Author Archives: Resby Coutts

SIX WOMEN’S TEAMS STILL IN THE U-18 CHASE WITH ONE GAME TO PLAY

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The stage is set for a dramatic final round of play in the Asham CurlManitoba U-18 Women’s Championship in Altona.

With a win and a bye today, Grace Beaudry (St. Vital) and Dayna Wahl (Altona) retained first place in the two pools with perfect 3W-0L records.

Two teams have completed their round robins with a pair of wins today. Dauphin’s Team Benson (skipped by Cloe Haluschak) and Karys Buchalter (West St. Paul) have second place in their pools with 3W-1L records.

In third place in the two pools are Shaela Hayward (Carman) and Julia Van Ryssel (Springfield). Both won their single game today to hold down third place with 2W-1L records.

The Friday drama arises from the first vs third matchup in both pools Friday afternoon. Beaudry plays Karys Buchalter while Wahl plays Team Hayward.

No matter the result, Wahl and Beaudry have locked up a share of first place in their pools. Wins, and a 4W-0L record mean the teams advance to the Page Playoff 1-1 game. Losses mean a 3W-1L record and wins by Hayward &/or Buchalter mean they will also be at 3W-1L records. The tiebreaker formulas would then come into play to determine the top two teams in the pools.

Losses by Hayward &/or Buchalter mean they finish at 2W-2L and out of the playoffs.

LATE DRAW: A stolen extra end 7-6 win by Dauphin’s Team Benson (skipped by Cloe Haluschak) over Rylie Buchalter and a 6-5 win by Karys Buchalter (West St. Paul) over Bethany Allen (Granite) gave the two winners 3W-1L records at the U18 championship in Altona.

NOON DRAW: Wins by Daya Wahl (Altona) and Grace Beaudry (St. Vital) on the noon draw at the Asham CurlManitoba U-18 Championship have improved their group leading records to 3W-0L.  Dauphin’s Benson team (skipped by Cloe Haluschak) kept pace behind Walh while Karys Buchalter (West St. Paul) is also at 2W-1L, as the two also won their noon draw games.

FOUR U-18 MEN’S TEAMS WITH THREE WINS WITH A DAY TO GO IN ALTONA

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Jace Freeman (Virden) and Zach Norris (Morris) lead the way in the Asham CurlManitoba U-18 Championship underway in Altona. The two teams both had byes on Thursday. They’ll start the day Friday sharing first place with 3W-1L records.

Right behind are Colton Olafson (Portage) and Ronan Peterson (Heather with 3W-2L records and only one game left to play.

Team Olafson had the best day Thursday, winning a pair of games to force themselves in to the playoff picture. A morning 7-6 win over Freeman was critical to the playoff hopes of all of the three win teams.

The Norris team won their one game Thursday, 6-5 over Nash Sugden (Morden) while Team Peterson split, beating beating Nathon Poklar (East St. Paul) but losing to Freeman.

Sugden bounced back on the late afternoon draw, scoring two on the 7th end and stealing one coming home to beat Luke Robins (West St. Paul). Sugden stays in the playoff chase with a 2W-2L record and two games to play tomorrow. Robins, at 1W-3L, will need a pair of wins and a lot of help from other teams to make the playoff round.

Sugden`s games Friday are against Freeman and the still winless Poklar team. Norris plays Poklar in the morning and Freeman in the afternoon.

Olafson and Peterson both have their bye game Friday and the last game for each is against 1W-3L Robins.

After playing Sugden in the morning, the final round robin draw tomorrow has Freeman playing Norris. It could be a first place game with a bye to the final and an invitation to the nationals on the line.

FREEMAN, NORRIS, PETERSON ALL WITH TWO WINS AT U-18 MEN’S

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Jace Freeman (Virden), Zach Norris (Morris) and Ronan Peterson (Heather) have all completed the second day of play in the Asham CurlManitoba U-18 Men’s Championship with a pair of victories.

Ronan Peterson

Freeman, who had a third round bye, leads the way with a perfect 2W-0L record. Norris and Peterson are both at 2W-1L after a third round game between the two, won by Peterson.

