This past weekend, five teams from the Comox Valley Curling Club's ladies league battled it out to represent the club at the North Island BC Club Challenge.
The round-robin playdown saw some very good curling with a few ups and downs but overall very enjoyable (especially from the peanut gallery on the other side of the glass). The overall winner, taking all four games, was the Goodwin team with skip, Deb and teammates third Lonnie Schopp, second Kim Jonsson and lead Lori Ross; all who displayed determination and tenacity to reach their goal.
Runner-up was Melanie Rait, skip with third Mare Michell, second Val Schultz and lead Pat Everett who had a ninth end finish against the Colleen Robson rink with third JoAnne Vandermuelen, second Kathy Branch and lead Lindsay Sparkes (who skipped the team).
In the eighth end, Robson was down three with the hammer and had a rock biting the top 12-foot. A second rock was at the top of the 12-foot but not in, so she feathered her final rock to bump both in to count three and tie the game. The nail-biting ninth saw Rait's final rock score for the win.
The Sandra Gallaway rink with Liz Ellis third, Debbie Woods second and Elaine Starchuk lead gave their competitors a good run with their steady play but the ice didn't co-operate on some tight shots.
Special kudos to the team of Fran Robinson skip, Sue Leakey third, Lynda Hornstein second and Joan Baudais lead who entered this competition to gain the experience of playing against the top teams. They held their own, giving the spectator gallery and their opponents some exciting and interesting moments. This team truly represents the heart of league play and hopefully will encourage more league teams to participate in future years.
Thanks to Kim Jonsson and team for providing the pizzas Saturday afternoon between draws, to Deb Goodwin for the delicious pastries and to Roy, Jill and staff for keeping the "operation" going. All the participating teams showed great sportsmanship, good camaraderie and played their hearts out.
The North Island BC Club Challenge will be hosted by the Comox Valley Curling Club on March 18-20. The winner will go on to the 12th annual Pacific International Cup, hosted by the Richmond Curling Club, on April 20-24.