A team of Lac La Biche junior curlers enjoyed the hospitality of the Ellerslie community and the host rink at a junior bonspiel over the Feb. 18 weekend. The Ellerslie host rink was even kind enough to help Corey Leach’s rink score an eight-ender.
“They ended up stealing it, since they already had seven in the house and the Ellerslie skip’s last rock bumped in our eighth rock,” said Carol Leach, the mom of Corey, 16, Kyle, 18, and Cody, 14, who played with Whitecourt’s Spencer Vrolson, 18, in the 48-team Hazel Jamison Junior Bonspiel.
The Ellerslie Curling Association hosted the Northern Alberta Curling Association-sponsored bonspiel that saw teams from across north and central Alberta compete. The Leach rink finished the tourney with a top spot in the C Event.
While the good finish was impressive for the young curlers, it was the eighth-ender that was the highlight of the three-day tourney.
“It’s pretty rare, and the boys were very happy,” said Leach.
By scoring with every one of their rocks in play, the local rink took what was a close 5-4 game against the Ellerslie squad in the seventh end to a 13-4 victory at the end of the eighth.
The team had little time to rest from their impressive outing, as Leach team members also played in the Plamondon modified mixed bonspiel this past weekend, and Kyle will be playing in the collegiate provincials in early march representing Augustana college’s team.
