Mcdonald upsets Armstrong in BC semi-final

And that, as my wife says, is why they play the games.

When Bob Mcdonald faced Jim Armstrong on the first day of the BC Provincials, he was unable to get on the scoreboard in a 10-0 drubbing. Just after 9AM this morning, he stole the opening point of the game. Seven ends later he had stolen 3 more ends and made a game saving last rock takeout to win 6-5.

Kimberley had experienced rain on Saturday which had made the ice very slow, and particularly challenging for Mcdonald's lead, Samantha Siu. This morning the ice was much faster, and Samantha set up the ends to enable her team to win.

After taking 2 in the 3rd to go ahead 3-1, Mcdonald posted three successive singles before giving up 2 in the 7th.

In the 8th end, Armstrong's team had the rocks in the house to force an extra end, but with the last rock of the game, Bob Mcdonald threw a takeout that though it rolled out, was enough to limit the damage to a steal of just 2.

Armstrong *   0 1 0 0 0 0 2 2  -  5

Mcdonald      1 0 2 1 1 1 0 0  -  6

Mcdonald, who is playing without Team Canada's Sonja Gaudet, is back on the ice at 2pm where he will attempt to give Gary Cormack his first loss, and take the provincial title.

Jim Armstrong, Darryl Neighbour, Chris daw, Jacqui Roy

BC Provincials - Day 2

In the second Draw of the BC Provincials this morning, Bob Mcdonald faced Jim Armstrong without his most experienced player. Team Canada lead Sonja Gaudet, who was to play 3rd for Mcdonald, was unable to travel from Vernon because of road and weather conditions.

Playing with a three member team, they were overrun 10-0 by Team Armstrong, giving up steals in each of the 6 ends before handshakes.

Mcdonald did get on the scoreboard in his afternoon match against Cormack, taking one with hammer and then stealing a point. He held Cormack to one in the 3rd, but the lead was short-lived, as Cormack stole the next 9 points to win 10-2 in 7 ends.

Line scores are HERE

Tomorrow's 9AM semi-final is between Armstrong and Mcdonald; the winner playing Cormack at 2PM for the provincial title.

Bob Mcdonald, Bill Lindstrom and Samantha Siu

Cormack beats Armstrong in opening draw of BC Provincials

Team Canada skip Jim Armstrong faced National Champion and ex-Team Canada teammate Gary Cormack in the first round of the three team BC Provincials at the Kimberley CC this afternoon.

Cormack stole single points in the first two ends, then gave up single point steals in ends 4 and 5 to fall behind 3-2 after 5. He then levelled the scores with a single in the 6th, stole one in the 7th and two more in the 8th.

The final commentary entry on Playdowns.com said: Armstrong's final rock is not hard enough to clear the house and Cormack ends the game with 2.

Armstrong is playing with his TC 3rd Darryl Neighbour, past TC skip Chris Daw and 3 time national champion Jacqui Roy.

Gary Cormack has Vince Miele and two of last year's BC champions, Frank LaBounty at 3rd and lead Alison Duddy.

Armstrong is back on the ice 10AM tomorrow morning when he plays Bob Mcdonald. Mcdonald, playing with Team Canada's Sonja Gaudet, Bill Lindstrom and Samantha Sui, plays Cormack at 3pm.

Results and line scores are available HERE

BC Provincial Championships begin Friday February 4

Three teams are scheduled to compete in the BC Provincial Championships in Kimberley starting tomorrow, February 4th at 4PM.

Defending National Champion Gary Cormack brings Vince Miele from last year's team and adds Frank LaBounty and Alison Duddy who played on the 2010 BC Championship team skipped by Gerry Austgarden.

Team Canada skip Jim Armstrong will be hoping to reclaim his Provincial title by teaming up with national team 3rd Darryl Neighbour, past Canada skip Chris Daw and lead Jackie Roy. Each of the men have won Paralympic curling gold medals and each have skipped a national championship team, while Jackie Roy won three national titles; in 2007, 2008 and 2009.

Bob McDonald has Team Canada's Sonja Gaudet at third, with Bill Lindstrom and Samantha Sui.

Results will be available from this link.

Kimberley CC President Steve Tersmette is an enthusiastic supporter of wheelchair curling, and hopes the money invested in making the facilities accessible to attract a provincial championship will result in local wheelchair users trying out the sport.

Kimberley is close to the Alberta border while all but Sonja Gaudet will be travelling from the lower mainland, a distance factor that prohibited some of last year's competitors from registering this year. While CurlBC's policy of distributing championships across the Province has much to commend it, for a sport that is still attempting to become established as a recreation opportunity for wheelchair users, placing the championship such a long way from all current participants has meant a small field. Luckily, there is no snow in the immediate forecast.

Three teams to compete at BC Provincials

Three teams will compete for the BC Wheelchair Championship in Kimberley February 3-6, and the opportunity to represent their province at the 2011 National Championships in Edmonton March 20-27, 2011.

Reigning champions Gary Cormack and Vince Miele return with Frank LaBounty and Alison Duddy, beaten finalists in 2010. Last year's lead, Corinne Jensen is a casualty of the location, forced to decide that the travel costs from the Island are prohibitive.

Last year's silver medallist Gerry Austgarden is not competing this year, but teammate and double Paralympian gold medallist Sonja Gaudet will play with Bob MacDonald, Bill Lindstrom and Samantha Siu.

Paralympian Gold medallists Jim Armstrong, Darryl Neighbour and Chris Daw will play with Jacqui Roy.

Whitney Warren's non-appearance will end his streak of appearing at every National Championship at seven.

BC extends deadline for provincial championship entries

CurlBC has announced that the entry deadline for teams wishing to participate in the Provincial Championships has been extended to Monday December 13.

The event is scheduled to take place in Kimberley February 3-6, which unfortunately is about as far away from the main body of wheelchair curlers as is possible without holding the event in Alberta.

An entry fee of $240 and the availability of six Paralympians, may have made a long distance journey over mountainous winter roads less than appealing to curlers who may have attended an event more centrally located.

CurlBC were slow to move away from a selection system, but it has worked well for them, with both National finalists last year coming from BC. Championships are spread around the province for the very best of reasons, and the organisers in Kimberley were very proud to be chosen to host the event.

But at this stage of the sport's development, does it make sense to schedule an event so far from potential participants that there may not be enough teams to make hosting worthwhile? CurlBC have already been forced to abandon its region based participation criteria for wheelchair curling.

On a different note, it will be interesting to see whether the Vancouver medalists choose to participate, and if so, whether they follow the example of the Scots, who tend to spread their experience over different teams in the interests of encouraging participation.