The Deep River Curling Club is in the process of acquiring some new equipment. The Club will purchase the electric motor, which is currently installed on our ice compressor, from the Petawawa Club. In addition we may have an opportunity to purchase an ice scrapper from that same club.
On January 17th the Low Cup teams are in competition again and the Deep River Curling Club is the site of the games. Everyone is welcome to come and watch.
Last weekend Deep River played host to the Ontario Zone 3 Holiday Inn Men's Challenge playdowns and home ice proved to be an advantage. Hometown rinks skipped by Ron Grozelle and Martin Chisholm won berths in Ontario Provincial finals this weekend in Trenton/Brighton. Grozelle rattled off three straight wins on Saturday to win the A side of the draw. On the other hand, Chisholm came up the B-side with three wins in a row after an opening game loss to Grozelle and now both teams are headed to the 32 team Provincial finals in Trenton/Brighton.
The Grozelle team included Chris Knight at Third, Leo Buckley at Second and Billy the "ticman" Baker at lead. Their win was not accomplished without meeting some tough competition. In their first game they faced Carleton Place's Doug Cochrane rink (a former zone winner in this competition) and the game came down to last rock in the 8th end where Grozelle had to draw the full eight foot for 2 points and the win. Ron came out of the chute a little hot and his sweepers had to stand and stare as the rock slid innocently through the house and forced an extra end without the hammer. In the extra end Grozelle got a good end going with the guard game and managed to steal a point, the end and the game. Their next game in the A "semi-final" was against their clubmates team entry skipped by Martin Chisholm with third Doug Connelly, second Dennis Cadoreth and lead Ken Ahronson. Chisholms team got off to a rocky start and when Martin came up for his last shot in the first end he faced four Grozelle counters. Chisholm executed a "perfect freeze" on a Grozelle stone in the back of the four foot and Grozelles last rock could not hammer the Chisholm stone off the four foot and left Chisholm with a steal of one. The game went back and forth until the crucial 6th end where the Grozelle team executed some precise shotmaking by the their third, Knight, who managed a perfect angle freeze on his first rock and then followed that with a double raise takeout and roll of his shooter to leave four Grozelle counters behind cover. Chisholm faced an ugly house and could not get one behind cover and Grozelle ended up with four points and the lead. In the last end Grozelle was two up and Chisholm could not secure the two points he needed. A well played game by both teams that was a real crowd pleaser and which set the stage for Grozelle to play in the A final game against Ray Lackey from Richmond.
The Lackey team had knocked the Grozelle team out of this very competition last year in Richmond and Lackey had gone on to the Provincials where he was the A finalist - losing only the big final match. The Grozelle team all curled very well in the A final and Lackey faced many daunting houses. By the 8th end Grozelle was 3 up without the hammer - he asked Baker to throw his first stone through and then when Lackey put up a perfect center guard he asked Bill Baker to play the exacting (and rarely executed at any level of curling) "Tic shot". Cool handed Billy played a perfect hack weight stone that moved the Lackey stone to within 6 inches of the edge of the sheet and rolled his own stone to the other side at the very edge of the sheet. That was a magnificent shot that set the stage for Grozelle to execute a last rock open hit to win the game and secured the trip on to the Provincials this weekend.
On the B-side of the competition, the other Deep River rink still had a chance for a trip to the provincials if they could win 3 games in a row on the B-side. The Chisholm rink beat Jason Smith of Carleton Place on Saturday night and then outlasted Doug Cochrane, also of Carleton Place, in their next game on Sunday morning to move on to the "B" Final on Sunday afternoon against the Lackey team from Richmond who had dropped to the B side after losing to Grozelle Saturday night. The first three ends of the final were blanked and both teams struggled with draw weight and hit-and-staying in the first 4 ends - the fourth end also shaped up for a blank but Lackey nose-hit on his final stone to take a point. Chisholm coolly drew for two points in the 5th and Lackey came back with a deuce of his own with a measure on a biter with his last rock that just nipped the circles at the front of the house. The seventh end saw Chisholm get into deep, deep trouble with Lackey laying 3 in a perfect line when Martin came up for his last stone. His only shot was a wide ice draw back to the full four for a point and he made a beauty to save the bacon and set up a 3-3 tie going into the last end. The last end was a real classic with many guards and Lackey electing to go in early. Chisholm made a great in-off hit to the full four on his first stone and then Lackey missed two runback attempts to give the Deep River lads a steal of 1 and the victory.
Congratulations to both teams and best of luck in Trenton next weekend.
Next Friday night, January 19th, there will be no specific theme in the social curling. There will, however be good fellowship and lots of fun starting at 7.30 pm. Come out and discover curling for yourself. Beginners who have never curled before are very welcome. The club has made a special fee of $6.00 for Friday night curling starting in the New Year. People just have to bring clean in-door running shoes. Make plans now to come out on Friday evening.