CURLING: Eagles land in the winner’s circle again
WELLAND — Give the Grimsby Eagles an A- plus for being quick studies.
Not only did the high school’s girls curling rink capture the Ontario championship Saturday, but the Eagles accomplished that feat against the only team that beat them at the four- day tournament in Niagara.
After sweeping to 10- 4 and 8- 4 victories on the opening day of the 40- team competition, Grimsby dropped an 8- 2 decision to Queen Elizabeth from Sioux Lookout before rebounding with a 10- 0 victory to finish pool play with a 3- 1 record.
Grimsby, which was seeking its third girls curling championship in as many years, almost saw that reign end in the quarter- finals against St. Anne from Lakeshore. Up 6- 2 after fi ve ends, seemingly soaring into the final four, the Eagles were outscored 4- 0 over the fi nal three ends before scoring two in the extra end for an 8- 6 victory.
In comparison, Saturday morning’s semifi nal round at the Welland Curling Club was lacking in drama as Grimsby tripled eastern Ontario representative Perth 9- 3, setting the stage for a rematch against Queen Elizabeth in the gold- medal fi nal.
This time it was no contest as skip Chelsea Brandwood and her Eagles crew of Allison Easterbrook, Claire Greenlees, Danielle Greenlees and Charlotte Tousaw rocked their way to a 10- 0 victory.
Grimsby, which defeated Centennial in the Southern Ontario Secondary Schools Association championship, was one of four Niagara schools competing at the provincials. However, the Eagles were the only team to advance past the preliminary round and into the semifi nals.
Centennial, the region’s second entry in the girls flight and host of the tournament, failed to move on when pool play wrapped up Friday in Welland as did Saint Paul and Sir Winston Churchill in the 20- rink boys category.
Cent ral Algoma f rom Desbarats won the provincial boys championship with a 9- 7 victory over Preston from Cambridge. Guelph, 6- 4 over Unionville’s Bill Crothers; and Ottawa’s Canterbury, 5- 4 winners over Perth; took home the bronze in the boys and girls fl ights, respectively.
Grimsby Curling Club and the St. Catharines Curling Club also hosted preliminary- round draws in the second major championship decided at the Welland Curling Club in as many weeks.
Th e previous weekend saw the club, which with eight sheets is the largest in Niagara, play host to the Canadian Interuniversity Sports national curling championship. Brock was the host school at that competition and the Badgers women’s rink claimed the bronze medal.