(by Jean Mills) With only one draw remaining, Cathy Overton-Clapham and Kevin Koe handed Stefanie Lawton and Mike McEwen their first losses of the 2012 Capital One Canada Cup of Curling.

(Photo CCA/Michael Burns)Lawton was trailing 2-1 to Overton-Clapham after four ends, but patiently blanked the next three until she could create an opportunity to score 2 in eight. Overton-Clapham, who entered the draw still winless, did the same – blanking the ninth and finally scoring 2 to secure the 4-3 victory, her first. For Lawton, the loss didn’t change her first-place position in the standings, and she will go straight through to Sunday’s final.

In other women’s action, Crystal Webster (2-3) led 3-1 over Heather Nedohin after five ends. Nedohin hung in, taking 3 in the tenth to force the extra end. With Webster lying 2 and a long guard out front, Nedohin put her draw on the back four-foot. Webster made the open hit for the 7-6 win and an improved 3-3 record. Nedohin now sits with three wins and two losses, and will face Overton-Clapham in the final evening draw.

Mike McEwen came into the afternoon game against Kevin Koe (2-2) sitting undefeated at the top of the leaderboard and assured of a place in the playoffs. By the third end, it was game on, with Koe applying pressure and forcing McEwen to make a finesse tap-back against 4 to give up a steal of 1.

Despite scoring 3 points in the eighth end, McEwen wasn’t able to hold Koe back, falling 7-4 for his first loss of the tournament.

For John Epping, Draw 8 was about keeping the momentum going after an 8-7 win over Jeff Stoughton in the morning draw.

Two big shots by Epping helped him earn a 6-4 win. In the seventh, Gushue had one buried on the button, but Epping threw a highlight-reel in-off to remove the stone and score 2 to take a 4-3 lead. He followed that in nine with a run-back to score 2 and put the game out of reach.

“We had a good end going early,” said Epping about the seventh end. “Brad’s third [Adam Casey] made a good one, and then Brad made a great one on his last one to get out of trouble. Then I had to make an in-off off a wide, wide double. That’s probably as hard as I’m going to throw it. That was a big deuce, and a big shot for us.”

Epping now sits at 3-3 and must rely on other teams to determine whether he gets into the playoffs. Gushue, still winless, plays his last game against Howard in the final draw this evening.

Also playing tonight are Martin vs Koe, Jones vs Carey, and Overton-Clapham vs Nedohin. Mike McEwen plays Jeff Stoughton in a game that will determine who goes directly to the men’s final on Sunday.

Click for full story at the CCA website

(by Jean Mills)

Jeff Stoughton kept his undefeated record alive with a decisive 10-4 win over a struggling Kevin Martin, joining Mike McEwen at the top of the leaderboard after five draws at the 2012 Capital One Canada Cup of Curling.

Jeff Stoughton delivers his stone in Draw 5 action on his way to a 10-4 win against Kevin Martin. (Photo: CCA/Michael Burns Photography)

Martin made two uncharacteristic misses to give up a steal of 3 in the third and two more in the fourth and fifth to give Stoughton a 6-1 lead after five ends. Picking it up after the break, Martin regrouped, taking two in six and stealing another in seven when Stoughton’s draw missed the four foot. In eight, Stoughton was forced to make a clutch draw to cover the pin, which he did, taking a 7-4 lead into nine. But it fell apart for Martin in the ninth, when his draw against three came up short, giving Stoughton the 10-4 victory.

Stefanie Lawton and Kaitlyn Lawes (Team Jones) met in the battle of undefeated women’s teams. Lawton emerged with a 7-5 victory after keeping the pressure on throughout.

“We had some missed opportunities, and it was back and forth,” said Lawton. “We struggled for the first five for sure. The ice was slightly different from this morning and we were adjusting again. We made a few adjustments after the fifth and things went well from there.”

In the other women’s game, Sherry Middaugh improved to a 2-2 record with an 8-7 win over Crystal Webster in an evenly matched, close game.

McEwen and Stoughton sit at the top of the standings at 3-0, followed by Koe at 2-1, Howard and Martin at 1-2, Epping at 1-3 and Gushue at 0-3, still looking for a win.

In the women’s draw, Lawton remains undefeated at 4-0, Jones and Nedohin are at 2-1, Middaugh and Webster are close behind at 2-2, and Carey and Overton-Clapham are winless at 0-3.

Thursday night action sees Gushue vs Stoughton, Jones vs Nedohin, Carey vs Overton-Clapham, Koe vs Howard, and McEwen vs Martin.

Click for full story and video interviews at the CCA website.

Tune in this Sunday, December 2^nd around 3pm Atlantic for The Dominion Curling Club Championship Special airing on TSN.  The special will air between the men’s and women’s finals of the 2012 Canada Cup of Curling – exact timing of the special is subject to delay based on game play.

