March 26, 2009
MUSTANGS, LADY VEES TOP STANDINGS AT CURLING NATIONALS
MONTREAL, Que. - A number of OUA curling rinks remain in the hunt for a national championship following Day 1 of the CIS/CCA University Curling Championships in Montreal, Que.
The defending OUA women's champion Western Mustangs are 2-0 following victories over the Regina Cougars and Wilfrid Laurier Golden Hawks in Pool A play.
The Mustangs, led by skip Erin Morrissey (Ottawa, Ont.), used the steal to good advantage in their 7-2 victory over Regina in their first game on Wednesday morning.
Official website: www.universitysport.ca/e/championships/curling/2009/index.cfm
Live results: www.curling.ca/content/Championships/2009universitydraw.asp
The two teams were tied at two when the Mustangs engineered a deuce in the fifth end and then proceeded to steal singles in the sixth, seventh and eighth ends before skip Penny Roy and her Cougars teammates conceded the game.
The Mustangs faced the reigning national champion Golden Hawks in their second game of the day and the fans in attendance at the Montreal West Curling Club were not disappointed.
The two OUA rivals were tied 4-4 playing the eighth end when Morrissey and Laurier skip Hollie Nicol (Markham, Ont.) decided to put on a bit of a high performance clinic by trading exceptional last-rock shots.
Nicol, who was facing the prospect of giving up a score of three, made a tremendous in-off takeout to lie shot next to a Western rock nestled in the four foot. Not to be denied, Morrissey used her final rock of the end to execute an impressive angle raise takeout of the shot rock and score three to lead 7-4.
Western stole one more in the ninth end before running the Golden Hawks out of rocks in the tenth.
"This is a great start for us," said Morrissey. "Both wins were the result of a complete team effort."
The Laurier women are 1-1 at the competition, needing a 11th end to defeat the Saint Mary's Huskies 11-9.
In Pool B, the Laurentian Lady Vees are on top of the standings with a 2-0 record.
The Lady Vees got their tournament underway Wednesday morning with a 7-5 victory over the Concordia Stingers and carried their momentum into the afternoon, disposing the Alberta Pandas 9-1 in just seven ends of work. Laurentian is led by skip Amanda Gates (Sudbury, Ont.).
"The women got their feet wet in Game 1 and didn't play stellar, however got the job done," said Lady Vees coach Jan Pula. "In the afternoon, everything went their way and they played well. We are extremely happy with this start at a national competition."
The Western men's curling team finished first day play with a record of 1-1 in Pool C.
In their first game against the Brock Badgers, Western skip Scott McDonald (London, Ont.) made a dandy last-rock, outturn takeout through a narrow port to score three in the eighth end, en route to a 9-3 victory.
The Western men were not so fortunate in their second game of the day. They lost 8-7 to the Saint Mary's Huskies in an extra-end thriller at the Royal Montreal Curling Club.
Brock was 0-2 on Day 1 with an 8-5 loss to the Victoria Vikes. The Laurier Golden Hawks are also 0-2 falling 7-5 to the McGill Redmen and 9-1 to St. Francis Xavier X-Men in Pool D.
Source: OUA Communications with files from Western Mustangs and Laurentian Voyageurs
Photo Credit: Alex Bourassa-Young
The defending OUA women's champion Western Mustangs are 2-0 following victories over the Regina Cougars and Wilfrid Laurier Golden Hawks in Pool A play.
The Mustangs, led by skip Erin Morrissey (Ottawa, Ont.), used the steal to good advantage in their 7-2 victory over Regina in their first game on Wednesday morning.
Official website: www.universitysport.ca/e/championships/curling/2009/index.cfm
Live results: www.curling.ca/content/Championships/2009universitydraw.asp
The two teams were tied at two when the Mustangs engineered a deuce in the fifth end and then proceeded to steal singles in the sixth, seventh and eighth ends before skip Penny Roy and her Cougars teammates conceded the game.
The Mustangs faced the reigning national champion Golden Hawks in their second game of the day and the fans in attendance at the Montreal West Curling Club were not disappointed.
The two OUA rivals were tied 4-4 playing the eighth end when Morrissey and Laurier skip Hollie Nicol (Markham, Ont.) decided to put on a bit of a high performance clinic by trading exceptional last-rock shots.
Nicol, who was facing the prospect of giving up a score of three, made a tremendous in-off takeout to lie shot next to a Western rock nestled in the four foot. Not to be denied, Morrissey used her final rock of the end to execute an impressive angle raise takeout of the shot rock and score three to lead 7-4.
Western stole one more in the ninth end before running the Golden Hawks out of rocks in the tenth.
"This is a great start for us," said Morrissey. "Both wins were the result of a complete team effort."
The Laurier women are 1-1 at the competition, needing a 11th end to defeat the Saint Mary's Huskies 11-9.
In Pool B, the Laurentian Lady Vees are on top of the standings with a 2-0 record.
The Lady Vees got their tournament underway Wednesday morning with a 7-5 victory over the Concordia Stingers and carried their momentum into the afternoon, disposing the Alberta Pandas 9-1 in just seven ends of work. Laurentian is led by skip Amanda Gates (Sudbury, Ont.).
"The women got their feet wet in Game 1 and didn't play stellar, however got the job done," said Lady Vees coach Jan Pula. "In the afternoon, everything went their way and they played well. We are extremely happy with this start at a national competition."
The Western men's curling team finished first day play with a record of 1-1 in Pool C.
In their first game against the Brock Badgers, Western skip Scott McDonald (London, Ont.) made a dandy last-rock, outturn takeout through a narrow port to score three in the eighth end, en route to a 9-3 victory.
The Western men were not so fortunate in their second game of the day. They lost 8-7 to the Saint Mary's Huskies in an extra-end thriller at the Royal Montreal Curling Club.
Brock was 0-2 on Day 1 with an 8-5 loss to the Victoria Vikes. The Laurier Golden Hawks are also 0-2 falling 7-5 to the McGill Redmen and 9-1 to St. Francis Xavier X-Men in Pool D.
Source: OUA Communications with files from Western Mustangs and Laurentian Voyageurs
Photo Credit: Alex Bourassa-Young
