Wednesday Open 8 Ender

I know what you're thinking. Does Andrew Roberts have a new girlfriend? Or have we caught him in a scandal? Well, that's not him. That's Carlos Santana with Michelle Branch. Andrew is still with Natasha Hallett and there is NO scandal. For this couple, it's all curling. Andrew and Natasha play in the Mixed League and they both play in the Mens and Ladies League as well.

And they are not the only couple out there curling at the BRCC. There are lots of couples that spend their evenings at the club, meetin' between the sheets. And a few of these couples were out there on Wednesday night.

Ice A: John Topash vs Ryan Hagger. Win for Hagger. With Ryan on nightshift, Christie Hagger was at the helm and handed the newly formed Topash crew their first loss. Quite the curler, this Christie Hagger. She is always focused and she has a love for the Roaring Game. In fact, she is playing 3 nights a week this year so that's commitment to the sport in the biggest kind of way. It's the "Lady Ice" Award for her. Duran Duran would be ecstatic.

Ice B: Glen Austin vs Lucy Ann Trudeau. Win for Austin. The Wednesday Newfie Bullet went blow for blow with this tough Trudeau squad but managed to take control late in the game and secure the win. This Trudeau crew is a newly formed squad and since this is only the first week, they have hardly had a chance to gel but I can see them being one of the teams to beat in this league as time goes on. So, it's the "Growing Together" Award for this crew. I have no doubt the 5th Dimension is on board with this.

Ice C: Hayley Horton vs Warren Neufeld. TIE GAME. Great showing by this junior squad as they stayed right with the seasoned Neufeld rink. Warren has a new couple with him and Rose this year and a big BRCC welcome to Dave and Sharon Hamlin. They are new to the club but they are NOT new to the game. I was watching them and they have lots of talent. This will be a tough team this year. And how about those juniors! Great showing. My hat is off to Dawson Kluding who is playing the third position with these three young ladies. But being the minority gender on this team does not seem to affect his game. It's the "I'm The Man" Award for Dawson. Joe Jackson would be more than happy with this.

Ice D: Al Viel vs Tom St Jules. Win for Viel. With Al Viel away chasing moose around the north shore, Al and Maymar Gemmell spared and helped this crew secure a win on this, the first night of the Wednesday Open 8 Ender. I have to say, Al Gemmell is quite a presence at the BRCC. He is quite knowledgeable about so many different facets of the game of curling and offers his assistance whenever he can. What an asset to the club he is! It's the "Helping Hand" Award for Al. Amy Grant would no doubt be in full support!

So that's it for the first week of the Wednesday Open 8 Ender. And it was a great opening week. The sheets were all full and the ice was terrific. For a small club, the BRCC is a tough act to follow!

Rock On!

The Curling Chronic