It was a critical win for Team Peterson, highly ranked coming into the event. They had lost their opener and needed to avoid a second loss this early in the event.

 Peterson’s early Wednesday win over Colton Olafson (Portage) set up an evening match with unbeaten Zach Norris (Morris). Norris opened with a deuce but gave up 6 points over the next four ends to trail 6-2 in a 9-5 win for Peterson.

Key to the championship aspirations of both Peterson and Norris is the fact that both have yet to play Freeman.

The U-18 Men’s playoff will see the first place team advance to the final with second and third meeting in the semifinal. The two finalists will each win an invitation to compete in the nationals.

WAHL, BEAUDRY TEAMS LEAD WITH TWO WINS EACH ON DAY OF U-18 WOMEN’S

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After two games on the first day of play in the Asham CurlManitoba U-18 Women’s Championship in Altona, the top two seeds have taken their expected place atop the two five-team pools.

Grace Beaudry (St. Vital) and Dayna Wahl (Altona) were the only teams to win their first two games.

Grace Beaudry delivers with sweepers Lauren Evason and Tessa Terrick

Beaudry defeated the teams skipped by Liv Leadbeater (Swan River) and Karys Buchalter (West St. Paul) while Wahl’s wins came over Meghan Lagadi (Pembina) and Dauphin’s Team Benson (skipped by Cloe Haluschak.

Two teams in each pool had first day splits and it should be noted two teams in each pool had first day byes but all four lost their opening games.

In their only game Thursday, Team Beaudry will play one of the 0W-1L teams, Bethany Allan’s Granite team. Team Beaudry also has a bye Thursday, playing their only game against Rylie Buchalter and her Heather team.

While the first day’s results are not a guarantee of final standings they are a strong indicator of the challenge faced by all of the teams in subsequent games as they strive to earn one of the two playoff spots available in each pool.

There is a huge advantage to finishing first in each pool as the Women’s event will play a Page Playoff with the two first place teams meeting  in the first round of playoffs. The winner goes to the final knowing they have already won one of two national invitations available. The loser has a second chance opportunity when they drop to the semifinal.

OPENING GAME WINS FOR U-18 FAVOURITES

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Luke Robins looks on as Jace Freeman calls sweeping

Jace Freeman’s Virden team and Dayna Wahl’s Altona team opened play in the Asham CurlManitoba U-18 Championships with wins: Freeman last evening over Luke Robins (West St, Paul) and Wahl this morning over Meghan Lagardi (Pembina).

In the Men’s the Robins team is also highly rated as is Ronan Peterson’s Heather team whose first round loss to Nash Sugden (Morden) would be considered a minor upset.

The third winner on the Men’s first draw were Zach Norris (Morris) over Colton Olafson (Portage).

Dayna Wahl, with sweeper Gillian Hildebrand

On the Women’s first draw, co-favourite Grace Beaudry (St. Vital) was a 6-end winner over Swan River’s Leadbeater team. Shalea Hayward’s Carman, considered to be among the contenders, scored three coming home to tie but lost on an extra end to Dauphin’s  Shayna Benson team (skipped by Chloe Haluschak).

Karys Buchalter’s West St. Paul team won the fourth opening round game (over Soringfield’s Julia Van Ryssel team)

ALTONA HOST CURLMANITOBA U-18 CHAMPIONSHIPS BEGINNING TONIGHT

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CurlManitoba’s U-18 Championships begin tonight in Altona – with 7 young men’s teams and 10 young women’s teams participating. The men play a 7 team, 6 game round robin while the women are split in two pools of five for a four game round robin.

It will be a first major test for the two teams which won the Canada Games Trials at Heather in November. Dayna Wahl’s Altona team and Jace Freeman’s Virden team will be out to prove it was no fluke that they earned the Canada Games berth and that they should be one of the two Manitoba teams at the Canadian U-18’s in early February in Timmins, ON as well.

In the Men’s U-18 Championship, Freeman and Elias Huminicki were on last year’s winning McDonald team and their lead, Jack Steski, was on the finalist team a year ago. The combined credentials identify them as the favorite. Rylan Graham, their fourth player, also played in this event a year ago. 

