WCURL | Voyageurs Title Defence Comes Up Short
The Voyageurs women's curling team entered the OUA Championships in Sault Ste. Marie looking to defend their title. While their round robin play put them on track to do just that, a tough quarterfinal match-up was their ultimate undoing.
Day one started out with a stiff test for Krysta Burns and crew as they faced the Brock Badgers. After controlling play for much of the game, a steal in eight from the Badgers forced an extra end but the Voyageurs, with hammer in the extra, counted a three-spot for a 9-6 victory. Draw three saw the Voyageurs come up against the Waterloo Warriors and they found themselves tied 2-2 after 5. After a deuce in the sixth end and a steal of three in the seventh end, it was handshakes and a 2-0 record after day one.
Day two saw the Voyageurs open up against the Carleton Ravens in their one and only game of the day. Despite opening up with a deuce, a couple of three-enders for the Ravens was too much of a hill to climb for the Voyageurs, who fell 7-5.
Day three saw the Voyageurs come out on fire, looking to put the previous day's blemish behind them. They opened draw 10 with four in the opening end against the McMaster Marauders. After giving up a deuce in the second end, the women came back with a three of their own in the third end and cruised their way to a 9-5 victory. Draw 12 saw the Voyageurs come up against the Guelph Gryphons in a battle for first place in the pool. After a tightly contested first three ends saw the Voyageurs with a 2-1 lead, it was a massive five points in the fourth end that propelled the women to a 7-3 win and top spot in the pool with just one game remaining.
Day four opened up with the women needing a win to clinch first place in the group and when they hit the ice against the Western Mustangs, they left nothing to chance. The Voyageurs opened up with a deuce in the first and a steal in the second before swapping singles to head into the break up 4-1. Coming out of the break, the women forced the Mustangs to a single before grabbing three in the sixth and stealing one in the seventh en route to an 8-2 victory.
First place in pool play earned the Voyageurs a date with the Laurier Golden Hawks in the quarterfinal on Sunday night. The Voyageurs opened with a single in the first end, stole a point in the second end and forced Golden Hawks to a single in the fourth to enter the break up 2-1. After taking a single in the fifth end, the teams swapped deuces in the sixth and seventh ends to enter the eighth with the Voyageurs up 5-3 without hammer. The Golden Hawks grabbed the two that they needed in the eighth to force extra ends. Despite the Voyageurs having hammer in the extra, the Golden Hawks played the end exceptionally well and managed to steal a point and the victory, ending the Voyageurs' title defence.
Krysta Burns was recognized for her solid play throughout the weekend, garnering first team all-star recognition at the skip position, the only Voyageur to do so.