Green team best in the country

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This article was published 06/02/2011 (5668 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

CALGARY — Trish Paulsen silenced a pro-Alberta crowd Saturday night, capturing the women’s final at the Canadian junior curling championships with an 6-4 win over hometown favourite Nadine Chyz of Calgary.

Paulsen’s team from the Nutana club in Saskatoon — third Kari Kennedy, second Kari Paulsen, lead Natalie Yanko and coach Bob Miller — won Saskatchewan’s first national junior women’s title since Mandy Selzer of Balgonie in 2006.

Chyz had an open hit for the win, needing a slight inside roll, but the rock over-curled to leave Saskatchewan sitting two shot stones for the victory.

The end started poorly for Alberta as second Casey Scheidegger’s peel attempt on two Saskatchewan guards was pulled out of play before contact because of a hog-line violation.

They had rocks counting, but Paulsen made a nice hit with her final stone to force Chyz into a slightly tougher shot, which she couldn’t execute.

It was a predictable start to a junior women’s national final: hits, wide-open houses and risk-free curling to allow the players to get their bearings.

Chyz made the first move in the third end, putting up a guard, but Paulsen’s lovely split of her short centre guard put two Saskatchewan counters in the rings and forced Chyz to hit for a single. It was the same scenario in the fourth, with Paulsen forced to hit for one to tie it up.

But an end later, Paulsen forced the issue, thanks to a terrific double takeout from Kennedy that left Saskatchewan sitting three. Pattison and then Chyz both just missed on double-takeout attempts of their own, and in the end, Chyz couldn’t negotiate a tight port with her last-rock draw against two, allowing Saskatchewan to steal one to take its first lead of the game.

The teams traded singles over the next two ends, but in the eighth, Alberta finally managed to dictate an end. Two great shots by Anderson set up a go-ahead deuce for Alberta. In the ninth, Saskatchewan got a horrible break when Kennedy’s attempt to clear out two Alberta guards actually ended up bumping one of the Alberta stones into the rings. Chyz was able to make a couple of draws and that forced Paulsen to hit for a game-tying single, giving Alberta the hammer going into the 10th.

Saskatchewan had stolen its way into the final with a 7-6 win over Manitoba’s Breanne Meakin in the semifinal, taking the winning point in the 10th end when Meakin was just wide on her hit-and-roll attempt for the victory.

— Postmedai News

SKIP’S in ‘beast mode’

CALGARY — If you check out Braeden Moskowy’s Twitter account (bmosk11) some time this morning, chances are you’ll see the words “beast mode.”

It’s one of the 20-year-old Saskatchewan skip’s Twitter catchphrases, following in the footsteps of Toronto Blue Jays pitcher Ricky Romero, who also uses the expression on Twitter. It applies to his team’s pre-game state of mind.

Rest assured, Moskowy, third Kirk Muyres, second Colton Flasch and lead Matt Lang will spend much of today in beast mode as they tune up for the men’s final at the M and M Meat Shops Canadian junior curling championships at the North Hill club.

“Beast mode” has carried the Saskatchewan champs to a perfect 12-0 record in the round-robin and, you’d have to think, favourite status in the final against either Mat Camm of Ontario or Colin Thomas of Newfoundland, who’ll play in the semifinal this morning.

Fortunately for their opponents, Saskatchewan’s beast mode is more mental than physical.

— Postmedia News