At Heather after winning the Canada Games Trials (front Altona’s Dayna Wahl, Piper Stoesz, Anna Marie Ginters, Gillian Hildebrand, Coach Keith Stoesz AND back Rylan Graham, Jack Steski, Elias Huminicki, Jace Freeman, Coach Graham Freeman)

Huminicki is already the leader in games played at the Manitoba U-18 Men’s Championship – having played 26 games in four previous appearances. He is poised to move ahead of his former skip, Jordon McDonald, into first place on the list of most games won. With 17 previous wins he is tied for second in that stats category, behind only McDonald who won 20 games out of 21 played as he skipped the 2019, 2020, and 2022 champion teams. (The event was cancelled due to covid in 2021).

Cameron Olafson, who was also on the winning McDonald team a year ago, is skipping his own Portage team this year. Two other members of the 2022 finalist Ryan Ostrowsky team are also playing this year. Luke Robins is skipping a West St. Paul team with Logan Strand at lead. They lost the Canada Games Trials semi-final. Finalist Ronan Peterson’s Heather team, the only team in the championship from inside the perimeter highway, is also competing in Altona.

In the Women’s U-18 Championship, Team Wahl (Piper Stoesz, Anna Marie Ginters, Gilian Hildebrand) topped their round robin pool in last year`s championship but lost in the semi-final to Grace Beaudry who went on to lose the final. Beaudry has recruited Cassidy Dundas and Tessa Terrick from last year`s champion team. With Lauren Evason rounding out the squad, the Wahl & Beaudry teams can be considered co-favourites this year. It is notable that Beaudry recently won a 2023 Scotties berth (with a different team).

Altona’s Mackenzie Zacharias teams won three consecutive U-18 titles in 2015-1026-2017. Tessa Terrick and Cassidy Dundas have each won 17 games in previous U-18 appearances, a number well behind the leading 38 games played by Meghan Walter in seven appearances at the event.

The Altona Curling Club hosts the championship action, beginning with an 8PM Men`s draw this evening and continuing to playoffs at 9AM and 1PM on Saturday.

MANITOBA OPEN ENTRY DEADLINE APPROACHES

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The Manitoba Open, the longest running and largest bonspiel in the world returns this year after the Covid-cancellation seasons and here’s a reminder that the entry deadline is DECEMBER 29.

The bonspiel offers, first-and-foremost, an opportunity to play the game and enjoy the competition (and comradeship) of like minded individuals. Although smaller than in days of yore (old guys like me yearn wistfully for the days like 1988 when nearly 1,300 teams took part) – it is still a magnificent undertaking.

By the time entries close, my projection is there will be in the range of 200 teams participating. The bonspiel presents a rare opportunity to play a team you have never met, on a sheet of ice neither of you have ever played on. What a great test of curling – the challenge of learning the ice while you figure out the strengths and weaknesses of your opponent, at the same time as you try to show your opponent only your team’s strengths.

Whatever level we play at – we all get pretty comfortable playing in our own clubs/leagues/bonspiel circuit – against the same teams all the time. Generally, we have a pretty good idea what they are going to do AND which ones we are likely to beat – which will likely beat us – which will be a flip-a-coin game.

I repeat, the beauty of the bonspiel lies in embracing the fact that you don’t have any idea what the game is going to be like when you step on the ice.

I curl regularly at Fort Rouge and Charleswood, and have played a few bonspiel games at Assiniboine Memorial this season. So I have an idea what that ice is like. Watching the Canadian Masters at Pembina and the recent regional playoffs at Deer Lodge, I know their ice represents a different challenge. I have not curled at Elmwood or Fort Garry or St Vital this year – I am excited by the prospect!!

I have always said, since my very first game in 1967 against the great Bruce Hudson on sheet #2 at Granite, that the MCA Bonspiel (now Manitoba Open Bonspiel) is my favorite event of the year.

How much do I like it? So much that I have actually got a team entered in both the Open and the Half Spiel. Obviously I can’t play all the games. Inevitable overlap of schedules and the fact that all five players on both teams (yes, two completely different line-ups!) will play about the same number of games make that impossible.

