and there’s my niece Tasha, who’s recently had a little one,” said Hunter, who added she’d also like to travel more with her partner Drew.
WCT – Brandon’s Rob Fowler will try to qualify at the $100,000 GP Car and Home Players’ Championship, April 12-17 in Grande Prairie, Alta.
Other Manitobans in the 16-team men’s field include Jeff Stoughton and former Brandonite Mike McEwen. Kevin Koe‘s Edmonton-based team with former Brandonite Nolan Thiessen, will also play.
Aside from the last $100,000 purse of the season, teams seek valuable CTRS points.
McEwen and Stoughton are also in the running for the $85,000 Capital One Cup, which offers $50,000 to the team with the most points earned in Grand Slams. McEwen leads the men’s standings with 29 points while Stoughton has 25. Fowler has 12 points, but can make up ground by winning it all, as the winner of the Players Championship adds 24 points to their total.
SHUFFLE – Some of the top men’s teams in Manitoba are standing pat, such as Brandon’s Terry McNamee and Fowler, as well as McEwen and Stoughton.
However, that hasn’t stopped the annual team shuffle, which started when Brandon’s Brendan Taylor joined Vic Peters as his new second. Cory Naharnie was the odd man out after Taylor’s addition, when Kyle Werenich dropped to lead.
“When I dropped down to play second for Kevin Park in a Slam, I realized I really liked the position,” said Taylor, who has skipped for the last couple of years. “I get to focus on my game there. I’ll definitely have to work on my sweeping.”
For the second straight season, Manitoba’s women’s championship won’t get to defend their title without new teammates. Cathy Overton-Clapham and Breanne Meakin have added Jenna Loder and Ashley Howard, daughter of Russ Howard. Leslie Wilson and Raunora Westcott left the team, as did Karen Fallis, who filled in for Meakin at the Manitoba Scotties.
The Brandon-based Lisa Blixhavn rink has broken up, with Blixhavn and Jaimie Campbell taking the year off, Hunter retiring, and Tanya Enns set to give birth to twins.
Brandon’s Kristen Phillips is looking for a new team after the breakup of the Jill Thurston team. A new third, or skip is required on the Tina Kozak‘s Neepawa team, as third Kortney Teale won’t return.
“We’re open to a few different options,” said Kozak, whose remaining teammates are Pam Robins and Krystal Stewart. “If we can’t find anybody, maybe we have to take a year off. We hope that doesn’t happen.”
Kozak said she is willing to drop to third, if a skip signs on.
LAST ROCK – This will be the final Brandon Sun curling column of the 2010-11 season.
As the Rock Turns will continue to update curling news during the off season. Keep checking this website for details.
In the House: McDougall carries Manitoba’s masters hopes
Joyce McDougall will represent Manitoba at the national championships that starts today in Winnipeg. (BRANDON SUN FILE PHOTO)
Joyce McDougall hopes to master the field when the Canadian Masters Curling Championships open today at Winnipeg’s Assiniboine Memorial Curling Club.
The Brandon Curling Club skip, backed up by Linda Van Daele, Cheryl Orr and Karen Dunbar will represent Manitoba in the 10-team women’s draw. The top two squads in each of the five-team pools qualify for a Page playoff.
A BORKSPORT-encouraged time waster
I checked out this online curling game recently, called Flyordie Curling, where you can play a game against anyone in the world. I’m not sure this takes off like Texas Hold’em Poker has online, but this isn’t bad for those wanting to get a curling fix in the summer.
Seniors champs, mixed notes
Kelly Robertson will get to exchange his Manitoba jacket with a Maple Leaf crested one after returning home from the Canadian senior men’s championship a winner.
His team of Doug Armour, Peter Prokopowich and Bob Scales defeated Alberta’s Brad Hannah 7-5 in the final, avenging the only loss the Manitobans suffered all week in Digby, N.S.
At the Manitoba mixed championship, also last week, 2009 champion Sean Grassie will head back to nationals after knocking off Bob Sigurdson 8-3. Defending champion Terry McNamee was eliminated in the semifinal thanks to a 7-5 loss to Sigurdson.
In the House – McNamee to mix it up
Terry McNamee’s Hamiota foursome will defend its provincial mixed title this weekend. (BRANDON SUN FILE PHOTO) Enlarge Image
It’s not often that Terry McNamee gets a chance to one-up Jeff Stoughton.
If McNamee defends his Manitoba mixed curling title this weekend in Swan River, he will claim his fifth championship, more than any other in the event’s history. It’s little surprise then that the Hamiota Curling Club team of Lana Hunter, Allan Lawn and newcomer Karen Klein earned the top seed in the provincial championship that opens today.
“I wasn’t too surprised about that, but I think we deserved the top spot,” McNamee said. “We lost the Canadian final last year, so that’s a pretty good representation of Manitoba on a national stage. It will be good to go into Swan River playing well, where we can take our chances.”
