After losing in an extra end on Monday afternoon, Quebec’s Alek Bedard needed a bounce-back game, and that’s exactly what he delivered against Nova Scotia’s Matthew Manuel in Draw 9 of the 2018 New Holland Canadian Junior Curling Championships in Shawinigan, Que.
Alek Bedard, skip of Team Quebec at the 2018 New Holland Canadian Junior Curling Championships in Shawinigan, Que. (Curling Canada photo)
It was a tight game, as Bedard and Manuel traded points through the first six ends and were tied 6-6 after eight. Trailing by one point after nine, Bedard made the most of his last-rock advantage to score a deuce and take the game with an 8-7 score. Quebec and Nova Scotia are now tied in the Pool A standings with 3-2 records.
In the only other men’s Pool A game, J.T. Ryan of the Assiniboine Memorial Curling Club in Winnipeg secured his spot at the top of the standings with a 10-2 win over Yukon’s Joe Wallingham.
In Pool B, Prince Edward Island improved to a 3-3 record after a 9-4 win over Northwest Territories’ Sawer Kaeser, who is still looking for his first win. Alberta’s Karsten Sturmay stole six points in three consecutive ends to take a 10-4 win over Newfoundland and Labrador’s Daniel Bruce. Sturmay now sits in third place, trailing the leaders Matt Hall (ON) and Tanner Horgan (NO), who are both undefeated with 4-0 records.
On the women’s side, Alberta’s Kayla Skrlik kicked off her game against Lauren St-Georges of Quebec with a big score of five and never looked back, winning 10-5 and taking over first place in the Pool A standings.
In Pool B action, P.E.I.’s Lauren Lenentine and Ontario’s Emma Wallingford both came into their Draw 9 match-up undefeated. Lenentine led throughout, scoring three points in the ninth end to secure a 9-4 win and move into first place. Wallingford (4-1) and Mackenzie Glynn from Newfoundland and Labrador (3-1) are right behind in the Pool B standings.
In the only other women’s game on Monday evening, Justine Comeau of New Brunswick stole six points on the way to a 12-2 win over Yukon’s Kelsey Meger.
Team Yukon high fives after a good end at the 2018 New Holland Canadian Junior Curling Championships in Shawinigan, Que. (Curling Canada photo)
The last day of the round robin continues on Tuesday with three draws, 9:30 a.m., 2 p.m. and 6:30 p.m., all times ET.
Fourteen men’s and 14 women’s teams will compete for Canadian titles, separated into two seven-team pools per gender for an initial round robin, followed by a Championship Round (top four in each pool) leading to the playoffs. The top team advances to its respective final on Sunday, Jan. 21, while the second- and third-place teams meet in a semifinal on Saturday, Jan. 20, to determine the other finalist.
TSN/RDS2 will carry complete live coverage of the semifinals (women at 1 p.m. [all times ET], men at 6 p.m.) on Jan. 20 and finals (women at 1 p.m., men at 6 p.m.), held at the Aréna de Grand Mère.
It’s the first year of event title sponsorship by New Holland, a world leader in the manufacturing and selling of agricultural and construction equipment.
For event information, visit www.curling.ca/2018juniors.