The playoff teams have been determined in both the Men’s and Women’s divisions of the Coops of Manitoba Provincial Junior Championships underway at the Brandon Curling Club.
In the Junior Men’s, U-18 Champion Nash Sugden (Morden), Jace Freeman (Virden) and Zach Norris (Morris) will advance although playoff positioning will be finalized after the Sunday morning final round-robin draw. In the Junior Women’s, Cassidy Dundas and Rylie Buchalter (Heather), 2024 champion Shaela Hayward (Carman), and Springfield’s Julia Van Ryssel will advance to the Sunday playoff round.
Top seeded Cassidy Dundas and her Heather team (Lauren Evason, Eryn Czirfusz, Tessa Terrick, Coach Craig Terrick) were the first to qualify for the four team Page Playoff round. The Heather foursome is unbeaten, winning three games to win the “A” qualifying game.
Second seeded Shaela Hayward, and her Carman team (Keira Krahn, Grace Beaudry, Emily Ostrowsky, Coach Ron Westcott) have lost only once, in the “A” qualifying game. Their 4W-1L record includes a “B” qualifying game win over Karys Buchalter and her West St. Paul team.
Buchalter and her team (Ainslee Card, Amy Buchalter, Eva Le Heiget, Coach Kelsey Meger) dropped into a “C” qualifying game against Julia Van Ryssel’s Springfield team (Gina Giasson, Eva Armstrong, Jillian Diotte, Alternate Bella Diotte, Coach Faith Van Ryssel, Assistant Coach Jeff Van Ryssel). The Van Ryssel foursome improved their record to 4W-2L with an 8-5 victory to advance to the playoff round.
The other “C” qualifying game had Rylie Buchalter – Heather (Amelie Le Heiget, Audrey Despins, Meghan Lagadi, Coach Richard Hawkins) post a 7-6 win over Samantha Eagles – Elmwood (Shyla Johnson, Anais McCormick, Emerson Urquhart, Coach Amanda Duff). The Buchalter team’s 4W-2L gave them the fourth playoff spot.
The winner of the Sunday morning Page 1-2 game between Dundas and Hayward will advance to the 5:00PM final while the loser will play the semi-final against the Page 3-4 (Buchalter vs Van Ryssel) winner.
In the Junior Men’s Championship, Zachary Norris and his Morris team (Ethan Brandt, Blake Good, Carter Malmquist, Coach Albert Bazinet, Assistant Coach Jonathon Friesen) have finished their round robin and are assured of being in the Sunday afternoon semifinal with a 4W-2L record.
Jace Freeman’s Virden team (Timothy Marin, Nick Senff, Luke Robins, Coach Graham Freeman) and Nash Sugden’s Morden team (Tyler Fehr, Tanner Treichel, Ryan Thiessen, alternate Quinn Lagace, Coach Gord Titchkosky) both have 4W-1L records with a game to play Sunday.
If both win and improve to 5W-1L, or even if both lose to finish 4W-2L, the tiebreak by W-L for/against the tied teams and by Last Stone Draw total will both put Norris in third position and in the semi-final. If both Freeman and Sugden finish with 5W-1L records, Freeman will be awarded first place thanks to a round robin win over Sugden. If both finish with 4W-2L records, first place will be awarded based on the last stone draw tally. Freeman is currently ranked first and Sugden second but that could change after the Sunday morning game pre-game draws.
