CURL: Opening draws in the books at CW Championships
Connor Hood, Bears and Pandas Athletics
EDMONTON – The host Alberta Golden Bears and Pandas took control on Day 1 of the Canada West Curling Championships, with both teams finishing Friday undefeated.
Each team earned convincing wins over the Lethbridge Pronghorns, as the first conference curling championship since 1984 was held at Saville Community Sports Centre. The Regina women were the only other team to start Friday with a perfect record, cruising to a 11-4 win over Lethbridge in Draw 2.
The Pandas opened the tournament with a 10-1 seven-end win, before the Bears followed with a 9-2 win. Both Alberta rinks led for the entire game, with both finishing with handshakes early.
“It was definitely a great win. We got a handle on the ice conditions early, so that helped us take an early lead,” said Pandas skip Selena Sturmay. “There are some talented teams here, and with the field so small, you can’t afford to have one bad game.”
The Lethbridge men bounced back in Draw 2 with a 9-2 win over Regina, as they finished the first day with a 1-1 record. The Lethbridge women will need a strong second day, as they sit last with an 0-2 record with two games remaining.
The Alberta men held a slim 4-2 lead after five, before scoring in six, seven and eight en route to the 9-2 win. The Pandas raced ahead 5-1 after four ends over Lethbridge, stealing in three-consecutive ends, including a steal of three in seven to force the handshake.
“It’s been a wild few weeks, and it’ll get a bit busier too. Right now I’m just super excited to be back at home competing with the Pandas,” continued Sturmay, who will represent Team Canada at both the 2019 Winter Universiade Games, and the World Junior Championships later this month. “I know we are all focused on the championship this weekend, and earning a banner for the University.”
Day 2 of the conference championship will get underway at 9:00 a.m. at Saville, as Alberta meets Regina for the first time. Draw 4 will begin at 2:00 p.m. with Alberta and Lethbridge squaring off, while Draw 5 will start at 7:00 p.m. with the Cougars and Pronghorns.
GAME SCORES FOR DRAW 1
MEN | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | TOT |
Alberta Golden Bears | 1 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 1 | X | X | 9 |
Lethbridge Pronghorns * | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | X | X | 2 |
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WOMEN | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | TOT |
Alberta Pandas | 1 | 1 | 0 | 3 | 1 | 1 | 3 | X | X | X | 10 |
Lethbridge Pronghorns * | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | X | X | X | 1 |
GAME SCORES FOR DRAW 2
MEN | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | TOT |
Lethbridge Pronghorns * | 3 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 3 | 1 | X | X | X | 9 |
Regina Cougars | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | X | X | X | 2 |
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WOMEN | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | TOT |
Lethbridge Pronghorns * | 1 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | X | X | 4 |
Regina Cougars | 0 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 3 | 3 | X | X | 11 |
* Last Rock First End
MEN’S TOURNAMENT STANDINGS
TEAM | WINS | LOSSES |
Alberta | 1 | 0 |
Lethbridge | 1 | 1 |
Regina | 0 | 1 |
WOMEN’S TOURNAMENT STANDINGS
TEAM | WINS | LOSSES |
Alberta | 1 | 0 |
Regina | 1 | 0 |
Lethbridge | 0 | 2 |