Kirkpatrick defeats Meachem in Mixed Curling Provincial final

Pair of Swift Current rinks end up facing each other in 2014 provincial champonship curling match

Apair of Swift Current rinks emerged from a star-studded field to face one another in the championship game at the 2014- 2015 Tim Hortons Provincial Mixed Curling Championship in Rosetown Sunday.

The South West rinks skipped by Shaun Meachem and Max Kirkpatrick came out of the 16- team field to face one another with a trip to Nationals on the line.

The two skips had won the Innovation Credit Union Super League title in Swift Current as teammates earlier in the week.

The final opened with each team scoring a deuce with the hammer and then singles for a 3-3 tie after four ends. Kirkpatrick scored two in the fifth and then stole two in the sixth end and one in the seventh for a commanding 8-3 lead.

Meachem refused to go away quietly as his rink replied with two in the eighth and then stole one to cut the deficit to 8- 6 heading into the final end. Meachem stole another single in the 10th end for an 8-7 Kirkpatrick win.

Kirkpatrick was supported by Jolene Campbell, Chris Haichert, and Teejay Haichert.

They won four straight A-Event games to book a trip to the Championship Event.

They opened the tournament Wednesday with a 9- 1 win over Melville’s Greg Herman and followed up the next day with an 8-4 win over Wa- trous’ Tyler Hartung. Kirkpatrick made it three straight wins with a 7- 5 triumph over Martensville’s Brent Kolodziejski.

The Kirkptrick rink clinched a playoff spot with a 7- 2 win over LaRonge’s Brian Olson on Friday afternoon.

Kirkpatrick lost his first attempt at qualifying for the championship game when he lost to Meachem 11- 7 Saturday evening.

He got it right in his second attempt with an 86 win over Hartung. Kirkpatrick trailed 4- 2 after seven ends before scoring four in the eighth end to lead 6-4 before each team traded deuces over the final two ends.

Meachem was joined by Kelly Schafer, Carl deConinck- Smith, and Kelsey Dutton. They were the defending Provincial champions and had represented Saskatchewan at Mixed Nationals in Ottawa last November.

They won their A Event opener 10- 8 over Saskatoon’s Jason Plohman but lost the following game 54 to Prince Albert’s Dwight Desormeau.

Meachem would go on to win four straight games to earn a Championship Event spot.

He opened the B Event with a 10- 4 win over Allan’s Shaun O’Grady.

He followed up with a 6-4 win over Kolodziejski and a 10- 2 win over Desormeau and then won the B Event final 7- 3 over Olson.