Happy New Year everybody!
The PCL has been back in action the last two weeks and the league is looking strong. Team Law and team Mallett are headed to the Women’s Provincials coming up next week at the North Shore Winter Club.
On the Men’s side, team Wakefield, McArdle, Kedziora, and Pierce are all qualifiers for the Men’s Provincials coming up in February! Good Luck to all teams!
The Premium League is proud to report that the Wakefield team won the Seattle Men’s Cashspiel last weekend. They defeated teams W. Johnson, Kauffman, and Epp in the playoffs to pick up the victory! This marks the 5th WCT event this year won by a team in the Premium League.
December 9-11th the men’s playdowns begin at the Marpole Curling Club in Vancouver. Scores for this event can be found at www.playdowns.com and click under Men’s Coastal Playdown. Good Luck teams!!!!
Congratulations to Brent Pierce and his team of Jeff Richard, Kevin Reckseidler, and Grant Dezura for winning the WCT Roaming Buffalo Classic this past weekend defeating Randy Ferbery in the quarter finals and Wade White in the final. They also clinched a berth into the Provincials with their CTRS points, well done men. The Law team has also clinched a berth into the women’s Provincials with their CTRS points! Women’s playdowns begin this weekend in Juan de Fuca where team Mallett will be competing. You can follow their results at www.playdowns.com.
The World Curling Tour has seen some fine performances from teams housed out of Royal City. Two weeks ago the Kelley Law team were finalists in the Red Deer Classic defeating along the way Jennifer Jones, Amber Holland, and Rachel Homan of Ontario. This past weekend the Bryan Miki team won the Vancouver Island shootout in Victoria. Qualifying out of the C event team Miki got on a roll in the playoffs and defeated Jamie King in the final which included 2010 World Champion Blake McDonald. Team Bilesky were also strong in Victoria making the semi-finals.
This week team Pierce is off to Alberta for the Roaming Buffalo Wainright Classic and next week teams Wakefield, Miki and Bilesky head down to Seattle for the Seattle Men’s Cash event. Follow their scores at www.worldcurlingtour.com.
Wednesday’s Premium League results show blow outs by McArdle over Robillard 6-1 and Pughe over Mallett 9-3. Team Miki was out sparing for team Shen as they are currently in China competing in the Pacific Rim Challenge with the hopes of representing Chinese Taipei at the Worlds. Brent Pierce brought in young Daniel Wenzek to spare last night who helped in a 6-5 win over Steffin. Young Daniel may want to be weary of veteran Pierce’s aggressive recruiting techniques and painstaking practice regimen in the near future.
The league would like to congratulate the Andrew Bilesky team for winning the Kamloops Crown of Curling this past weekend. They beat the Grant Olsen team in the final. Congratulations also to Bryan Miki and Kelley Law for making the playoffs in Kamloops. The Pierce team is out this week competing at the Cactus Pheasant Classic in Brooks, AB, good luck to them. See results from last night’s games in the column to the left. No recaps this week as our blogger was away.
Sheet 1
Recap: If there was one similarity between these two teams it was gray hair! But gray hair means wisdom which these two crafty veterans have plenty of. After exchanging deuces Steffin stole an additional point in the 3rd end to take control. A quick deuce back by Pughe’s rink in the 4th end switched the tides. Ultimately, Steffin’s late three ender was sufficient enough for a 7-5 victory.
Sheet 2
Recap: Who needs a Hammer when you have a Mallett? Well in this case a Hammer would have been more useful as team Klymchuk kept things open in the 8th end preventing a steal from Marla and her team led by veteran Gessner. The first four ends were exchanges of 1 point each before team Klymchuk stole an addition point in the 6th end to lead by two. A nice deuce by team Mallet in the 7th set up a tied game for the 8th for which the young whippersnappers prevailed.
Sheet 3
Recap: Despite Derek Errington’s unpredictable inturn like a frightened prairie dog, team Bilesky flushed their competition out 7-2. After exchanging single points, a three ender in the 3rd end by Bilesky set the momentum early, although team Kedziora did have some chances – they just blew them!
Sheet 4
Recap: Fresh off a coaching course this past weekend, old timer Brent Pierce was all wasabied up stinging the competition 9-2. Team Pierce stole two points in the 3rd end to take control early before two late three enders in the 5th and 6th ends kept team Robillard’s losing streak alive.
Sheet 5
Recap: You don’t win an Olympic medal without winning games…that’s why Dale Grasdal doesn’t have one. After giving up steals of two, three, and one point in the 2nd, 3rd, and 4th ends, Grasdal surely felt the torch of Law’s 2002 Olympic bronze medal. Law’s performance is a good sign as they gear up for the Kamloops Crown of Curling this week!
Sheet 6
Miki 7 – Shen 1
Recap: While most athletes are known for gearing up with a large bowl of wheaties, Randie Shen chooses egg rolls. Unfortunately, this was ineffective as team Miki rolled Shen’s squad out 7-1. After scoring an early deuce and steal of one, team Miki followed it up with a mid game four ender leading to not a very happy ending for Shen.
Sheet 1:
Recap: Team Bilesky beat Randie Shen’s Chinese Taipei team 4-2 last night. The game went Bilesky’s way with steals in the 5th and 6th ends. Shen’s draw in the 8th end behind a corner came up light and he failed to score multiple points for the tie. Strangely enough the Chinese Taipei included Greg Monkman who fit the height requirement but not the color….
Sheet 2:
Recap: After coming off a strong performance at the West Coast Classic winning one game, team Kedziora bounced back with a 6 to 5 victory over team Robillard. Team Robillard skip, Sebastian, returned last night without the always present and lovely spouse after a honeymoon vacation in Europe…trouble in paradise?
Sheet 3:
Recap: Team Pierce’s multiple 4 ender ends were too hot to handle for team Grasdal winning 8 to 2. Team Pierce has been unstoppable the last few weeks nearly winning the Twin Achors Invitational in Vernon and qualifying in this past week’s West Coast Classic. Now stacked with matching tennis ball yellow off ice jackets, they continue to serve up an intense intimidation factor to all the lesser teams!!!
Sheet 4:
Recap: If it wasn’t for team Miki scoring a 5 ender this game would still be being played. Dean Koyanagi was in last night for Ryan Errington who was nurturing a sore shoulder. Mel Steffin’s hit for 1 attempt in the 5th end over curled and left Miki with a steal of 5 points and handshakes.
Sheet 5:
Recap: The always competitive juniors took down team Wakefield led by “Genes” who just came off a strong showing at the West Coast Classic. The powerful sweeping of Michael Horita and Dylan Somerton didn’t let skipper Tyler down this time.
Sheet 6:
Recap: Rick Pughe`s senior team managed to edge out team McArdle`s mixed bag team 8 to 6. After both teams scored a 4 ender it was Pughe`s rink that managed to capitalize.
A new season has arrived and the Premium League was back in action last night. The league would like to thank Jamie McTavish and Key West Ford who have been sponsors of the league for twelve years now and continue to do so. Congratulations to Kelley Law’s team who won the Cloverdale Cash Spiel this past weekend, well done ladies. A special thanks as well to John Cullen who entertained our Premium League crowd with a stand up act of his finest material. Look our for John this fall at Lafflines Comedy Club in New Westminster.
Week 2 (Wednesday September 28th) will begin at 7PM instead of the usual 9PM.
Week 1 Results:
Sheet 1:
:Joanisse 7 – Robillard 5
Sheet 2:
Sheet 3:
Sheet 4:
Sheet 5:
Sheet 6:
