The MJCT Heather Junior Bonspiel will hence forward be named the Albert Bazinet Open.
The memory of Albert Bazinet, a dedictated Manitoba junior curling organizer and coach, was honoured at a Manitoba Junior Curling Tour event Friday evening at Heather Curling Club. Heather has renamed its MJCT Bonspiel the Albert Bazinet Open and CurlManitoba presented Albert’s wife Shirley, and the family with an Honourary membership for Albert. CurlManitoba was in the decision-making process to include Albert Bazinet as a recipient of a CurlManitoba Honorary Membership this season. Regretfully, the decision was too late to be able to make the presentation to Albert. While these awards are rarely made posthumously, it is appropriate in this case.
Albert Bazinet’s name first appears in the CurlManitoba historical records as coach of the Tyler Drews team which won a Junior Men’s bonspiel event in 2006. In the 20 year span since, his name is in the records a remarkable 30 more times.
Elaine Owen, CurlManitoba Event & Development Manager, presents the Honourary Life Membership scroll and pin to Shirley Bazinet (Photos: Lynn Coleman)
He is in there twice as a competitor – as skip of a provincial berth winner in the Club Championship in 2012 AND as a Manitoba Open bonspiel event winner in 2018. That means his name is in the CurlManitoba records 29 times as a coach.
He enjoyed playing the game – but he truly loved coaching and he coached at all levels. He coached four different times at the Viterra Men’s championship and once at a Senior Women’s. But his greatest involvement as a coach was with U-18 and Junior teams. At provincial championships, he coached three U-18 women’s teams, 2 U-18 men’s teams and two U-18 Mixed Doubles teams.
At the Junior level at provincials, he coached five Junior men’s teams and eleven junior women’s teams and he coached one Junior Women’s team at the Canada Games.
Two of those 29 teams reached provincial finals and took home silver medals. It is not reasonable to suggest Albert didn’t care that he never won a provincial title with one of his teams – of course, he cared – but he cared more because of disappointment for his curlers than for any personal disappointment.
He cared about his teams – perhaps more importantly he really cared that teams have an opportunity to play the game and to compete. He responded to direct requests from teams to be their coach …. but he also responded often to requests from CurlManitoba that he take on the task of accompanying a team and coaching them at provincials when they had qualified with a parent coach or some other coach who did not have complete credentials for provincials. Albert rarely said no to those requests because he wanted those teams to have that provincial experience.
The respect that his fellow coaches had for Albert was shown in their selection of him on three occasions as the recipient of the Coaching Award at provincials…at the Junior Men’s in 2011 AND twice in 2024 – at both the U18 Men’s and the Junior Men’s.
CurlManitoba has long admired Albert’s dedication to junior curling both as a coach and as the organizing energy behind the Manitoba Junior Curling Tour.
An extra end win to end the week at the Canadian Juniors gave Jace Freeman and his Virden team the bronze medal as Manitoba teams continue to fall short of the gold medals last accomplished by Manitobans Mackenzie Zacharias and Jacques Gauthier in 2020.
(l-r) Jace Freeman, Ryan Ostrowsky, Nick Senff, Luke Robins, Coach Graham Freeman Curling Canada/Brodie Evans photo
Three of four Manitoba teams reached the playoffs at the 2024 Canadian Juniors. Shaela Hayward, attempting to win a second championship to match the U-18 title won earlier, dropped out in the first round of playoffs. Jordon McDonald was beaten by Freeman – also in the first round of the playoffs.
In pool play, McDonald finished 7-1, in second place. while Freeman finished 6-2 in third place in the other pool. That put the two teams into the 2-3 crossover game which Freeman won 6-5.
In the semi-final, Team Freeman lost 7-5 to eventual; champion Kenan Wipf (Alberta) who they had beaten 8-3 in round-robin play. In an extra end, the Manitobans beat Dylan Derksen (Saskatchewan) 7-5.
In the Junior Women’s, Team Hayward’s 5-3 round-robin record earned them third place in the pool. They lost the 2-3 crossover 9-3 to former Manitoban Grace Beaudry, who skipped and threw second stones for the team shown as Alberta’s Claire Booth entry on the Curling Canada scores website. Tessa Terrick’s second Manitoba team finished with a 2-6 record.
Nova Scotia’s Allyson MacNutt team won the Junior women’s gold medal undefeated.
There are provincial champions and provincial U-18 & U21 competitors scattered all through the 16 teams competing in CurlManitoba’s first U-20 Mixed Doubles Provincial Championship which gets underway today at the Charleswood Curling Club.
The Dynasty U-20 Mixed Doubles features 16 teams playing in round-robin format, pools of four teams with each pool playing four round robin games against teams from a different pool
The first two round-robin draws will take place at 5:30pm and 8:30pm Friday (March 8). There will be five round-robin draws scheduled all day Saturday, beginning at 8:30am.
“We are excited about hosting our first Dynasty U20 Mixed Doubles Championship,” says CurlManitoba Executive Director Craig Baker. “The young athletes competing in the event are some of the finest young curlers in the province, we think it is very important to give them this chance to expand their competitive experience and opportunities.”
The field of competitors includes: ** Keira Krahn (2024 Manitoba & Canadian U-18 champion, 2024 Manitoba Junior champion) partnered with Joshua Evans. ** Jensen Letham (2023 Manitoba junior champion, 2024 Manitoba Junior Finalist) partnered with Jace Freeman (2023 Manitoba U-18 champion, 2024 Manitoba Junior Finalist) ** Nick Senff (2024 Manitoba U-18 champion, 2024 Manitoba Junior Finalist) partnered with Ella Robins ** Rylan Graham (2023 Manitoba U-18 Champion, 2024 Manitoba U-18 champion) partnered with Julie Magnusson ** Rylan Campbell (2024 Manitoba U-18 champion) partnered with Lauren Evason (2023 Manitoba U-18 Finalist) ** Jack Steski (2023 Manitoba U-18 Champion) partnered with Shyla Johnson ** Zoey Terrick (2023 Manitoba junior champion, 2022 Manitoba U-18 champion, 2024 Manitoba Junior Finalist) partnered with Tanner Graham ** Tessa Terrick (2023 Manitoba Junior champion, 2022 Manitoba U-18 champion, 2023 Manitoba U-18 Finalist, 2024 Manitoba Junior Finalist) partnered with Ethan Brandt ** Piper Stoesz (2023 Manitoba U-18 champion) partnered with Nolan Ross ** Cassidy Dundas (2023 Manitoba Junior champion, 2022 Manitoba U-18 champion, 2023 Manitoba U-18 Finalist, 2024 Manitoba Junior Finalist) partnered with Hunter Dundas ** Ryan Ostrowsky (2024 Manitoba Junior Finalist) partnered with Emily Ostrowsky ** Luke Robins (2024 Manitoba Junior Finalist) partnered with Rylie Buchalter
The other teams, with less gaudy credentials but plenty of championship experience include Logan Strand/Samantha Eagles, Karys Buchalter/Hudson Strand, Ryan Hoplock/Olivia Hoplock, and Anabelle Lanthier/Colton Graham.
Two teams from each pool will advance to the 8-team playoff which begins at 10am on Sunday at Charleswood.
(CurlManitoba Release) Jordon McDonald (Deer Lodge) and Zoey Terrick (Heather) and their teams have won CurlManitoba’s TELUS Junior Men’s and Junior Women’s championships. The events wrapped up Saturday at the Portage Curling Club.
Team McDonald (l-r) Coach Blaine Malo, Jordon McDonald, Reece Hamm, Elias Huminicki, Cam Olafson Team Terrick (l-r) Zoey Terrick, Jaycee Terrick, Jensen Letham, Tessa Terrick, Coach Clint Cullen
In the Junior Men’s, McDonald with Reece Hamm, Elias Huminicki, Cam Olafson, and Coach Blaine Malo had been seeded #1 going into the championships. They went undefeated through the competition, winning their four round robin games and defeating Jace Freeman’s Virden team (with Thomas McGillivray, Ryan Ostrowsky, Aaron Macdonell, 5th Alex Fontaine and Coach Graham Freeman) twice in the playoffs, first in the Page 1 vs 1 playoff game and then in the final.
With the victory, McDonald, Hamm and Huminicki were able to defend the title they won a year ago.
In the Junior Women’s, Terrick, with older sister Jaycee and younger sister Tessa, as well as Jensen Letham, 5th Cassidy Dundas and Coach Clint Cullen, had been seeded #2 entering the competition. They were the unbeaten “A” playoff qualifiers in the triple knockout championship. After losing the Page 1 vs 2 playoff game to Grace Beaudry’s St. Vital team (with Emily Ogg, Madelyn Hollins, Mackenzie Arbuckle, 5th Julia Milan and Coach Calvin Edie), they beat Cheyenne Ehnes (Pembina) in the semi-final and defeated Team Beaudry in the final game.
Team Terrick, the first three-sisters team to win a Manitoba Championship since Connie Laliberte’s 1984 World Champion team, trailed Team Beaudry 5-1 after three ends but rebounded to lead 8-7 coming home. They forced a single on the home end and won on an extra end with a last stone draw which had to be in the eight foot circle but bit the button.
The Terrick and McDonald teams will go to the New Holland Canadian Junior Championships in late March in Quebec as Team Manitoba. The finalist Freeman and Beaudry teams will also both go to the nationals as Manitoba #2 teams. Manitoba has two entries in both the national Men’s & Women’s Junior championships thanks to the performance of past teams at the national event.
The trips earned Saturday in Portage by the four teams represent remarkable youth curling accomplishments for several of the players involved, as many of then will now participate in multiple national events this season (Canada Games, U18, U21).
Provincial level competition will continue for three of the four teams. The Beaudry team has qualified to compete in the Manitoba Scotties presented by RME, next week at East St. Paul. The McDonald and Freeman teams will compete in the Viterra championship in Neepawa in February.
PLAYOFFS RECAP – JUNIOR MEN: Jordon McDonald (Deer Lodge) and Jace Freeman (Virden) had been the two top seeded teams entering the competition and they went undefeated (4W-0L) through the round robin to meet in the Page Playoff 1 vs 1 game. After McDonald sent Freeman to the semi-final, the Virden team rebounded with a 7-2 win over Ronan Peterson (Heather) to set up the re-match final game. Peterson had won the Page Playoff 3 vs 4 game over Colton Olafson (Portage). The final game went down to last stone on the tenth end – facing two Freeman counters, McDonald had to draw to the eight foot circle to win the game 8-7.
PLAYOFFS RECAP – JUNIOR WOMEN: Zoey Terrick (Heather) and Grace Beaudry (St. Vital) entered the event as the #2 and #3 seeds respectively. In the triple knockout competition, Terrick was the unbeaten “A” qualifier while Beaudry was the “B” qualifier. They met in the Page 1 vs 2 game with Beaudry winning on a dramatic last shot takeout thrown through a very narrow centre line port in a game which was tied 6-6 coming home. Terrick rebounded in the semi-final with a win over Cheyenne Ehnes (Pembina), who had beaten defending champion skip Tansy Tober (Fort Garry) in an extra end in the Page 3 vs 4 game. Down 5-1 after three ends in the final, the Terrick team led 8-7 coming home. A Terrick guard on a stone in the four foot circle overcurled, leaving Beaudry a hit for one to force the extra end. Successfully using the difficult tick shot to remove well placed guards, the Terrick team was able to keep the front clear and won the game with a last rock draw to the edge of the button.
Bob Picken Legacy Fund grants to three Manitoba junior curling programs have been announced by organizers of the annual Bob Picken-Valour Road Masters Bonspiel.
The grants of $500 each are being awarded to support the high school curling program in Carman, a junior curling program in Swan River, and a new Junior Development league in Western Manitoba.
The Westman Development League grant will be made through the Virden Curling Club whose volunteers have undertaken to establish a new league involving several clubs in the Westman and south-east Saskatchewan region.
The league aspires to be an instructional-developmental league where young curlers, aged 9-15, can learn the game, have fun, and meet other young people from other clubs.
In Swan River, the Junior curling program combines structured instruction with fun event nights, game play and season ending fun bonspiel. The $500 grant is a significant contribution to a fund-raising initiative needed to acquire training aids and equipment required for an effective program in a community where distance limits access to services and programs more readily available in other parts of the province.
In Carman, the target audience is a group of high school curlers with a longer-term aim of establishing a high-school league. Key to initial success will be providing a high level of instruction, funded in part by the Legacy Fund grant.
The three $500 grants bring the amount of Bob Picken Legacy Fund support for junior curling province wide to $4,500 since the Bonspiel was established four years ago as a tribute to the memory of legendary curling (and multi-sport) broadcaster Bob Picken.
In his competitive years, Bob Picken wore the Valour Road colours with pride, hence the Bonspiel name. With the exception of one Covid-cancellation year, the event has been an annual affair at the Thistle Curling Club. It will continue in the fall of 2023 as an early season competition opportunity for Masters-age curlers.
A Pembina team skipped by Kailah Johnson defeated Danika Chartrand’s Petersfield team to win the U-13 Division of the Canad Inns Youth Bonspiel. Both teams had won three games out of four in their round-robin series when they met in the final game.
In the third place game, Calli Goethe and a Swan River team were the winners over Pembina’s Tiernan Bertrand-Meadows foursome.
The Bertrand-Meadows (Ainslee Card, Annalise Page-Burns, Miles Girardin) team was also one of two winners of the Fair Play Awards, determined by team voting as each team gave their opponent a Fair Play ranking after each game played.
The second Fair Play Award in the U-13 Division went to St. Vital’s Alexandre Newcombe team (Alex Home, Liam Cleary, Matthew Livetsky)
U-13 Division Winners: Pembina – Skip Kailah Johnson, 3rd Nancy Pu, 2nd Connor Sahaidak, Lead Nataya Johnson, Coach Christina JohnsonU-13 Division Finalists: Petersfield – Skip Danika Chartrand, 3rd Cassidy Laing, 2nd Autumn Clifton, Lead Aurora Marynowski, Alternate Josephine Jolicoeur, Coach Randy KolomayaU-13 Division third Place: Swan River – Skip Calli Goethe, 3rd Addison Hunt, 2nd Katie Hunt, Lead Darbi Barker, Coach Kari GoetheU-13 Fourth Place: Pembina – Skip Tiernan Bertrand-Meadows, 2nd Annalise Page-Burns, Miles Girardin, Coach Shelley Bertrand-Meadows
In a tune-up for next week’s CurlManitoba u-18 Provincial Championship, Ryan Ostrowsky and his West St. Paul team went undefeated this weekend to win the Canad Inns Youth Bonspiel’s U-18 Division.
The Ostrowsky foursome won three round-robin games and a semi-final before winning the Sunday afternoon final game over Meghan Lagadi and her Pembina team.
Carter Walker’s Assiniboine Memorial team won the third place playoff with a victory over St. Vital’s Hannah Patton team.
U-18 Division Winners: West St. Paul – Skip Ryan Ostrowsky, 3rd Jack Steski, Lead Logan Strand, Coach Carlene Strand (Missing 2nd Luke Robins)U-18 Division Finalists: Pembina – Coach Gerry Lagadi, Skip Meghan Lagadi, 3rd Jenna Williment, 2nd Abby Romaniuk, Lead Hailey Hall, Alternate Paul GrahamU-18 Division Third Place: Assiniboine Memorial – Skip Carter Walker, 3rd Connor Woodward, 2nd Graeme Sikora, Lead Jack MacDonald, Coach Brad WalkerU-18 Division Fourth Place: St. Vital – Skip Hannah Patton, 2nd Molly Cooper, Lead Kaely McLean, Co-coach Christy Patton (Missing 3rd Emerson Cauthers, Co-coach Paula Cauthers)
The Nash Sugden team from Morden, with Tyler Fehr calling the shots and throwing last stones, defeated Pembina’s Luc Cormier team in the Sunday afternoon final game of the Canad Inns Youth Bonspiel U-15 Division.
The winning team, which played the final with three as Nash Sugden sat out due to illness, were undefeated in the bonspiel. They won their five round-robin games and two playoff games to advance to the final.
In the 3rd place playoff game, a Pembina team skipped by Karys Buchalter was the winner over the Caitlyn McPherson team from Assiniboine Memorial.
The U-15 Division’s Fair Play Awards, based on an accumulated ranking with each team rating their opponent after every game, were won by the Jessica Campbell team (Desirae Blunden, Danielle Livestky, Jordon Schroeder) from St. Vital and the Emily Mykula team (Kate Patterson, Bronwyn Trevellyan, Lexi Leadbeater) from Swan River.
Winners of the U-15 Division: Morden – Skip Nash Sugden, 3rd Tyler Fehr, 2nd Tanner Treichel, Lead Ryan Thiessen, Coach Sue SugdenFinalists U-15 Division: Pembina – Skip Luc Cormier, 3rd Adair Spulnick, 2nd Quinn Lagace, Lead Miles Lagadi, Coach Rej Lagace (Missing 5th Liam Burton)Third U-15 Division: Pembina – Karys Buchalter, 3rd Ella Robins, 2nd Amy Buchalter, Lead Eva le Heiget, Alternate Abigail Vander Aa, Coach Denis Le HeigetFourth U-15 Division: Assiniboine Memorial – Skip Caitlyn McPherson, 3rd Katie McDonald, 2nd Bailey Gunn, Lead Ella Keough, Coach Rob Keough
As they prepare to represent Manitoba at the New Holland Canadian U21 Curling Championships March 25 – April 1, 2022, Manitoba’s Junior Champions will have Send-Off Celebrations at their respective clubs on March 12 and 18. Team McDonald comes first at Deer Lodge on Saturday, March 12 with Team Tober following at Fort Garry CC on Friday, March 18.
TEAM MCDONALD DETAILS:$10 admission – For tickets, please contact: Kendra Fontaine 204-952-5465 dkjaefo@gmail.com Peter McDonald 204-230-4612 p.mcdonald@shaw.ca
Tickets will be available at the door.
Saturday, March 12 from 7-10 p.m. with speeches beginning at 7:30 p.m. Deer Lodge Curling Club | Upstairs lounge | 425 Woodlawn Street, Winnipeg, MB
TEAM TOBER DETAILS: ADMISSION – $10.00 (E-TRANSFER ACCEPTED) TO PURCHASE TICKETS PLEASE CONTACT: DEB POPOVIC (431) 998-8951 popcurler@gmail.com DENISE FEELEUS (204) 803-0384 denisefe@mts.net
SUPPORT TICKETS MAY BE ALSO PURCHASED FROM THESE CONTACTS. LIMITED TICKETS WILL BE AVAILABLE AT THE DOOR
FRIDAY, MARCH 18TH @ 7:00PM FORT GARRY CURLING CLUB 696 ARCHIBALD STREET, WINNIPEG, MB
(Sunday, February 27: 5:00PM) Tansy Tober and her Fort Garry team passed their big test of the day on the morning draw when they won the semi-final of the Telus Junior Women’s championship in Brandon (6-4 over Grace Beaudry-St Vital).
The win meant that Tober, Caitlin Kostna, Lex Sigurdson, Stephanie Feeleus, and Coach Deb Popovic had already won an invitation to the national championship when the final started.
(l-r) Tansy Tober, Caitlin Kostna, Lex Sigurdson, Stephanie Feeleus, and Coach Deb Popovic
With the pressure off for that final game against previously undefeated Morgan Maguet-East St. Paul, the Tober team played a relaxed, controlling game in an 11-4 victory. They earned their spot as provincial champions in the provincial record books and will wear the Manitoba colours at the nationals.
Maguet, Kylie Lippens, Lauren Evason, Danica Metcalfe, and Assistant Coach Chris Lippens will be the Manitoba wild card team at the nationals in Stratford, Ontario in late March.
(Sunday, February 27: 12:30PM) Jordon McDonald (Reece Hamm, Elias Huminicki, Alexandre Fontaine, Coach Blaine Malo) have won Manitoba Telus Junior Men’s Championship.
Team McDonald will wear Manitoba’s colours at the Canadian Juniors in late March in Stratford, Ontario after controlling play all game against Aaron Van Ryssel- Springfield.
McDonald built a 4 point lead by the fifth end, on three single steals. Van Ryssel’s team played well but simply could never build an end in the 6-3 victory.
Solace for Van Ryssel and his team (Peter Albig, Jonah Peterson, Colin Desaulniers, Coach Faith Van Ryssel) – they will also be going on to the national championship as the Manitoba wild card team.
(Saturday, February 26: 11:30PM) MAGUET INTO JUNIOR WOMEN FINAL, BEAUDRY-TOBER SEMI-FINAL: Morgan Maguet and her East St. Paul team won the Telus Junior Women’s Page 1-1 game Saturday, a 7-4 victory over Grace Beaudry – St. Vital. The win earned the Maguet foursome a berth in the provincial final game at 2PM Sunday. It also earned them the first Manitoba invitation to the Canadian championship in late March.
Beaudry dropped to the Sunday 9:30AM semi-final where her team will play Tansy Tober’s Fort Garry foursome. Tober had to win two games Saturday. After losing the final round robin game on the morning draw (7-6 to Emily Ogg), Team Tober had to win a tiebreaker (7-3 over Emma Jensen) and then the Page 2-2 game (6-2 over Zoey Terrick).
Terrick’s team had also won a tiebreaker (10-8 over Ogg), setting up the 3-game Saturday for both Terrick and Tober.
With Reece Hamm directing, Jordon McDonald’s front end Elias Huminicki and Alexandre Fontaine sweep the final rock to curl inside the guard to the four foot for two.
(Saturday, February 26: 11PM)JUNIOR MEN FINAL: MCDONALD VS VAN RYSSEL: Top seeded Jordon McDonald’s Deer Lodge team, undefeated in six games including the Saturday afternoon Page 1-1 game, will play Aaron Van Ryssel and his Springfield team in Manitoba’s Telus Junior Men’s Championship Sunday at 9:30AM.
Both advanced with wins over Jordan Johnson (Heather).
In the Page 1-1 game, with both teams undefeated, McDonald controlled play and marked up a 6-1 eight-end victory. Johnson dropped to the semi-final to play Van Ryssel, who had won the Page 2-2 game over Thomas McGillivray.
Aaron Van Ryssel and third Peter Albig try to figure out how to score two red stones with last rock on the sixth end. Yellow stole one this time.
The close semi-final was tied after four, six and nine ends with Johnson holding the hammer coming home. With that last rock, Johnson faced a tough choice: either draw the button to win or play a short runback double kill with a nose hit for the win. He chose to hit but was a bit high-side and missed removing the second rock. The steal gave Van Ryssel an 8-7 win.
The game Sunday morning will be for the provincial championship honours but both teams have already earned the privilege of an invitation to the Canadian New Holland Juniors as Manitoba has both a Team Manitoba and a Manitoba Wild Card entry.
(Saturday, February 26: 12:00PM) JUNIOR WOMEN TIEBREAKER GAMES NEEDED: In a story here at the curler.com, back in early December, William Lyburn stated there were “5 OR 6” teams who he thought could win the provincial Telus Junior Women’s.
As of 12:15PM Saturday, six teams are still in the running.
Pool winners Morgan Maguet and Grace Beaudry and their teams are through to the Page 1-1 Playoff game with 5W-0L and 4W-1L records respectively.
Four teams with 3W-2L records still have a chance – but they have to win tiebreaker draws to reach the Page 3-4 game. On the ice are Zoey Terrick playing Emily Ogg and Emma Jensen playing Tansy Tober.
The Ogg and Jensen teams created the logjam. Both had 2W-2L records going into the morning draw. Both were victorious – Jensen over Terrick and Ogg with a steal on the tenth end to beat Tober.
FINAL STANDINGS: ASHAM BLACK POOL- JR WOMEN 5-0 Morgan Maguet – East St. Paul 3-2 Zoey Terrick – Neepawa 3-2 Emma Jensen – Heather 2-3 Samantha Gevers – St. Vital 2-3 Dayna Wahl – Altona 0-5 Shaela Hayward – Carman
FINAL STANDINGS: ASHAM EXPRESS RED POOL– JR WOMEN 4-1 Grace Beaudry – St. Vital 3-2 Tansy Tober – Fort Garry 3-2 Emily Ogg – Assiniboine Memorial 3-2 Cheyenne Ehnes – Assiniboine Memorial 2-3 Bethany Allan – St. Vital 0-5 Cloe Haluschak – Swan River
CurlManitoba Photo: Aaron Van Ryssel and his third Peter Albig
(Friday, February 25: 11PM)JUNIOR MEN PLAYOFF SETS, FINAL JUNIOR WOMEN DRAW SATURDAY: Jordon McDonald (Deer Lodge) and Jordan Johnson (Heather) kept their perfect records intact with wins on the final round robin draw of the Telus Junior Men`s Championship in Brandon.
The two will meet in the Saturday 4PM Page 1-1 Playoff game. THe winner will play inthe Sunday morning final while the loser goes to the late Saturday semi-final.
Thomas McGillivray (Fort Garry) and Aaron Van Ryssel (Springfield) both had to win their final games to improve to 4W-1L and avoid the potential of playing a tiebreaker game. Both were victorious and they will meet in the Page 2-2 Playoff. The winner will advance to the semi-final.
FINAL STANDINGS:ASHAM BLACK POOL – JR MEN 5-0 Jordon McDonald – Deer Lodge 4-1 Thomas McGillivray – Fort Garry 3-2 Lucas Pedersen – Rivers 2-3 Luke Steski – West St. Paul 1-4 Cam Olafson – East St. Paul 0-5 Tanner Graham – Petersfield
STANDINGS:ASHAM EXPRESS RED POOL – JR MEN 5-0 Jordan Johnson – Heather 4-1 Aaron Van Ryssel – Springfield 3-2 Jace Freeman – Virden 1-4 Jack Lyburn – Brandon 1-4 Ronan Peterson – Fort Rouge 1-4 Matthew Bijl – Assiniboine Memorial
Playoffs in the Telus Junior Women’s event will also be sorted out on the final draw, Saturday at 8:30AM.
Morgan Maguet has the only only perfect 4W-0L record and Zoey Terrick has a 3W-1L record after four games. The two can advance with wins Saturday morning. Terrick plays Emma Jensen while Maguet plays Samantha Gevers. Both Gevers and Jensen have 2W-2L records so a Jensen win over Terrick creates the possibility of three teams finishing with 3W-2L records.
In the other pool, Tansy Tober, Cheyenne Ehnes, and Grace Beaudry share the lead at 3W-1L. Emily Ogg’s record of 2W-2L has her team still in the playoff chase as well.
Saturday morning, Beaudry plays Ehnes so the winner, at 4W-1L, will advance to the playoffs. Tober plays Ogg, so a Tober win would mean a 4W-1L record and the second playoff spot but a Tober loss means a 3-way tie at 3W-2L.
One tiebreaker draw, if needed, takes place Saturday early afternoon.
STANDINGS:ASHAM BLACK POOL 4-0 Morgan Maguet – East St. Paul 3-1 Zoey Terrick – Neepawa 2-2 Samantha Gevers – St. Vital 2-2 Emma Jensen – Heather 1-3 Dayna Wahl – Altona 0-4 Shaela Hayward – Carman
STANDINGS:ASHAM EXPRESS RED POOL 3-1 Cheyenne Ehnes – Assiniboine Memorial 3-1 Grace Beaudry – St. Vital 3-1 Tansy Tober – Fort Garry 2-2 Emily Ogg – Assiniboine Memorial 1-3 Bethany Allan – St. Vital 0-4 Cloe Haluschak – Swan River
(Thursday, February 24: 11PM) JUNIOR MEN LEADERS AT 3W-0L, JUNIOR WOMEN LEAD AT 2W-0L: Four teams have separated themselves from the pack in the Telus Junior Men’s Championship underway in Brandon. All four posted a pair of wins Thursday after winning their openers to end the day with perfect 3W-0L records.
Thomas McGillivray-Fort Garry and Jordon McDonald-Deer Lodge in one pool and Jordan Johnson-Heather and Aaron Van Ryssel-Springfield are all still perfect. Close behind, both at 2W-1L, are Jace Freeman-Virden (in the Johnson-Van Ryssel group) and Luke Steski-West St. Paul (in the McGillivray-McDonald group).
The noon draw Friday in Brandon will be key in determining the first two playoff teams. McGillivray faces McDonald and Johnson faces Van Ryssel. The winners will improve their perfect records to 4W-0L.
STANDINGS:ASHAM BLACK POOL 3-0 Thomas McGillivray – Fort Garry 3-0 Jordon McDonald – Deer Lodge 2-1 Luke Steski – West St. Paul 1-2 Lucas Pedersen – Rivers 0-3 Cam Olafson – East St. Paul 0-3 Tanner Graham – Petersfield
STANDINGS:ASHAM EXPRESS RED POOL 3-0 Jordan Johnson – Heather 3-0 Aaron Van Ryssel – Springfield 2-1 Jace Freeman – Virden 1-2 Jack Lyburn – Brandon 0-3 Ronan Peterson – Fort Rouge 0-3 Matthew Bijl – Assiniboine Memorial
In the Telus Juniors Women’s Championship, three teams completed the first day of play with perfect 2W-0L records. Cheyenne Ehnes-AMCC stands alone at the top of one pool while Morgan Maguet-East St. Paul and Zoey Terrick-Neepawa lead the other pool – all with two victories Thursday.
The wins by Team Terrick (over Samantha Gevers-St. Vital) and Team Ehnes (over Bethany Allan-St. Vital) leaves the losers at 1W-1L along with four other teams.
They include Emma Jensen-Heather, Grace Beaudry-St. Vital, and Emily Ogg-AMCC who were winners on the 4PM draw after losing their openers and Tansy Tober-Fort Garry who lost their second game after winning their opener.
STANDINGS:ASHAM BLACK POOL 2-0 Morgan Maguet – East St. Paul 2-0 Zoey Terrick – Neepawa 1-1 Samantha Gevers – St. Vital 1-1 Emma Jensen – Heather 0-2 Dayna Wahl – Altona 0-2 Shaela Hayward – Carman
STANDINGS:ASHAM EXPRESS RED POOL 0-2 Cheyenne Ehnes – Assiniboine Memorial 1-1 Bethany Allan – St. Vital 1-1 Grace Beaudry – St. Vital 1-1 Emily Ogg – Assiniboine Memorial 1-1 Tansy Tober – Fort Garry 0-2 Cloe Haluschak – Swan River
(Wednesday, February 24: 10PM)FAVOURED TEAMS WIN OPENERS IN TELUS JUNIORS: With two full years having passed since the last provincial junior championships, there has been a major turnover in the junior ranks. The names have changed but the excitement to compete, the eagerness to win, and the excellence of the top teams all remain.
Team McGillvray, MJCT Champions – winners on the Telus Juniors opening draw
The junior men’s competition opened this evening in Brandon. They play a pair of games tomorrow and two more on Friday for their five round-robin games.
In a what have you won recently assessment, among the favourites are Thomas McGillivray and his Fort Garry team, ranked #4 on the Manitoba Junior Curling Tour ranking, based mainly on an extra end win in the MJCT Tour Championship after modest success over the Tour season. Team McGillivray opened with a 6-end victory over Tanner Graham (Petersfield).
Jordon McDonald – an opening round Telus victor
Jordon McDonald (Deer Lodge), whose most recent bonspiel was the Viterra Championship where his team posted a 2W-2L record – losing two qualifying games, is ranked #2 on the MJCT. They lost that Tour Championship final to McGillivray and won a pair of events during the season. Their opener in Brandon went the distance with McDonald one up with hammer coming home as he posted a 7-5 victory.
MJCT #1 Jordan Johnson and his Heather team, winners of three season events, were 8-end winners over Matthew Bijl (Assiniboine Memorial).\
MJCT #3 Jace Freeman (Virden), winners of one season event, trailed Ronan Peterson (Fort Rouge) early but came back to lead 7-5 with a three on the ninth end. They scored a point on an extra end for a first game 8-7win.
In the other two games, Lucas Pederson (Rivers) defeated Cam Olafson (East St. Paul) and Aaron Van Ryssel (Springfield) defeated Jack Lyburn (Brandon).
The U-21 Manitoba Junior Women’s Championship first draw is Thursday morning.
(Wednesday, February 23 8PM)TELUS JUNIORS UNDERWAY IN BRANDON: Manitoba’s Telus Junior Championships are underway at the Brandon Curling Club. Twelve team fields in each of the Junior men’s and Junior Women’s events will play a round-robin in pools of six. A Page Playoff will follow after their five games.
Two berths to compete in both the U-21 Men and U-21 Women New Holland Canadian Junior Championships will be available through the Manitoba Telus Juniors. The Manitoba champions will wear Manitoba’s official colours at the Canadians while the finalist in each case will be the wild card team, identified as Manitoba #2.
Why? As with other championships in these covid seasons, the Juniors will each feature a field of 18 teams. The extra teams include one for the province or territory of each of the three podium teams from the 2020 championships (the last ones staged!).
So Manitoba’s juniors have two reasons to be thankful in regard to 2020 World Champions Jacques Gauthier and Mackenzie Zacharias. First, winning the Canadians in 2020 earned a spot this year for two Manitoba teams instead of one. Second, they can be thankful those teams aged out – making the competitions wide open this year.
The Canadian Juniors will be played March 25-April 1 in Stratford, Ontario.
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