But I’ll play as much as I can – what better way is there to spend a winter weekend in Winnipeg?

Whether I win 8-9 games in a row (which happened once a long time ago) or lose 9 in a row (which has potential to be the case) I really don’t care. I’m just excited by the prospect of being on the ice with good friends (and my two sons on the Half Spiel team), by the opportunity to encounter (and perhaps share some time with) folks I have only ever met in previous bonspiels, and hopefully to play some more teams I have never played before.

I am lucky to report my circle of curling friends is huge – I hope I can add you to it when I play you in January!

Please act now (or at least by December 29) and get your entry in – otherwise I may never have the privilege of playing against you!

TWELVE TEAM FIELD SET FOR EAST ST. PAUL SCOTTIES

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(CurlManitoba Release) Manitoba curling fans are in for a treat January 24-29, 2023 when 12 of Manitoba’s best Women’s curling teams compete in the Scotties Tournament of Hearts presented by RME in East St. Paul.

Four former Scotties champions are skipping teams they hope can take them back to the national Scotties where they will challenge the best in Canada including Team Canada skipped by Gimli’s Kerri Einarson.

Jennifer Jones (St. Vital), skipping the defending champion Mackenzie Zacharias team; Jones’ former third Kaitlyn Lawes (Fort Rouge), skipping part of the former champion Tracy Fleury team; Chelsea Carey (East St. Paul) with Liz Fife from that Fleury team; and Darcy Robertson (AMCC), with a young but capable supporting cast, all know the pressures and pleasures of playing and winning the Manitoba final game.

The group of four former champions will be tested this year by a group of eight challenger teams which includes three teams in the CTRS top 30 (as of December 18); a pair of teams aiming for a Manitoba Junior title this season, and three other very competitive teams.

GRACE BEAUDRY TEAM
DARCY ROBERTSON TEAM
KATY LUKOWICH TEAM
EMMA JENSEN TEAM
CHELSEA CAREY TEAM
BETH PETERSON TEAM

Abby Ackland (East St. Paul), an MCT rankings qualifier; Beth Peterson (AMCC), the Minnedosa berth bonspiel winner who was so impressive in a 2021 national Scotties wildcard appearance; and 2022 Manitoba Scotties finalist Kristy Watling (East St. Paul) are currently ranked #8, #21, and #29 on the Canadian Team Ranking System (CTRS). 

Winnipeg Scotties berth winners Katy Lukowich (Granite) and Grace Beaudry (St. Vital), who are CTRS #85 and 97 respectively, both have aspirations to win the Manitoba Junior title in Portage in mid-January. Both will be hoping to play the East St. Paul Scotties as a tune-up for the national Juniors.

The final three entries for this year’s provincial Scotties are also well experienced at the women’s and junior competitive levels in Manitoba. They include Lisa McLeod (Portage), Alyssa Vandepoele (Carberry) and Emma Jensen (Heather).

Full event passes ($175) and day passes ($50) for the Manitoba Scotties Tournament of Hearts can be purchased by connecting from the CurlManitoba website (https://curlmanitoba.org/scotties-tournament-of-hearts-presented-by-rme/).

THE COMPLETE LIST OF SCOTTIES QUALIFIERS:
2022 CHAMPION: Jones/Zacharias (St. Vital)
2021-22 Season CTRS: Kristy Watling (East St. Paul)
2022 MINNEDOSA ‘SPIEL BERTH: Beth Peterson (AMCC)
MCT Champion: Lisa McLeod (Portage)
MCT Points Berth: Abby Ackland (East St. Paul)
NOVEMBER 22, 2022 CTRS: Kaitlyn Lawes (Fort Rouge)
WESTMAN: Alyssa Calvert (Carberry)
WINNIPEG: Chelsea Carey (East St. Paul)
WINNIPEG:  Katy Lukowich (Granite)
WINNIPEG: Emma Jensen (Heather)
WINNIPEG:  Darcy Robertson (AMCC)
WINNIPEG:  Grace Beaudry (St. Vital)

VITERRA REGIONALS IDENTIFY 18 TEAMS TO COMPETE IN NEEPAWA

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TANNER LOTT TEAM

(CurlManitoba Release) Regional curling competitions across Manitoba on the past weekend have earned 18 teams an invitation to compete in the Manitoba Men’s Viterra Championship in Neepawa, February 7-12, 2023. The teams are from 15 different communities and curling clubs.

