There will be a new champion at the 2017 Canadian Junior Men鈥檚 Curling Championship as Manitoba鈥檚 four-year reign is officially over.
Ontario鈥檚 Matthew Hall saw to that Friday afternoon as he edged J.T. Ryan鈥檚 rink 8-7 in an extra end in a tiebreaker at Archie Browning Sports Centre. Hall now advances to face Northern Ontario鈥檚 Tanner Horgan 鈥� last year鈥檚 silver medallist to Manitoba鈥檚 Matt Dunstone 鈥� in today鈥檚 semifinal at 5:30 p.m.
Ryan鈥檚 last draw was heavy and Hall never had to throw his final stone for the victory after both teams had finished the championship round tied with 4-3 records.
It sets up what should be a feisty affair in a heated provincial rivalry. In the first meeting, Hall defeated Horgan 7-4 in a contentious matchup.
鈥淲e play against each other all the time. They come down to southern Ontario. I鈥檝e played them at nationals last year. I鈥檝e played them to go to nationals before, so you could say there鈥檚 a bit of a rivalry there,鈥� admitted Hall.
Asked if it was a heated rivalry, Hall replied: 鈥淚 won鈥檛 comment on that one.鈥�
He did elaborate though, when pressed.
鈥淭anner and I are both guys who like to get fired up out there. We like having the confidence and I expect the same thing tomorrow,鈥� said Hall, who is backed by third Jeff Wanless and brothers Joey and David Hart at second and lead, respectively 鈥� sons of Richard Hart, the Brier and world champion and 1998 Olympic silver medallist.
The winner of the semifinal will go on to play sa国际传媒鈥檚 Tyler Tardi, who will have plenty of fan support, in Sunday鈥檚 championship game at 1:30 p.m. Both the semifinals and finals will be broadcast on TSN.
In the last championship pool draw in the morning, Ryan lost 9-7 to sa国际传媒 and Ontario slipped up.
Hall had a chance to get the afternoon off, but P.E.I.鈥檚 Tyler Smith had other plans in mind, recording a deuce in the 10th end to edge Ontario 5-4 in the final draw on Friday morning, forcing the tiebreaker.
In women鈥檚 play, Krysta Burns鈥� Northern Ontario rink used a 6-4 win over Lauren Lenentine of P.E.I. to secure a berth to the semifinal today at 1:30 p.m. where she will meet Alberta鈥檚 Kristen Streifel. That victor will move on to Sunday morning鈥檚 championship game against undefeated Hailey Armstrong of Ontario.
Armstrong, who defeated Streifel 7-3 on Friday morning, clinched first place on Thursday, as did Tardi.
This marks the first time that both Northern Ontario teams have qualified for the medal round since the junior competition were combined into one back in 1987.
鈥淚t really is a great time to be a Northern Ontario curler,鈥� said Burns. 鈥淪ometimes we have our naysayers, but we鈥檝e clearly proven that we belong here, and that we鈥檙e all good teams that can be at the top of the field.鈥�
鈥淭his is absolutely huge,鈥� added Horgan. 鈥淚 can鈥檛 remember the last time when we had both teams in the playoffs. This is great for our junior teams back home and I hope it can help build the programs.鈥�
It wasn鈥檛 as much a rosy picture for sa国际传媒鈥檚 women鈥檚 team, skipped by Corryn Brown of Kamloops, who lost 7-3 to Saskatchewan鈥檚 Kaitlyn Jones to end the tournament at 5-5.
鈥淚t鈥檚 tough to come in knowing that you could have played better. It鈥檚 not fun, but we鈥檙e really proud of the girls,鈥� said Brown, who won gold in 2014 and now ages out and moves on to women鈥檚 play next year. 鈥淲e had a great season. Obviously, it wasn鈥檛 the end result we wanted, but there鈥檚 nothing we can do now.鈥�
Sunday鈥檚 winners will represent sa国际传媒 at the World Junior Championships, Feb. 16-26 in Gangneung, South Korea.
The non-playoff teams here will compete in a mixed doubles tournament today and Sunday on the Esquimalt Curling Club side.