The special is a  “backstage pass” to the fourth annual The Dominion Curling Club Championship.  Highlights from the event are wrapped into one hour, including postgame interviews with the finalists and champions, game changers from the draws, great moments during the opening and closing ceremonies and special messages from George Cooke, CEO, The Dominion,  and Bill Adair, Executive Director of Spinal Cord Injury Ontario.

For continuing information on the event, follow Twitter hashtag #TDCCC2012.  

The Dominion’s new television commercial also debuts on Sunday.

(by Jean Mills) The standings are beginning to take shape after Draw 3 of the 2012 Capital One Canada Cup in Moose Jaw, with four teams – Jones, Lawton, Stoughton and McEwen – remaining undefeated, and four – Howard, Gushue, Carey and Overton-Clapham – still looking for their first win.

In the women’s draw, defending Canada Cup champions Team Jones, with Kaitlyn Lawes on skipping duties, controlled play throughout a 9-4 victory over Cathy Overton-Clapham.

Jill Officer and Dawn Askin of Team Jones sweeping during Draw 3 action at the 2012 Capital One Canada Cup (Photo: CCA/Michael Burns Photography)

“It’s a good first day for us,” said Lawes after the game. “We’re still learning what the ice is doing and we’re trying to manage it as best we can.”

Like Lawes, Jeff Stoughton takes a 2-0 record into day two after defeating Glenn Howard and Kevin Koe.

“A great first day. We couldn’t ask for anything better than two wins against a couple of great teams. We’ve got to play our best and see if we can get another win,” said Stoughton after stealing a single in the tenth for a 7-5 final over Koe.

The other undefeated team, Mike McEwen, relied on its arsenal of big-weight take-outs to defeat Glenn Howard, 7-6. Despite getting close with a deuce in nine and a steal of 1 in ten, Howard wasn’t able to generate enough offense and remains at 0-2 after the first day of play.

On Thursday morning, the men’s draw will see Epping vs McEwen, Carey vs Lawton, Nedohin vs Middaugh, Overton-Clapham vs Webster and Koe vs Gushue.

Click for full story and video interviews at the CCA website.

Ontario’s John Epping came out swinging against last year’s champion Kevin Martin in Draw One of the 2012 Capital One Canada Cup of Curling which began this morning with eight teams in action.

Tied 6-6 going into the tenth, Epping and his team of Scott Bailey, Scott Howard and David Mathers needed a piece of the button and nailed it for the win.

In the other men’s game, Glenn Howard chased Jeff Stoughton, exchanging points with hammer until the ninth. With Stoughton leading 7-5 heading into the final end, Howard had a chance to tie and came up short, giving up a steal of 2 for a 9-5 Stoughton victory.

In women’s play, Team Jones – with Kaitlyn Lawes taking the reins while skip Jennifer Jones is on maternity leave – came out strong against Crystal Webster, leading 7-2 heading into the fifth end break.  Lawes played an aggressive game with lots of rocks in play, but Webster battled back. Trailing 7-4 after five ends, Webster stole 1 in seven and scored 2 in the ninth to climb back within reach. Lawes put the game away with a single in 10 and the 9-7 victory.

Draw 2 is underway with Webster, Epping, Lawton and Middaugh back on the ice, along with Chelsea Carey, Heather Nedohin, and Cathy Overton-Clapham on the women’s side, and Brad Gushue, Mike McEwen and Kevin Koe on the men’s.

Click for full story at the CCA website.

(CCA) LAS VEGAS, Nevada, November 27, 2012…The world’s best curlers are coming to Las Vegas.

In a joint announcement today by the Canadian Curling Association (CCA), U.S. Curling Association (USCA) and World Curling Federation (WCF), it was revealed that the 2014 World Financial Group Continental Cup will be staged here January 16-19 at the 5,000-seat Orleans Arena, home to hockey’s Las Vegas Wranglers of the ECHL.   

It marks the first time that the event will be held in the United States and the first time outside of Canada.   It also will be the first time that Las Vegas has hosted a curling event of this magnitude.

The WFG Continental Cup is a unique, Ryder Cup-like competition pitting six (four-person) teams (three women’s and three men’s) from North America (two from USA, four from Canada) against six teams representing The World, in a variety of curling disciplines over a four-day period – Team Games, Mixed Doubles, Singles, Skins and Mixed Skins, with each segment worth a specified number of points.   Each side will also have a captain and a coach.

Presently, North America and The World are deadlocked at four wins apiece since the inaugural Cup in 2002 in Regina, Saskatchewan.

“Las Vegas is one of the iconic destinations in the world,” said World Curling Federation President Kate Caithness. “The World Curling Federation and its partners, the World Financial Group, the Canadian Curling Association and the U.S. Curling Association, are thrilled to be able to showcase the sport of curling and its top international players in such a high profile location just ahead of the 2014 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games.