Assiniboine Memorial (Brett Walter & JT Ryan), Fort Rouge (Tanner Lott & Jordan Peters), and Beausejour (Wayne Ewasko & Justin Richter) Curling Clubs each won two regional playoff berths.

Single berths were captured by teams from Baldur (Grant Shewfelt), Burntwood (Tuffy Seguin), Deer Lodge (Sean Grassie), Carberry (Rob Van Kommer), Gladstone (Jeff Stewart), Granite (Mark Franklin), Morris (David Hamblin), Pembina (Daniel Birchard), Pilot Mound (Steve Pauls), Portage (Ryan Hyde), Riverview (Cale Dunbar), and Virden (Jace Freeman)

JORDAN PETERS TEAM
MARK FRANKLIN TEAM
DANIEL BIRCHARD TEAM
ROB VAN KOMMER TEAM WITH RIVERS CC PRESIDENT DAVE FALKEVITCH

Forty teams representing 28 Manitoba communities and curling clubs entered regional Viterra Championship playoffs. They were competing to join the 10 teams already pre-identified for the 2023 championship in Neepawa.

The pre-qualified teams were Braden Calvert (Deer Lodge), who earned the Canadian Team Ranking (CTRS) berth awarded at the end of last season and the top three Manitoba teams on the CTRS on November 22, 2022 skipped by Matt Dunstone (Fort Rouge), Reid Carruthers (Morris), and Ryan Wiebe (Fort Rouge). In addition, the four Manitoba Curling Tour (MCT) berth teams are skipped by Steve Irwin (Brandon), Riley Smith (Thistle), Steen Sigurdson (AMCC), and Corey Chambers (Fort Garry).

Jordon McDonald (Deer Lodge) and Kelly Marnoch (Carberry) won the Minnedosa Viterra Berth bonspiel invitations earlier this season.

The final four entries in the Neepawa Viterra Championship will be berth winners in the Brandon (1 berth) and Manitoba Open (3 berths) Bonspiels in early January.

THE COMPLETE LIST OF QUALIFIED TEAMS TO DATE IS:
2021-22 SEASON CTRS: Braden Calvert (Deer Lodge)
2022 MCT CHAMPION: Steve Irwin (Brandon)
2022 MCT POINTS: Riley Smith (Thistle)
2022 MCT POINTS: Steen Sigurdson (AMCC)
2022 MCT POINTS: Corey Chambers (Fort Garry)
NOVEMBER 22, 2022 CTRS: Ryan Wiebe (Fort Rouge)
NOVEMBER 22, 2022 Matt Dunstone (Fort Rouge)
NOVEMBER 22, 2022 Reid Carruthers (Morris)
BERTH: Kelly Marnoch (Carberry)
BERTH Jordon McDonald (Deer Lodge)
NORTH REGIONAL:  Tuffy Seguin – Burntwood
WEST 1 REGIONAL: Jeff Stewart (Gladstone)
WEST 2 REGIONAL:  Cale Dunbar (Riverview)
WEST 2 REGIONAL:  Jace Freeman (Virden)
WEST 2 REGIONAL: Rob Van Kommer (Carberry)
SOUTH 1 REGIONAL:  Ryan Hyde – Portage
SOUTH 1 REGIONAL: Steve Pauls (Pilot Mound)
SOUTH 1 REGIONAL: Grant Shewfelt (Baldur)
SOUTH 2 REGIONAL: David Hamblin (Morris)
EAST REGIONAL: Justin Richter (Beausejour)
EAST REGIONAL: Wayne Ewasko (Beausejour)
WINNIPEG REGIONAL:  Sean Grassie (Deer Lodge)
WINNIPEG REGIONAL:  Tanner Lott (Fort Rouge)
WINNIPEG REGIONAL:  Brett Walter (AMCC)
WINNIPEG REGIONAL:  JT Ryan (AMCC)
WINNIPEG REGIONAL: Mark Franklin (Granite)
WINNIPEG REGIONAL: Daniel Birchard (Pembina)
WINNIPEG REGIONAL: Jordan Peters (Fort Rouge)
MANITOBA OPEN: TBD
MANITOBA OPEN: TBD
MANITOBA OPEN: TBD
BRANDON SPIEL: TBD

