Big ends were the order of the day at the men聮s Island Playdowns at the Alberni Valley Curling Club on Friday.
Jay Tuson dropped a huge six-ender on Victoria Curling Centre clubmate Neil Dangerfield on the way to a stunning 9-6 A-event semifinal victory.
Tuson qualifies for this morning聮s A-event final against Jason Clarke of the VCC after he defeated Steve Waatainen of the Nanaimo Curling Club 6-5 in the other semifinal, thanks to a deuce in the 10th end.
The winner of the
A event proceeds straight through to the Page 1-2 playoff game on Sunday.
Earlier on Friday, Dangerfield used a four-ender to help dispose of Wes Craig, also of the VCC, 7-6 in the afternoon draw to advance to the semifinal.
聯It was a bit of a sloppy game, and we were just hoping to get better along the way. It was nice to get that first one and hopefully improve over the course of the weekend,聰 Dangerfield said of the afternoon victory.
聯Last year we went through the A undefeated, then sat around for a day, and it really didn聮t help us on Sunday,聰 he added. 聯We just want to make sure we get into the playoffs and go from there.聰
Tuson had used a four-ender of his own to help edge clubmate Jody Epp 8-6 in the afternoon draw. Also earlier in the day, Waatainen recorded a three-ender in the fifth and followed it with a steal of one in the sixth to ultimately defeat Jason Montgomery聮s VCC rink 7-6 in A quarter-final play.
In an all-VCC matchup, Clarke stole one in the 10th to edge Greg Hawkes 4-3.
In B-event play, Epp bounced back to thump Cliff Carr-Hilton of Comox 9-2, while Jason Montgomery of the VCC handled Alberni聮s Owen Hayward 8-3.
Two qualifiers will advance to the Canadian Direct Insurance provincial championship in Parksville Feb. 5-10, and that victor will be at the Brier in Edmonton from March 2-10.
The day began with Craig dumping Carr-Hilton of the Comox Valley club 10-3 in eight ends, opening with a three spot in the first end and stealing another three in the fourth.
Clarke also trounced Owen Hayward of the host Alberni club 11-2 in seven ends after steals of three in each of the sixth and seventh ends broke open a 5-2 game.
Meanwhile, at Junior Coastal Playdowns at the Comox Valley Curling Club, Cameron de Jong, of the VCC, defeated Kyle Habkirk of Coquitlam 8-5, while Duncan Silversides defeated Tyler Klymchuk
9-7 in a battle of VCC clubmates in the opening draw late Friday night.
In women聮s play, Mariah Coulombe defeated Katherine Silversides 8-4 in an all Juan de Fuca club matchup.
Four women聮s teams and six men聮s rinks will qualify for the Tim Hortons sa国际传媒 Junior championship, set for the Coquitlam Curling Centre, Jan. 1-6.
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