Sudbury's Team Daniel dress for success

Steve Daniel skip,Rick Prudhomme 3rd, Sarah Lashbrook 2nd, Dennis Duclos lead

Coach Thomas Matheson and primary sponsor Norm Gervais

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Sudbury skip Steve Daniel tells Laura Young of the Sudbury Star: "It's a belief of mine that in order to play well, you've got to feel like you're a professional ... some of the teams look at our uniforms and say, 'You guys look like you've been doing this for awhile, (like) professional curlers.' "

It seemed to work at the N. Ontario Provincials at the Fort William CC, as the team overcame a late arrival, fire alarms the night before, and two early defeats, to challenge champions Team Ficek in the final.

Daniel, a Beijing Paralympian, and his team all play for Sudbury Rolling Thunder, the local wheelchair basketball team. Sarah Lashbrook was the only female basketball player with the Rolling Thunder.

"We begged and pleaded with her to come out (and she) got us through Saturday. She was probably (my) tournament MVP," Daniel said.

The Sudbury CC has been very supportive, Daniel told Young. "They've really opened their arms to wheelchair curling. They make sure that every time we go there the club is accessible.

"We're very, very thankful for the support. We want to continue to build (wheelchair) curling. Just because we have a competitive team doesn't mean that's the end all and be all of curling. I'd like to see it grow (over the next few years) to a league so that we can have several teams that play for fun on weekend."

For Daniel, all the support, especially from Norm Gervais, owner of MEDIchair Sudbury and the team's major sponsor, meant they could compete. "We had to have all those elements in place in order to be successful. I think everyone is excited to see how we progress in the next few years."

You can read the complete article HERE.

Team Ficek three-peats as N. Ontario champions

Team Ficek (from 2010 Nationals)
Wayne Ficek, Mark Wherrett, Chester Draper, Cindy Hoffstrom, Denise Miault

Wayne Ficek's Kenora/Sudbury squad won their third consecutive provincial title when they beat Sudbury newcomers Steve Daniel's newcomers 5-4 in the final of  the Shoppers Home Health Care NOCA Wheelchair Provincial Championships at the Fort William CC.

The teams exchanged singles with hammer through 5 ends, but Ficek then stole in the 6th and 7th to go ahead 5-2. In the final end, sitting two, Daniel had a draw for a third point to force an extra but came up short. (Thank you Michael Alberg.)

Steve Daniel Wayne Ficek
(The Chronicle-Journal/Brent Linton)

Team Ficek will now represent Northern Ontario at the TMX Canadian Nationals in Edmonton March 20-27.

Line scores are HERE. An event poster, team rosters, schedule and information is available HERE

Defending champions versus the rookies for N. Ontario title

Defending champions Team Ficek of Kenora/Dryden went undefeated during round robin play and by rule will have two opportunities to add a third consecutive Northern Ontario title when they face Sudbury rookies Team Daniel in the final of the Shoppers Home Health Care NOCA Wheelchair Provincial Championships at the Fort William CC on Sunday Feb 27.

Ficek posted their third round robin win, over Sonego 11-4, on the strength of consecutive 4s either side of the break. Steve Daniel's Sudbury team beat home side Levesque 10-9. They opened with a 4 but gave up 3 in the 8th and needed a single in the extra end to force a series of tie-breaks to decide who played Fiek in the final.

In the first  tie-break game Daniel again went to an extra end against Sonego, this time stealing 2 to win 8-6. Daniel then played Levesque for the second time today, taking a 7-1 lead into the break. Levesque took two in the 5th end and stole 3 more to pull within one with an end to go, but Daniel claimed his place in the final with a single point in the 8th and an 8-6 win.

Game 1 of the final starts 10.30AM local time, and Ficek will clam the title if his team wins. If they lose, there will be a rematch at 2.30PM with the winner of that game going on to Edmonton Nationals in March.

Line scores are HERE. Despite detailed instructions I haven't been able to find the UStream video coverage from the club. Your luck may be better than mine. Check the Fort William CC website for details.

An event poster, team rosters, schedule and information is available HERE

Ficek takes early lead at No. Ontario Provincials

Defending champions Team Ficek needed every part of the 4 he put on the board to draw level after 7 ends against home club favourite Carl Levesque in the opening draw of the Shoppers Home Health Care NOCA Wheelchair Provincial Championships at the Fort William CC.

Though ahead 5-1 at the 4th end break, Levesque ended on the losing side of the 8-7 final score.

Steve Daniel's rookie Sudbury squad must have been wondering what all the fuss was about as they stole their way to a 5-0 lead after their first 3 ends of serious competition. The bubble burst, however, when Fort William's Sonego rink bounced back with steals of their own in the second half to force an extra end, which they stole to win 8-7.

The second draw was a dose of reality for the rookies as Ficek's experienced squad put 11 unanswered points on the board before Daniel posted a consolation single in the 7th and shook hands after the 11-1 loss.