ROBERTSON, BEAUDRY WIN FINAL SCOTTIES BERTHS

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Darcy Robertson’s AMCC team (Gaetanne Gauthier, Rachel Kaatz, Kadriana Lott, Coach Cathy Gauthier) AND Grace Beaudry’s St. Vital junior team (Emily Ogg, Madelyn Hollins, Mackenzie Arbuckle, Alternate Shaela Hayward, Coach Cal Edie) have won the final two entries into the Scotties Tournament of Hearts in East St. Paul.

Beaudry defeated the Manitoba Club champions skipped by Lisa Birchard (Pembina) while Robertson ousted another junior team skipped by Tansy Tober (Ft Garry) in the final berth games Sunday at Deer Lodge.

(December 17, 11PM) CAREY JOINS JONES, LAWES IN MANITOBA SCOTTIES ….With the exception of the absent Kerri Einarson Team Canada, ALL of Manitoba’s elite women’s teams have now qualified for the Manitoba Scotties Tournament of Hearts at East St. Paul, January 24-29, 2023.

Former champion Chelsea Carey, returning to Manitoba competition this season, was the first regional qualifier Saturday, December 17. Her East St. Paul team joins the defending champion Mackenzie Zacharias team, now lined up with Jennifer Jones, and Kaitlyn Lawes whose team had pre-qualified on CTRS points. They will be joined by the best young teams on the Manitoba scene.

Kristy Watling, Abby Ackland, and Beth Peterson (all in the CTRS top 30) were also pre-qualified prior to regionals. Watling (CTRS points 2021-22), Peterson (Minnedosa Berth Bonspiel), and Ackland (MCT points) were joined by MCT Champion Lisa McLeod in advance qualifying – leaving six regional berths to be played for this weekend.

In Western Manitoba, Alyssa Calvert-Carberry won a best of three series with Seniors Champion Terry Ursel to earn a Scotties berth. Joining Team Carey as Winnipeg regional berth winners on the Saturday evening draw were teams skipped by Katy Lukowich-Granite and Emma Jensen-Heather.

Lukowich fought from behind to tie 6-6 after five ends then stole the sixth for a one point lead. After trading deuces with veteran Darcy Robertson, Lukowich led by one, without hammer, playing the ninth and final end. The key shot of the end was draw by third Lauren Rajala who drew past a centre guard to be fully buried just short of the four foot circle – the eventual winning point.

For Jensen, it was a more dominating effort. The Heather team led 6-3 after five ends but ended the game with some great shotmaking, aided by timely misses, to score four on the sixth end.

The final two Scotties berths will be determined Sunday on a Noon draw at Deer Lodge when the crests will be handed to the winners of Lisa Birchard, Pembina vs Grace Beaudry, St. Vital AND Darcy Robertson, AMCC vs Tansy Tober, Fort Garry.

SCOTTIES QUALIFIED TEAMS:
CHAMP: Jones/Zacharias – St. Vital/Altona
CTRS 2021: Kristy Watling
BERTH BONSPIEL: Beth Peterson
MCT Champion: Lisa McLeod
MCT Points Berth: Abby Ackland
CTRS Nov 22, 2022: Kaitlyn Lawes
Westman Alyssa Calvert – Carberry
Winnipeg Chelsea Carey – East St. Paul
Winnipeg Katy Lukowich – Granite
Winnipeg Emma Jensen – Heather
Winnipeg Regional – Darcy Robertson – AMCC
Winnipeg Regional – Grace Beaudry – St. Vital