King curlers cue in for the count

January 14, 2014 · 0 Comments

Chris Dywanski, Brent Mills, Nick Caradonna, and William Gates-Crease of the King Curling Club’s bantam boys’ team recently participated in Bradford’s New Year’s Youth Bonspiel. The 12-16 year olds played in their first-ever Spiel with many different clubs around the GTA and local communities.

By Shellee Morning
While the minus 24 temperatures we experienced last week may have reached new records on the weather scale, some of our King curlers reached their own new records in the club’s return to play for the second half of the season.
The Social Leagues all returned to new faces with new teams and new expectations. As each skip opened the first end of their game with a fresh start of high hopes and a fluent level of fun that is captivated by each throw of the stone.
Wednesday’s feature game on sheet one included teams George Gerrits against Team Bloom. Team Bloom had control of the house in the opening ends with a healthy lead on the score board, when things got interesting in the 5th. Team Bloom had a stone sitting in the top 12 rings acting as a guard, but also in line with 2 more Bloom stones in counting position right behind.
Vice Murray Matson for team Gerrits stepped into the hack with a tough shot at hand, but grabbed the rock with confidence and aimed at his Skip’s broom. With a sharp eye and steady hand, Matson threw like a pro, made contact with the rock on the 12-foot ring, and pushed the 2 behind it right out of the house for a textbook triple.
Skip George grew a smile like the Grinch, and Skip Bloom popped his eyes like Sylvester does when he sees the mouse. Players from both teams offered their congratulations and spent the rest of the game in awe.
Bloom came out on top for the victory win, but it was Matson that earned the highlight of the night.

Button Perfect

During the late draw on the Thursday night schedule, sheet 4 hosted teams Sheardown versus LaPlante.
The teams both collected a single point respectfully in the first 2 ends. The showdown began when skip Larry Sheardown asked his Lead, and wife Sue, on her first throw to draw around LaPlante’s guard. Sue had her mark, dialled-in, and placed her stone perfectly dead buried where the skip wanted it. Sue was again asked to make the same shot after LaPlante’s team came up slightly short with their attempt to follow in. Again, Sue executed the throw like the stone was on a remote control, resting in its rightful place.
Team LaPlante was able to hold them to a count of one to complete the end and re-group for the next.
Sheardown’s next rock was to place a guard, but on her second throw in the same end she once again performed the perfect come around draw to the button and buried it nicely behind cover. To make back-to-back perfect button shots like Sue had just achieved takes great skill so Sue was then naturally given the title of “Queen of the Button.”
Charlie Pringle, who plays second for team Sheardown, followed her path and delivered one of his own beautiful draws to the button adding to the pile. With a collection of red stones sitting in the 4 foot, team LaPlante was in trouble once again. Skip John Frans sent a bullet of a shot down the ice to open things up, and eventually created enough of hole for his last shot to count his one.
After 7 close ends and both teams collecting a point in each, Team LaPlante claimed the 4-3 victory but it was Sue Sheardown who stole the show with her multiple and flawless draws to the button.
Friday night Social League got under way with their second game of the new half with repeated fun and great camaraderie.
Veteran curler Jim McKinley was asked to spare for Team Kamstra and generated one his best games of his career. Acting Skip Maria Ruska held the broom while McKinley played the vice rocks. Tamara and Stephen Niepage completed the team as Lead and Second.
McKinley played a solid game not missing a shot his skip called for. Whether it was a takeout, a draw, a guard or even an angle run back, McKinley executed it with finesse only a seasoned curler can do. When his opponent made a good shot, he made a better one. And after each shot was made, the veteran casually accepted his well-deserved comments and quietly returned to his Vice duty. The match seen some well fashioned shots by both teams but in the end it was Jim McKinley making the difference for his team and the win.

Bonspiel Debut

King Curling Club’s bantam boys and junior women’s teams paid a visit to the Bradford New Year Youth Bonspiel and raised many eyebrows with their enthusiasm and great mannerisms of the game.
Chris Dywanski, Brent Mills, Nick Caradonna, and William Gates-Crease made up the King club’s bantam boys team ranging in the 12-16 years category, played in their first-ever Spiel outside of their home club.
Coaches Skid Crease and Jim Smith both have sons on the team and have taken the group on with an eagerness to share their knowledge and their passion for the game. The boys, all in their first year of playing on a competitive team, play with the willingness and patience to learn from their peers and have presented great characteristics of team spirit.
There were many teams that came from a great distance to play in the coveted Spiel such as Oakville, Scarborough, Coldwater, Manotick, Kitchener-Water-Loo, Hamilton, East York, and Idylwyled to name just a few.
Nick Caradonna, the team’s newest member to the squad, curled an impressive 80% in the Lead position during the event. Vice William Gates-Crease made a précised draw around a guard which led their Skip Brent Mills to follow for a 4 point count in the last end of their final game.
Hazen Enman, a seasoned curler representing Team East York, commented after the conclusion of the Spiel: “Your group of boys were great guys. It’s never fun losing but your guys handled it with class – that speaks to the great job you’re doing, as well as their parents.”
Coach Skid Crease said that he was very impressed with the boys and how they handled themselves in their first spiel, and couldn’t be more proud.

Junior Women

King’s Junior Women also attended the Bradford Spiel and also grabbed some well-earned attention from many of the visiting teams. Skip Meghan Stronach guides her team of Natasha Poroco Lead, Katy Fudge as Second, and Juliet Harris as Vice.
Natasha Porco courageously made the move up a division from her bantam girls’ league to play Lead with the Junior Women and did an excellent job putting up guards and draws. Our regular lead, Juliet Harris took on the role of Vice, and Katy Fudge from the Bradford Curling Club filled in admirably as our Second who thoroughly enjoyed playing with our juniors.
The play of the day came from Skip Meghan Stronach in the second end of their final game. Down by three, with two opposition stones sitting on the button and another in scoring position, Meghan made a perfect triple take-out through the port to score three and tie the game. An eruption of applause filled the gallery as the high-fives and traditional handshakes went all around.
King Curling congratulates Team Mills and Team Stronach on their fine performance and wish them continued success throughout their season.
Many thanks go out to Peter Fudge and the Bradford Curling Club for hosting a wonderful event.