Levesque scored a narrow 8-7 win over clubmate Sonego in the afternoon draw. He started with a 3 but was down a point after 6 ends. Another 3 in the 7th gave him the victory.

Line scores are HERE and I'm told the club planned to webcast the games, though I wasn't able to find a working link. Did anyone else have better luck?

An event poster, team rosters, schedule and information is available HERE

News from Northern Ontario

Wayne Ficek braced by Chester Draper
[photo - 2009 - Ian Readey]

Ten curlers and four coaches attended the CCA's Development Camp in Thunder Bay the week before Christmas. Fort William Coach Dave Kawahara reports that it gave "quite a boost" to everyone attending.

He was especially appreciative of the opportunity to hear the responses of people with the experience of Wendy Morgan, Daryl Neighbour and Laura Farres to the same questions that have been asked of the everyday coaches like himself.  "The in-class sessions were very interactive and excellent questions and responses flowed. It was a very successful camp," he said.

Four teams are expected to compete in the N. Ontario Provincials at the Fort William CC in Thunder Bay, February 25-27. Sudbury has formed a team of athletes with experience in other disciplines, who Wayne Ficek, reigning provincial champion, feels will be strong competitors once they gain more on-ice experience.

The title this year, though, is expected to be a contest between two-time champions Team Ficek representing Kenora (though two of the team live in Dryden) and Thunder Bay's Carl Levesque who skipped a selected N. Ontario team at the 2008 Nationals.

Team Ficek, after claiming 4th place in 2009, went 3-6 last March. "As under achievers last year I expect if I can get back to the Nationals that only a play off position would be tolerable this year," Wayne told me today.

Meet the new champs, same as the old champs

Alberta skip Jack Smart, beaced by Martin Purvis with lead Bridget Wilson watching
at 2009 Nationals - photo by Ian Readey

It was deja vu all over again in Edmonton and Kenora as Jack Smart and Wayne Ficek successfully defended their Provincial titles.

Smart's Calgary rink, with Anne Hibberd and Bridget Wilson maintaining their record of making every Alberta provincial team, beat Edmonton's Cliff Nuspl 11-2, completing a tournament where they averaged 8 point winning margins in their 5 games.

N. Ontario skip Wayne Ficek braced by Chester Draper
 at 2009 Nationals - photo by Ian Readey

It was a much tighter affair in Kenora, where local favourite Ficek faced Thunder Bay's Carl Levesque, 7-4 winner over Dawid in Saturday's semi-final. It was a back and forth game with Levesque stealing an early lead but being held to a single with hammer in the 8th, forcing an extra end.

In the extra the play was in the four foot with Ficek second Chester Draper drawing to the top of the 4, and Thunder Bay's Ron Brunelle playing a tap back. Ficek 3rd Mark Wherrett drew to the four foot but Levesque, facing two, put his last rock in the four foot just behind the t-line to sit shot.

Ficek with his last rock drew down to it to win by a measurement. Final score 7-6.

Ficek     0  0  2  0  3  0  1  0  1  -  7

Levesque  1  1  0  1  0  2  0  1  0  -  6 

Alberta and N. Ontario Provincials Day 2

In Edmonton, Jack Smart finished round robin play with a 13-3 defeat of Edmonton's Donaldson in just 6 ends at the Alberta Provincials. Nuspal beat Keith 12-3 in 7 ends setting up an all Calgary (Smart and Keith) and all Edmonton (Donaldson and Nuspl) semi-final.

Both semi-finals ended in early 6th end handshakes, as Smart beat Keith 14-1 and Nuspl beat Donaldson 9-1, setting up a north vs. south final, 12.30pm at the Jasper Place CC.

In Kenora, Wayne Ficek beat Richard Dawid 6-3 to advance to Sunday's N. Ontario provincial final against the winner of the Levesque/Dawid semi-final. Results will be posted HERE.

Championship weekend for Alberta and N. Ontario

Two teams from Calgary will travel to Edmonton's Jasper Place CC to challenge two Edmonton teams for Alberta's Provincial Championship. Jack Smart's Calgary champions make one forced change. Last year's 5th, Martin Purvis, replaces Bruno Yizek who'll be on Team Canada duty during the Nationals. They'll play with the confidence of knowing that they have represented their province at every national championship, coming within a whisker of gold in 2009.

The second Calgary team has Dale Keith at skip, Bruce Matthews at third, with rookies Ron Pawlyk at second, Wanda Pizzinato at lead and Curtis Junor as the alternate.

This will be Keith's third appearance at the Provincial Championship, his first as Skip. Matthews is also making his third appearance at this event. The team is Coached by Glen Brunelle, Coordinator of the Calgary Wheelchair Curling Association.

The Shoppers Home Healthcare 2010 N. Ontario Championship sees 2009 champion Wayne Ficek fielding an unchanged team, as his Kenora club hosts Thunder Bay rivals Carl Levesque and Richard Dawid from the Fort William CC. These three teams have just returned from the Ontario Parasport Winter Games, where Levesque took silver and Ficek took bronze.