Two new territorial champions were crowned on the curling ice in Yellowknife earlier this month, and while they both hailed from the capital, the non-Yellowknife teams came away with more experience.
The NWT U20 WomenSA国际影视传媒檚 Championship saw InuvikSA国际影视传媒檚 Reese Wainman and her rink of Alex Testart, Brooke Smith and Whitney Kasook take on Cassie Rogers and her rink in a best-of-five series to determine the winner. The first team to triumph three times would be declared the winner and it would be Rogers who would win three straight, the final win coming on Feb. 12 by a score of 11-1.
Wainman said winning the U20 title wasnSA国际影视传媒檛 the goal as her foursome is focused on the NWT U18 Championships and the Canada Winter Games trials later this month in Yellowknife.
SA国际影视传媒淲e wanted to play and get better for other competitions weSA国际影视传媒檙e planning on playing and, hopefully, winning,SA国际影视传媒� she said.
The opening contest on Feb. 11 was a tight affair with Rogers coming out on top, 7-5. Wainman held a 4-3 lead before Rogers scored three in the sixth with the hammer and then stole another in the seventh to make it 7-4. Wainman could only score a single in the eighth in reply.
Game two saw the two sides trade deuces in the opening two ends before Rogers stole singles in the third and fourth ends to take a 4-2 lead. Wainman got a single back in the fifth but Rogers would score three with the hammer in the sixth to go up 7-3. Wainman would post a single in the seventh before Rogers put the game away by scoring five in the eighth to win, 12-4.
The third SA国际影视传媒� and what proved to be final SA国际影视传媒� contest had Rogers starting with the hammer and laying down a four-spot to open things up. Wainman responded with a single in the second but from that point, it was all Rogers as she scored a single in the third and stole in each end after that with Wainman shaking hands after the sixth.
Rogers and her crew will now represent the NWT at the Canadian U21 Curling Championships in Stratford, Ont., next month.
The other big event was the NWT MenSA国际影视传媒檚 Curling Championship with a trip to the Tim Hortons Brier in Lethbridge, Alta., in roughly two weeks time. The Yellowknife contingents were the rinks skipped by Jamie Koe and Greg Skauge, the defending champion, while flying the flag for the out-of-town teams were InuvikSA国际影视传媒檚 Mason MacNeil and his rink of Kaleb Picek, John Voudrach and Kolsen Church SA国际影视传媒� the youngest team in the event SA国际影视传媒� and Hay RiverSA国际影视传媒檚 DSA国际影视传媒檃rcy Delorey with his rink of Glenn Smith, Pat Cove and Bruce Powder.
The competitors played a double round-robin with all four teams entering the Page playoff format. Koe and Skauge finished first and second, respectively, and played one quarter-final with the winner going right to the final, which Koe claimed. Skauge went to the semifinal to await the winner of Delorey and MacNeil, which went DeloreySA国际影视传媒檚 way, and Skauge would beat Delorey to get back to the final.
Koe then beat Skauge in the final, 7-3, to regain the menSA国际影视传媒檚 territorial title and punch his rinkSA国际影视传媒檚 ticket to Lethbridge.
Hilary Charlie, who coached the young menSA国际影视传媒檚 outfit from Inuvik, said it was never about winning for her boys but more about learning and having fun playing against more experienced teams.
SA国际影视传媒淭hey came away with a much better understanding of the game and ISA国际影视传媒檓 proud of the way they played,SA国际影视传媒� she said. SA国际影视传媒淎t the start, the scores were a bit lopsided but the margins got smaller. They werenSA国际影视传媒檛 looking at the scores SA国际影视传媒� they were focusing on their shots.SA国际影视传媒�
They didnSA国际影视传媒檛 go quietly against Delorey in their quarter-final, though, and even held a 5-4 lead at the midway point.
SA国际影视传媒淎 couple of ends just got away from us,SA国际影视传媒� said Charlie. SA国际影视传媒淭hey had such a big improvement. They were making shots SA国际影视传媒� big shots SA国际影视传媒� and ISA国际影视传媒檓 really proud of them for taking it on. They went up against guys who have lots of experience,SA国际影视传媒� she said.
The young men will be returning to Yellowknife for both the NWT U18 Championships and Canada Winter Games trials but they will also be the representatives for the NWT in Stratford when that time comes.