“Place your bets as to who will win this tightly-fought competition which will celebrate its 10th anniversary in Las Vegas. One thing is for sure, for all involved, the biggest winner at this event will be our sport and the exposure for its finest athletes.”

The 2014 edition will also mark the fourth year of title sponsorship by World Financial Group, which is also a full sub-sponsor of the CCA’s Season of Champions through the 2013-14 season.

“The World Financial Group Continental Cup continues to build momentum and demonstrate its special place in the sport of curling,” explained Greg Stremlaw, Chief Executive Officer of the Canadian Curling Association.   “This international event is undergoing some exciting format changes this January in Penticton and to further accentuate the profile of the event, we have worked closely with our partners at the United States Curling Association and the World Curling Federation to find a model that will work for this prestigious event to be held in Las Vegas – with all the glitz and glamour that come with such a wonderfully unique setting.

“We felt that this would be a great profile for the sport with some of the world’s greatest curling athletes coming to Vegas only weeks before the 2014 Olympic Winter Games.”

“The stars have finally aligned. The many years of effort by countless people are finally paying off, and I’d say the odds are that this event will be a winner in Las Vegas,” said Rick Patzke, Chief Operating Officer of the United States Curling Association.

Event tickets are expected to go on sale in early 2013.

“We have a long-established commitment to bringing elite sporting events to Nevada,” said Brian Krolicki, Nevada’s Lieutenant Governor.  “We are honored to partner with the World Curling Federation, the Canadian Curling Association and USA Curling to bring the World Financial Group Continental Cup of Curling to the United States for the first time.”

Added Rossi Ralenkotter, President and CEO of the Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority, “We are excited to showcase the World Financial Group Continental Cup of Curling in Las Vegas.  With our world-class resorts, entertainment, shopping, dining and nightlife, Las Vegas offers a one-of-a-kind experience for the players and the fans.”

“WFG is proud to be partnered with the CCA and title sponsor of the Continental Cup,” said Richard Williams, President, World Financial Group Insurance Agency of Canada and WFG Securities of Canada.

“Our company has been committed to the sport of curling since 2006, and this will be our fourth year as the title sponsor of this unique competition. We look forward to seeing teams from around the globe come together and share this sport with such a large audience. Just as curling is expanding its reach throughout the world, WFG seeks to expand its reach into communities throughout Canada and the United States to help families achieve their financial goals and dreams.”

“We are excited to work with the Canadian Curling Association, the World Curling Federation, the U.S. Curling Association and the Las Vegas Host Committee to help ensure that the 2014 World Financial Group Continental Cup in Las Vegas is a great success.”

Canada’s teams will be the winners of the upcoming Capital One Canada Cup, November 28-December 2 in Moose Jaw, Saskatchewan, along with the winners of the 2013 Scotties Tournament of Hearts and 2013 Tim Hortons Brier, the Canadian women’s and men’s championships, respectively.  The teams representing the United States may very likely be those that will compete for USA at the 2014 Olympic Winter Games in Sochi, Russia a few weeks following the Continental Cup.

Teams representing The World will be determined from the results of the 2012 Le Gruyère European Championships in December in Karlstad, Sweden, the 2013 World Women’s in Riga, Latvia and Ford World Men’s in Victoria, British Columbia.

North America has won the Cup in 2002 in Regina, 2004 and 2007 in Medicine Hat and 2011 in St. Albert, Alberta, while Team World emerged victorious in 2003 in Thunder Bay, Ontario, 2006 in Chilliwack, BC, 2008 in Camrose, Alberta and 2012 in Langley, BC.

The 2013 WFG Continental Cup is slated for Penticton, British Columbia, January 10-13.   There will be a revamped points system in place for this edition, with a total of 60 points (instead of 400) now available from all of the segments.  The first side to reach at least 30 ½ points will be declared the winner.

The world’s best curlers have participated in past Cups – skips such as Olympic gold medalists Brad Gushue and Kevin Martin of Canada, Sweden’s Anette Norberg, Norway’s Pal Trulsen and Great Britain’s Rhona Martin to world champions Colleen Jones, Kelly Scott, Jennifer Jones, Kelley Law, Randy Ferbey, Kevin Koe, Glenn Howard and Jeff Stoughton of Canada; Norway’s Dordi Nordby, Scotland’s Jackie Lockhart, Hammy McMillan and David Murdoch, Germany’s Andrea Schöpp, China’s Bingyu Wang, Debbie McCormick of the United States, Switzerland’s Mirjam Ott,  Sweden’s Peja Lindholm and Elisabet Gustafson, along with Olympic silver medallist Thomas Ulsrud of Norway.

Ticket and travel packages for Canadian visitors will be made available in January, with details posted on both the event and CCA websites.

