Wow, what a finish to the second-half season in the Kootenay Savings Super League.
All year, Team Heather Nichol has been knocking on the door for their first win, and it finally opened against Team Ken Fines, skipped by Larry Kotyk this week.
The teams traded singles to start, then the ladies got going with a gentle tap back for three in the third, followed by a steal of two in the fourth to lead 6-1. Skip Kotyk made a great hit and roll to count two in the fifth, then stole a single in the sixth to close the gap, but the ladies, prepping for the upcoming Provincial Seniors, bounced back with perfect draws and guards to put up another three-spot, for a handshaking, crowd-pleasing, 9-4 victory.
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Team Rob Ferguson was in tough against Team Bill King, which started out cautiously and ended with a bang. Fergie tried to blank the first, but couldn’t roll far enough, taking one in the first, then forced King to draw for one in the second, who then returned the favour, as Fergie had to draw for his single in three.
Skip King made a nice come around tap for two in the fourth, then forced Ferguson to draw for another single to be all tied up after five. Everything went Team Kings way in the sixth, putting up a huge four, then again forced Team Ferguson to take one in seven, to be comfortably up three coming home with hammer. Curling is a slippery game, and all that went well in the sixth went horribly wrong in the eighth for Team King, as Team Ferguson, who hadn’t scored a multi-point end in 17 previous ends, did the unthinkable, stealing FOUR to snatch victory from the jaws of defeat, winning 8-7.
Team Darrin Albo, with Dennis Schlender still at the helm, kept things rolling against Team Bedard Excavating, skipped by Deane Horning. Team Albo started with a deuce and were looking to steal the second before Horning made a nice run-back double to count one. Schlender hit and rolled out to only count one in the third, but kept the pressure on, stealing singles in the fourth and fifth to be up 5-1. Team Horning was looking to get a big end in the sixth, but Schlender stopped the rally with his own run-back double take-out, then Horning clipped a guard with his draw, and had to settle for a single. Team Albo put the game away with a field goal in seven, to win their sixth in a row.
Team Bill van Yzerloo, who already had clinched the regular season last week, were playing a familiar foe in Team Myron Nichol. Van Yzerloo made a perfect hit through a port to score one in the first, then Skip Nichol did the same for one in the second.
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Skip Bill made a delicate tap and roll to score three in the third, and were looking to steal the fourth, before Nichol drew perfectly to the edge of the button for one. Nichol tried to freeze to the back of the button in the fifth, but it didn’t curl enough, allowing van Yzerloo a hack weight tap-back for two. Nichol responded with a deuce of his own in six, then stole the seventh, and were laying two slightly buried in the eighth when van Yzerloo came to throw his last rock. Bill attempted a peel-weight double that hung, jamming the first rock onto the shot rock, giving Team Nichol a steal of one, tying the game at 6-6.
Team Small had the bye.
The 2018-19 Kootenay Super League ends this week with a seeded night of 1vs2, 3vs4, 5vs6, 7vs8 and 9vsWC going at 7 p.m. at the Trail Curling Club.
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