(by Al Cameron) BEIJING — Team Canada came up a much-needed two-win Monday at the 2014 World Men’s Curling Championship, presented by Ford of Canada.

Team Canada sweepers Nolan Thiessen, right, and Carter Rycroft work on a rock during Monday’s win. (Photo, World Curling Federation/Richard Gray)

Kevin Koe’s Canadian champs from Calgary came back from a 6-3 deficit to beat the Czech Republic’s Jirí Snítil 10-6 in the late draw on Monday at Capital Indoor Stadium.

With the victory, Team Canada — rounded out by third Pat Simmons, second Carter Rycroft, lead Nolan Thiessen, alternate Jamie King, coach John Dunn and national coach Rick Lang — improved to 4-1 in the 12-team round-robin standings, alone in second place behind Norway’s Thomas Ulsrud (5-0). Canada will take on Norway on Tuesday at 7 a.m. Eastern (TSN/RDS2).

The victory over the Czechs bore no resemblance to Canada’s 9-1 thrashing of Russia’s Evgeny Arkhipov earlier on Monday. Snítil’s team, 1-3 entering the game, controlled the early ends and never gave the Canadians a sniff at building a multiple-point end.

Team Canada skip Kevin Koe enjoyed a two-win Monday in Beijing. (Photo, World Curling Federation/Richard Gray)

“For sure, you have to pull some games out,” said Koe. “We weren’t struggling as bad (as a day earlier in a loss to Japan); the sheet was a lot better than yesterday, but no excuses. The Czechs were playing really well and making some big shots. I was proud of the guys; we really stayed in there, tried to stay positive and keep it close.”

The momentum started to shift after the fifth-end break. Canada scored a deuce in six to cut the Czech lead to 6-5, followed by a blank in the seventh, and a wonderful hit-and-roll from Koe in the eighth that led to a game-tying steal.

The Canadians then followed up with arguably their finest end of the 2014 World men’s, making eight perfect shots in the ninth to be sitting four — guaranteed of a steal and forcing Snítil to attempt a wide outturn draw to bite the outside of the four-foot to cut the damage to one Canadian point. But the Czech rock caught debris just outside of the house and ground to an instant halt, giving the Canadians a steal of four and prompting handshakes.

“That is a relief,” said Thiessen. “We were stealing one for sure there, so we were kind of getting control of the game back, but it would have been a battle coming home, for sure. You obviously don’t want to win like that, but any other country in the world would take a win against us like that, so we’ll take a win against somebody else.

“You’re never going to win nine or 10 games in a round robin by just boat-racing teams, right? Definitely, to grind one out and still find a way to win is good for us. It keeps your confidence up, and hopefully we can keep it rolling. It’s a race to nine wins — once you’re there, you’re in the playoffs.”

Even as the Czechs built their lead through five ends, Koe said his team never lost its ability to keep its collective head in the game.

“We’ve talked with our coaches about it off the ice — if we’re going to lose, let’s at least keep battling and stay positive,” he said. “We did that very well in that game. It’s easy to get frustrated after the first few ends, but we hung in there and I’m really proud of the guys for battling that hard.”

Czech Republic skip Jirí Snítil watches his shot on Monday. (Photo, World Curling Federation/Richard Gray)

The Canadians have the early draw off on Tuesday, and will be on the ice at 2 a.m. (all times Eastern) against Pete Fenson of the United States (2-3), followed by the 7 a.m. showdown against Norway.

The Norwegians improved to 5-0 by beating China’s Rui Liu 5-3, dropping the Chinese to 2-3.

“It was fun. The boys are playing well so I can’t really complain right now, we are really enjoying ourselves,” said the always cheerful Ulsrud. “We have practised so hard this season with it being Olympic season. I wish it was (during the Olympics) but I’ll take it now. We definitely have a point to prove here, for ourselves and for the guys who support us back home, so fingers crossed throughout the week.”

In other games Monday night, Denmark’s Rasmus Stjerne (2-3) shaded Scotland’s Ewan MacDonald (1-4) 7-6, and Switzerland’s Peter de Cruz (3-2) defeated Japan’s Yusuke Morozumi (3-2) 8-3.

Germany’s Johnny Jahr (3-2), Sweden’s Oskar Eriksson (3-2), the U.S. and Russia’s Evgeny Arkhipov (1-4) all had byes in Monday night’s draw.

March 30 — vs. Russia (Evgeny Arkhipov), 9 p.m.
March 31 — vs. Czech Republic (Jirí Snítil), 7 a.m. (live, TSN/RDS2)
April 1 — vs. U.S.A. (Pete Fenson), 2 a.m.
April 1 — vs. Norway (Thomas Ulsrud), 7 a.m. (live, TSN/RDS2)
April 1 — vs. Switzerland (Peter de Cruz), 9 p.m.
April 2 — vs. Sweden (Oskar Eriksson), 7 a.m. (live, TSN/RDS2)
April 3 — vs. Germany (Johnny Jahr), 9 p.m.
April 3 — vs. Scotland (Ewan MacDonald), 2 a.m. (live TSN/ tape delay, 7 a.m. RDS2)

For Team Canada updates, go to www.curling.ca. Follow us on Twitter, @CCAcurling.

