Junior curlers make statement at Viterra

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This article was published 05/02/2018 (2991 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

WINKLER — No regrets, only everlasting memories and some lessons learned.

J.T. Ryan’s storybook run at the Manitoba men’s championship ended Sunday morning after a 6-2 defeat to Team McEwen, missing its ailing skip but expertly guided by B.J. Neufeld.

The junior squad from Winnipeg’s Assiniboine Memorial Club survived an even half-dozen do-or-die contests at Centennial Arena this week to crack the Viterra’s final three, but couldn’t escape the squeeze administered by the sensational shot-makers from Fort Rouge.

Ryan’s crew, with third Jacques Gauthier, second Colin Kurz and lead Brendan Bilawka — the two-time reigning provincial junior men’s champs — ousted Brandon’s Steve Irwin on Saturday night to ensure another night in Winkler.

Rarely is a third-place finish in curling met with genuine satisfaction, yet Ryan’s team, ranked ninth Wednesday when the championship began, emerged from Sheet C rather upbeat after taking its lumps on national TV.

Afforded an opportunity to challenge one of the world’s best at this stage of their careers was a privilege — and an education, Kurz said.

“We said at the start of the week if we could ever make the fours, it’s basically like winning the whole thing for us. So, we’re really happy to be in this game. To be with McEwen and Carruthers and us, those three teams left, that says something for us. We’re proud of ourselves,” Kurz said.

“For us, we know that we’re not at the level that they are. But getting to play them lets us see where we need to get to.”

Ryan was under fire from the opening end to the handshakes after eight ends. Neufeld manufactured a terrific deuce in the first end, and then Ryan came up way light on a draw against a pair in the second to suddenly trail 4-0.

With the Canadian Olympic trial runners-up ahead 5-1 at the fifth-end break, a full recovery was never in the cards.

“We learned it’s pretty tough to win a game when you give up four in the first two ends. So, hopefully (we) try not to do that again,” Ryan said, grinning. “We didn’t get too down on ourselves, even when we were down four. We had a couple chances where if we would have made one or two more we could have got a deuce, which would have changed the momentum. We just couldn’t make the key ones.

“Those guys aren’t going to miss.”

Afterward, there was some disappointment, but Ryan was anything but crushed.

“I’m still happy. Right now it still sucks. I would have liked to have won, or at least had a more competitive game,” Ryan said. “But it won’t take long for me to get over it. We’ll all be pretty happy in a little bit.”

Ryan finished with a 7-3 record in Winkler. Kurz said the experience of going head-to-head with some of the province’s premier men’s teams was unforgettable.

The team will split for a year, as Ryan and Gauthier hook up with Jordan Peters and Cole Chandler for another run at a junior title. Kurz and Bilawka are still considering their options for the 2018-19 men’s season.

jason.bell@freepress.mb.caTwitter: @WFPJasonBell