TSN, Canada’s leading sports network, along with French language sports network RDS, will televise all of the action from Las Vegas.  Outside of Canada television details have yet to be finalized.

The World Financial Group Continental Cup is a joint venture of the Canadian Curling Association, United States Curling Association and the World Curling Federation.

(by Jean Mills, for the Canadian Curling Association)

In February they were gold medalists at the 2012 Special Olympics Canada Winter Games. In May they were named PEI Curling’s Team of the Year. Now there’s one more honour ahead for PEI’s Special Olympics curling team. On Thursday, November 29 in Toronto, these curlers and their coaches will take the stage to receive their award as 2012 Special Olympics Canada’s Team of the Year.

Now in its 24th year, the Special Olympics Canada Awards are decided through a detailed selection process. Nominations from each province and territory are sent to a committee from the National Board of Directors who narrow the field and return the shortlist to provincial and territorial chapters for final selection.

Writes coach Dick St. John: “This is the official picture taken by/for SOPEI just days before we left for St. Albert and the National Winter Games in February 2012. Good Looking Crew! We decided we were going for Gold but if we didn’t get Gold we’d look good in the attempt.” Standing is Dick St. John (Coach), Monique Gauthier(Lead), Ann Doucette(Assistant Coach), Phillip Chugg(Mate); Sitting is Greg St. John(Skip), John Anthony Laybolt(5th Player/Lead), Chris MacPherson(Second)” (Photo courtesy Special Olympics PEI)

For skip Greg St. John, third Phillip Chugg, second Chris MacPherson, and leads Monique Gauthier and John Anthony Laybolt (who also serves as fifth player), along with their head coach Dick St. John and assistant coach Ann Doucette, this well-deserved honour comes after years of hard work.

“In less than 10 short years, these gold medal-winning PEI athletes grew from a handful of individuals whose main concern was about not slipping and falling on the ice, to a team which despite the undersized pool of curlers in our small province, developed personal, technical and team building skills and went on to demonstrate, on the Canadian stage, just how this major feat could be accomplished,” wrote parent and team manager Paula Gauthier in a letter to the nominating committee for the Special Olympics Canada Team of the Year Award.

According to coach Dick St. John, the successes enjoyed by the team are the result of dedicated preparation – conditioning, on-and-off-ice training, team building activities, not to mention weekly practices at the Charlottetown Curling Club, league play at the Cornwall Curling Club, and participation in local bonspiels.

The team also benefited from the support of its provincial organization, Special Olympics PEI, who helped finance training for the coaches as well as providing opportunities for competition within the Maritimes.

Winning the gold medal at the national Special Olympics championship was a tremendous success, says St. John, but there was more to that victory than a medal: “The players grew as individuals and as a team through the experience.”

And none of it could have happened, says assistant coach Ann Doucette, “without the support of Special Olympics PEI, parents and guardians, volunteers, curling clubs and organizations, sport professionals, and last but not least the coaches who were with them every step of the way.”

“It is such a privilege to work with Special Olympics athletes,” says St. John. “While I can provide them with guidance, opportunities and encouragement, I often think that I am the net beneficiary from their commitment, enthusiasm and friendship.”

The 24th Annual Special Olympics Canada Awards take place Thursday, November 29 in Toronto to recognize and celebrate “outstanding performances and contributions of Special Olympics athletes, coaches and volunteers” to the Special Olympics movement.

Read more about the team’s victories at the Special Olympics Canada Winter Games and their selection as PEI Curling’s Team of the Year.

Click to read this story at the CCA website.

Jason Simmonds/Journal Pioneer

Scott Saunders calls a shot during action in the Journal Pioneer cashspiel at the Silver Fox Curling and Yacht Club in Summerside on Sunday. Saunders and his Mayflower Curling Club rink won the Atlantic Curling Tour event.

By Michael Nesbitt

Journal Pioneer

SUMMERSIDE – Skip Scott Saunders, with Glen Josephson, Alan Darrach and Bruce Lohnes from the Mayflower Curling Club in Halifax, N.S., bested Rod MacDonald’s Charlottetown Curling Complex rink to win the Journal-Pioneer cashspiel on Sunday afternoon.

The final score of the championship game, played at the Silver Fox Curling and Yacht Club, was 8-5.

MacDonald made it to the final with a 7-6 win over clubmate Robert Shaw 7-6 in one of two Sunday morning semifinals. Saunders advanced with a 6-3 win against Charlottetown’s Jamie Newson.

Anthony Purcell’s rink from Halifax earned the consolation title over Blair Weeks of Charlottetown.

The Saunders rink earned $1,800 for the win, and MacDonald’s team was  awarded $1,200 in the Atlantic Curling Tour event. The semifinal teams earned $900 each, with the consolation prize being $600.

Click to view full story in the Journal-Pioneer