Manitoba wins women’s title

It was a dream come true for Manitoba’s Stacey Fordcyce rink as they claimed the Canadian women’s title at the Dominion Curling Club Championships wrapping six days of competion at the Fort William Curling Club rink Saturday afternoon. Fordyce and and her Brandon Curling Club rink of Christy Erickson, Stacey Irwin and Pam Gouldie defeated Ssakatchewan’s Heather Burnett 6-4 in the championship game that saw Manitoba in a comfortable spot three up coming home without hammer. “This is huge, it’s a Canadian title,” said Fordyce to finish the The Dominion championship with a perfect 8-0 record, a sweet win for a team who has been chasing The Dominion dream for four years with a nucleus that has been together since losing the semi-finals at the Dominions in Prince Edward Island in 2010. In 2012, the team lost the provincial semi-finals in Manitoba.

Manitoba skip Stacey Fordyce during Final action at The Dominion Curling Club Championship (Photo no longer available)

The Brandon rink took control of the championship game in the sixth end when the Manitoba skip executed a quiet weight tap for a deuce to go up 5-3. Saskatchewan was set up for a steal in the end with rocks in the four foot and guards out front but Burnett throwing a guard with her last stone came heavy opening the door for Manitoba who had been chasing the whole end. In the seventh end, the Martensville Curling Club squad found themselves in trouble again, with Burnett forced into another difficult shot. A missed line call proved costly as Burnett facing three Manitoba counters threw perfect weight on a quiet weight tap but her punched stone slid wide of the Manitoba shot rock stopping in the four foot to cut Manitoba down to one. The stolen point gave Fordyce a three point edge coming home. Saskatchewan was left with a tough long split for three to tie the game, but it was not to be as Fordyce and her Brandon rink celebrated a Canadian title. “Absolutely mission accomplished but it was a battle out there. It was a great game game but we finished with our goal, so we are happy about that,” said Fordyce who will also be looking at making a run at Scotties playdowns in Manitoba skipping her other Brandon team. It was disappointing loss Burnett and her Martensville rink of Melissa Surkan, Samantha Yachiw and Joanne Wood who had to once again come from behind like they had in their semi-final with the Yukon winning an extra end win over the Yukon Friday night. Saskatchewan found themselves down 3-0 after three ends to Manitoba but battled back to tie the game after five ends. The tears from the Saskatchewan third Melissa Surkan said it all, but Burnett put the loss in a positive perspective. “There are 12 other teams that would have liked to be in the final and we were one of them, so we have to very proud of that,” said Burnett reflecting on their week at the national championships.

Alberta Men Defend their title

A repeat is hard to do, but Dan Sherrard’s Alberta rink defended their national men’s title for club curlers as the Dominion Curling Club Championships wrapped with an exciting men’s final at the Fort William Curling Club Saturday afternoon. 

Team Alberta celebrates after defending their title at The Dominion Curling Club Championship (Photo no longer available)

Sherrard and his Crestwood Curling Club rink of Brandon Klassen, Scott McClements and Todd Kaasten made the most of a draw for three in a decisive seventh end to post a 5-2 victory over Corey Marten’s Saskatchewan rink raising the championship trophy to the rafters of the historic Thunder Bay curling club for a second straight Canadian title. “This is unbelievable. We certainly did not see this happening a few years ago when we battling in our club loosing as many games as we were winning,” said the Alberta skip pointing out The Dominion is growing in popularity for club curlers. Martens and his Martensville Curling Club rink of Leo Perrin, Kevin Fehr and Chad Krikau proved a worthy opponent for Alberta as the two teams had finished first in their respective pools with 5-1 records and both came through the semi-finals with convincing wins. The three ender in the seventh end was generated by relentless pressure from the Edmonton rink who went into the seventh end tied at two knowing that they didn’t want to get forced to one. “Our plan was to load em up in the top of the house and probably leave myself a tough shot for two or at worst give them a steal of one with us having the hammer coming home,” said the 28-year-old Alberta skip showing great respect for Martens and his squad. The Saskatchewan skip knew he was in trouble when he came to throw his final stone without hammer as Alberta was lying four with 13 of the 16 rocks in play. Martens made the most of what he had running one of his front guards into the pile of Alberta yellow to cut them down to two. Sherrard going to the open side made good on a draw to the four foot and Alberta was three up coming home. Martens pointed out that their management of time clock played a factor in the big end. “We were running a little low on time and that contributed to us not being able to look at all our options and think our shots through properly. But give them credit, they made four great shots that end showing why they are a good curling team,” said the 35-year-old skip who lives in a hot bed of curling around Saskatoon. The tightly played game started with a blank and the teams trading singles before Alberta stole one in the fourth end to go up 2-1. Alberta was lying three in that end but Martens made the most of hammer making a hit to hold Alberta to a single. Martins and his third Perrin made back to back doubles to get Saskatchewan out of trouble blanking the fifth end and then had a shot for a deuce in the sixth end. However, his raise attempt of rock Martens lying one in the four foot surround by three Alberta counter tried to execute a raise of his stone outside the rings but only came way with a single that tied the game at two heading to eventful seven end where Alberta would end it. About The Dominion Curling Club Championship: The Dominion Curling Club Championship is an annual event for men’s and women’s curling teams who have won their respective local club championships. Winning teams from each club play down to produce a provincial/territorial champion from all ten provinces and three territories, plus a separate entry for Northern Ontario, who will then compete at the national level. The event raises funds in support of Spinal Cord Injury (SCI). Their mission is to assist persons with spinal cord injuries and other physical disabilities achieve independence, self-reliance and full community participation. Over the past four years, the event has raised over $300,000 for SCI chapters across Canada and wheelchair curling. To learn more, visit thedominioncurls.ca (by The Dominion Curling Club Championship)