Newfoundland and Labrador, represented by Greg Blyde’s rink from the St. John’s Curling Club, improved to 2-1 through their first three games at the 2019 New Holland Canadian junior men’s curling championship in Prince Albert, Sask., defeating Ontario 8-6 on Sunday.
The Blyde rink, which features Daniel Bruce throwing fourth stones, Ryan McNeil Lamswood at second and Nathan King at lead, broke open a tight game with three points in the eighth end to defeat the Ontario side.
Meanwhile, in the Canadian junior women’s championship, being held concurrently in Prince Albert, Mackenzie Glynn’s team, also from St. John’s, dropped a tough 8-7 decision to Manitoba on Sunday, leaving the N.L. representatives with a 1-2 record.
The Glynn rink, which also includes Sarah Chaytor, Katie Follett and Camille Burt, was trailing 5-0 heading into the fourth end, but scored four consecutive singles, the last three on steals, before surrendering two points to the Manitobans in the eighth end.
But Glynn and Co., back for a second straight year wearing Newfoundland and Labrador colours at the junior nationals, scored three in the ninth to tie the game. However, Manitoba got the winning point with last-rock advantage in the 10th and final end.
Blyde and his cross-province team — Bruce, McNeil Lamswood and King all hail from the west coast of Newfoundland, but are now in St. John’s attending Memorial University — take on British Columbia today, while Glynn and Co. face New Brunswick this evening (NT).
The junior nationals format sees each field split into two seven-team pools, with each rink playing six preliminary-round games. Finishes in the preliminary rounds determine which teams advance to the championship rounds and retain hopes for a title.