For live scoring, standings and team lineups from the 2014 World Men’s Curling Championship, go to: wmcc2014.curlingevents.com/

Click to read at the CCA website.

Two rinks from the Charlottetown Curling Complex won the battle of PEI cities this afternoon, beating teams from the host Silver Fox Curling and Yacht Club in Summerside to take both the men’s and the women’s finals at the provincial The Dominion Curling Club Championship. Six of the Island’s seven curling clubs were entered in each division.

Photo (L-R): Phillip McInnis, Adam Arsenault, Cory Arsenau, Rodney Hood (sparing for Justin Arsenault)

The men’s side was won by the rink of Phillip McInnis, Adam Arsenault, Justin Arsenault, and Cory Arsenau, with Rodney Hood sparing for Justin in the final, playing lead, while Cory moved up to second  The rink, who finished round robin play with a 3-2 win-loss record doubled the previously-undefeated Silver Fox team of Leo Stewart, Barry Cameron, Paul Matheson, and Alan Montgomery by a 6-3 score.with steals of a single point in the third end, and a deuce in the sixth giving them the advantage.

Photo (L-R): Tammi Cudmore, Julie Scales, Jane DiCarlo, Anne Chouinard

The Tammi Cudmore rink went undefeated to win the women’s division, with a 9-2 victory over the Kim Aylward foursome in the final.  A pair of deuces gave the Charlottetown team a 4-1 lead after three ends, which they followed with steals of one and four points to give them a 9-1 lead by the fifth end. Aylward took a single in the sixth, but it was handshake time. Playing with Cudmore, a former PEI women’s champ, were Julie Scales, Jane DiCarlo, and Anne Chouinard. Rounding out the runner-up Aylward foursome were Nancy Sinclair, Michelle Weaver, and Debbie Caissy.

The winning Cudmore and McInnis rinks will advance to the national The Dominion Curling Club Championship, November 24-29 at the Mayflower Curling Club in Halifax.

The semi-finals, between the second and third place teams following round robin play, took place this morning, with Summerside’s Aylward rink beating the Iva Griffin foursome from the Western Community Curling Club in O’Leary 9-3 in the women’s division, and the McInnis team defeating the two-time defending champion Alan Inman squad from the Crapaud Community Curling Club by a 7-2 score in the men’s. The semi winners then advanced to this afternoon’s finals against first place Cudmore and Stewart.

All profits from The Dominion Curling Club Championship are re-directed to Spinal Cord Injury and developmental curling initiatives in communities across the country. For more information about the Championship, including eligibility rules, visit thedominioncurls.ca.

SUMMERSIDE – The Charlottetown Curling Complex men’s and women’s teams came away with provincial championships in The Dominion tournament, an inter-club challenge started six years ago.

© Michael Nesbitt / Journal Pioneer

Skip Phillip McInnis, of the Charlottetown curling complex, aims a seventh-end shot while lead Rodney Hood, left, and second Cory Arsenault prepare to sweep it into place.

Phillip McInnis, skip of the men’s team, described the final against the Silver Fox team of Leo Stewart as a tight contest. They traded singles until the fifth of eight ends, before stealing a deuce in the sixth to seal the game.

“The boys played very well; if we had a miss the next guy stepped up and made the shot,” and they capitalized on errors, he praised.

“The guys I have with me are new curlers, so we don’t play a lot of trying to run the rocks. We do try and keep it wide open,” and play the chances when they come.

Tammi Cudmore’s Charlottetown women’s team came through the tournament unbeaten, finally downing the Silver Fox women’s team of Kim Aylward by a score of 9-2 after six ends.

“My team’s just awesome: they set me up every end,” Cudmore commended, describing herself as the weakest link.

Cudmore had just returned from a three-week vacation, and noted that she was returning to the game after a five-year hiatus. She credits practice one night a week with her teammates Julie Scales, Jane DiCarlo, and Anne Chouinard as the needed formula, adding that DiCarlo injected a positive spirit when she joined the team in December.

Click for full story in the Journal Pioneer.

It will be the club champions from the Charlottetown Curling Complex versus their counterparts at the host Silver Fox Curling and Yacht Club in Summerside, in the 2 pm finals of the provincial The Dominion Curling Club Championship, with the winners advancing to the national championship, November 24-29 at the Mayflower Curling Club in Halifax.

The semi-finals, between the second and third place teams following round robin play, took place this morning, with Summerside’s Kim Aylward rink beating the Iva Griffin foursome from the Western Community Curling Club in O’Leary 9-3 in the women’s division, and the Phillip McInnis team from Charlottetown defeating the two-time defending champion Alan Inman squad from the Crapaud Community Curling Club by a 7-2 score in the men’s. Aylward now takes on first place Tammi Cudmore from Charlottetown, while McInnis faces Leo Stewart from the Fox in the 2 pm finals. Both Cudmore and Stewart were undefeated in round robin play.

