Playoff pairings set!

It’s gold-medal Saturday at the 2024 Everest Seniors in Moncton

It’s the day all 28 teams that arrived in Moncton, N.B., a week ago were hoping to be a part of at the 2024 Everest Canadian Senior Curling Championships, but just eight of them will step on the ice for the women’s and men’s semifinals, beginning at 8:30 a.m. (all times Atlantic).

And at the end of the day just two of them will leave Curl Moncton with gold medals around their necks and plans to spend late April just up the road on the Trans-Canada Highway in Fredericton at the 2025 World Senior Curling Championships.

The men’s semifinals will feature the top-seeded host province New Brunswick (8-2; Grand Falls/Moncton), skipped by Grant Odishaw, taking on fourth-place finishers Team James Pahl of Alberta (6-4; Sherwood Park), while second-place Manitoba’s Team Randy Neufeld (8-2; La Salle) plays third-place Saskatchewan’s Team Randy Bryden (8-2; Regina). The winners will play for the gold medal and the losers will battle for bronze at 12:30 p.m.

On the women’s side, it’s unbeaten Ontario, skipped by Jo-Ann Rizzo (10-0; Mississauga), up against fourth-place Quebec’s Team Luanne Waddell (7-3; Des Collines/Chicoutimi/Buckingham/Mont-Bruno), and second-place Alberta’s Team Atina Ford Johnston (8-2; Okotoks/Calgary/Sherwood Park) against third-place Nova Scotia’s Team Mary Sue Radford (8-2; Halifax) in the semifinals, with the gold- and bronze-medal games set for 3:30 p.m.

It was an eventful closing draw, to say the least. While New Brunswick was clinching first place with a 7-3 win over Saskatchewan, the main drama was one sheet over as Manitoba trailed 6-3 in the final end to Quebec’s Team Robert Desjardins (6-4; Chicoutimi/Riverbend).

But Neufeld produced a stunning raise triple takeout to score four for the 7-6 victory that brought Alberta out of nowhere and into the playoffs.

Pahl and his teammates vice-skip Mark Klinck, second Kelly Mauthe, lead John Schmidt and alternate Cory Wilson, 8-1 winners over British Columbia’s Team Neil Dangerfield (6-4; Victoria), were sitting in the lounge fully expecting that their Canadian championship was over; a Quebec victory would have knocked out Alberta and put B.C. in the fourth and final playoff spot.

In fact, the Albertans had already loaded their equipment bags into a vehicle to take back to the hotel.

“When you have to rely on somebody to get four in the last end for you to advance, it’s like Christmas come early,” marvelled Pahl, whose team won silver in 2022 in Yarmouth, N.S.

It was suggested to Pahl that Neufeld won’t be paying for any post-game refreshments.

“Randy,” replied a chuckling Pahl, “could have a very good night tonight.”

The host team, meanwhile, walked off the ice to a loud round of applause from the hometown fans — three-quarters of Team Odishaw (including the skip, third Marc LeCocq and second Vance LeCocq) hail from Greater Moncton, while last-rock thrower Mike Kennedy is from Edmunston.

It was another reminder to Kennedy of what a special experience it’s been to wear the New Brunswick jacket in your home province.

“You don’t come into a clapping crowd very often in your lifetime, do you?” he said with a smile. “Certainly, I don’t.

“I still have butterflies. I’m not a sleeper to begin with, so it probably will be a short night. But that’s where you want to be, absolutely.”

With New Brunswick, Manitoba and Saskatchewan all finishing with 8-2 records, and having 1-1 records in the head-to-head tiebreakers, the Last Shot Draw rankings placed them first, second and third going into the playoffs, while Alberta got the tiebreaker nod over B.C. by virtue of its head-to-head Friday night.

On the women’s side, the drama was provided in the head-to-head battle for the fourth and final playoff spot as Quebec took on B.C.

Quebec capped a splendid Friday with a well-played 5-3 victory, giving Waddell her first playoff berth in her first national championship event.

“I won my first provincials and this is my first Nationals,” said Waddell, whose team (vice-skip Isabelle Néron, second Cyntia Plouffe, lead Nathalie Bruneau and alternate Joëlle Sabourin), stayed alive earlier in the day by scoring an eighth-end deuce for a 5-4 win over Prince Edward Island’s Team Shelly Bradley (Cornwall). “Oh, it’s amazing. I wanted to win some games and I wanted to make it to (Saturday). That was our goal and we did it. So tomorrow’s another day. Get some food, get some more rest and back at it tomorrow.”

Ontario, meanwhile, clinched first place with its stealing one in an extra end to shade Nova Scotia 7-6, while Alberta wrapped up second place with an 8-2 win over Saskatchewan’s Team Tracy Streifel (5-5; Saskatoon).

Seeding Pool play, to determine the final overall standings that will help set up the pools for the 2025 Everest Canadian Seniors, wrapped up Friday afternoon.

In women’s games, New Brunswick’s Team Shelly Graham (4-5; Fredericton) defeated Nunavut’s Team Geneva Chislett (0-9; Iqaluit) 11-1, Newfoundland/Labrador’s Team Wendy Dunne (5-4; Labrador City) got by Sharon Cormier’s Northwest Territories team (3-6; Yellowknife) 9-4, and Manitoba’s Team Kathy Isaac (2-7; Hamiota) stole one in the eighth end for a 6-5 victory over the Yukon’s Team Rhonda Horte (2-7; Whitehorse).

In the men’s games, Newfoundland/Labrador’s Team Keith Ryan (6-3; Labrador City) was a 4-1 winner over Northern Ontario’s Team Ron Rosengren (5-4; Thunder Bay), Prince Edward Island’s Team Eddie MacKenzie (4-5; Cornwall) knocked off the Northwest Territories’ Team Glen Hudy (1-8; Yellowknife) 6-2, and the Yukon’s Team Terry Miller (2-7; Whitehorse) beat Nunavut’s Team Peter Mackey (0-9; Iqaluit) 10-4.

Fans can follow the action live with selected games available on Curling Canada’s YouTube channel and TSN+. 

For live scores and standings, visit the scoreboard page.

For team lineups, draw times, and other event details, visit the event website.

This story will be available in French as soon as possible at www.curling.ca/2024seniors/nouvelles/?lang=fr