Mohawk curling teams win OCAA bronze; earn nationals berth
The Mohawk Mountaineers men’s and women’s curling teams each captured bronze medals at the OCAA Championships this past week, earning berths to the CCAA/Curling Canada Championships.
The men saw their four-year run of OCAA gold come to an end but secured their sixth consecutive podium finish and fourth straight trip to the national championships.
Mohawk fell 8-5 to the Humber Hawks in the semifinals. The Mountaineers scored two in both the first and third ends but surrendered points in the second and fourth, leaving the game tied 4-4. Mohawk took the lead with a single in the fifth, but Humber responded in the sixth, then scored one in the seventh and two in the eighth to seal the win.
In the bronze medal game, Mohawk defeated the Durham Lords 7-3. The Mountaineers opened with three points in the first end and added one in the second to take a 4-0 lead. After Durham scored in the third, Mohawk extended its advantage in the fourth and fifth to go up 7-1. The Lords added single points in the sixth and seventh before the teams shook hands.
On the women’s side, the Mountaineers earned their second consecutive OCAA bronze medal.
Mohawk dropped a semifinal in extra ends, falling 5-4 to Humber. The Mountaineers trailed 3-0 after two ends but cut the deficit to one by the end of the fourth. Humber added a single in the fifth, followed by a blank sixth. Mohawk scored one in both the seventh and eighth to force an extra end, where the Hawks secured the winning point.
In the bronze medal match, Mohawk dominated Durham, posting a 10-1 victory. The Mountaineers took a 3-0 lead through two ends and, after Durham scored in the third, added three in the fourth for a 6-1 advantage. Mohawk followed with single points in the fifth and sixth, then scored two more in the seventh to close out the win.
Thomas Del-Conte (men) and Jordyn Quait (women) were named OCAA First-Team Championship All-Stars. Natalie Scholten (women) earned Second-Team Championship All-Star honours.
The Mountaineers will now prepare for the CCAA/Curling Canada Championships, scheduled for Feb. 17-20 in Regina, Sask.