Live results are available at PEICurling.com/thedominion

The annual Pink Ladies women’s funspiel wrapped up today at the Montague Curling Club, with ten teams taking part. The rink of Myrna Sanderson, Lorianne Davies, Pam Sweetapple, and Angela Sanderson from the Cornwall Curling Club were the event winners. The Bernie Field rink, also from Cornwall, were the runners-up.

Photo (L-R): Angela Sanderson, Pam Sweetapple, Myrna Sanderson, Lorianne Davies, Montague Curlng Club President Scott Annear

Round robin play wrapped up this afternoon at the provincial The Dominion Curling Club Championship at the Silver Fox Curling and Yacht Club in Summerside, with the three teams being determined for both the men’s and the women’s championship rounds.

The Leo Stewart rink from the host club went undefeated in the men’s section, while the Tammi Cudmore foursome from the Charlottetown Curling Complex were unbeaten in the women’s division, both with 5-0 win-loss records. These two teams will advance directly to the 2 pm Sunday finals. Cudmore scored three four-enders in a 12-3 win over the other unbeaten women’s team, the Iva Griffin rink from the Western Community Curling Club in Alberton, this afternoon to grab the women’s 1st place spot. Griffin (4-1) now meets third place Kim Aylward (3-2) from the host Silver Fox club in the women’s semi-final at 9 am Sunday, with the winner going to the final.

The Charlottetown Curling Complex’s Phillip McInnis rink and the two-time defending champion Alan Inman foursome from the Crapaud Community Curling Club both finished round robin play with 3-2 win-loss records, and have advanced to the 9 am Sunday men’s semi, with the winner of that game advancing to the men’s final against Stewart. McInnis beat Inman 6-2 in their round robin encounter.

Montague’s Matthew MacDonald and Western’s Eric McCarthy both finished men’s play at 2-3, while Cornwall’s Mark MacDonald went 0-5. On the women’s side, Montague’s Gail Greene went 2-4, with Cornwall’s Kim Glydon finishing at 1-4 and 2009 winner Vanessa Hamming of Crapaud ending play without a win at 0-5.

The winning teams from the 2 pm Sunday finals will advance to the national The Dominion Curling Club Championship, November 24-29 at the Mayflower Curling Club in Halifax. Six of PEI’s seven curling clubs entered teams in both the men’s and women’s divisions of the PEI event.

Live results from the provincial The Dominion are available at PEICurling.com/thedominion

The Leo Stewart men’s rink from the host Silver Fox Curling & Yacht Club, along with the Tammi Cudmore women’s team from the Charlottetown Curling Complex, and the Iva Griffin foursome from the Western Community Curling Club in Alberton, remain undefeated with 3-0 win-loss records following Friday play at the provincial The Dominion Curling Club Championship in Summerside.

Stewart beat two-time defending champion Alan Inman from Crapaud 9-2 in his opener, edged Montague’s Matthew MacDonald team 5-4, and recorded a 7-3 win over Western’s Eric McCarthy squad, taking a triple in the sixth end and stealing a single in the seventh.

Griffin, who was on last year’s women’s winning team, edged Kim Aylward from the Fox 6-5 in her opening game, beat Cornwall’s Kim Glydon foursome 9-3, and stole an extra-end deuce to get by Vanessa Hamming and her Crapaud team 8-6. Cudmore, a former PEI women’s champ, beat Montague’s Gail Greene 10-4 in her opener, scored 5 points in the 7th end to beat Hamming 10-3, and took another 5-ender in a 10-4 win over Aylward.

Charlottetown’s Phillip McInnis and Montague’s MacDonald are 2-1 on the men’s side, with Crapaud’s Inman and Western’s McCarthy at 1-2, while Mark MacDonald of Cornwall is 0-3, losing his first two games by a single point, and his last game 8-3 to Matthew MacDonald.

On the women’s side, three teams are at 1-3: Cornwall’s Glydon, Montague’s Greene, and Aylward from the host club, while Crapaud’s Hamming, who won the inaugural provincial The Dominion in 2009, is 0-3.

Round robin play wraps up Saturday with draws at 9 am and 3 pm, with undefeated Cudmore and Griffin facing off in the 3 pm draw. Tiebreakers, if needed, follow at 7 pm.

Semi-finals, between the second and third place teams, go at 9 am Sunday. If a second tiebreaker is needed, it goes at 9 am, with the semi moved to 2 pm. The semi-final winners play the first place teams in the men’s and women’s finals, which go at 2 pm if the semi is at 9, or 7 pm, if the semi is at 2.

The winning teams will advance to the national The Dominion Curling Club Championship, November 24-29 at the Mayflower Curling Club in Halifax. Six of PEI’s seven curling clubs have entered teams in both the men’s and women’s divisions of the PEI event.

Live results are available at PEICurling.com/thedominion