February 3, 2009
GOLDEN HAWKS BATTLE INTO OUA CURLING CHAMPIONSHIPS
ST CATHARINES, Ont. - OUA Curling crossovers hosted by Brock University held at the St. Catherines Golf & Country Club featured very strong play by all of the participating Universities. With the Golden Hawks men's team entering the event with a 1-3 record following sectional play, their backs were up against the wall.
Laurier opened up against Trent Excalibur in the Friday night draw. With a very controlled game, the Hawks stole several ends and took multiple deuces while only allowing the Excalibur singles. The final score was 7-4 for the Hawks giving them a 3-2 record.
The purple and gold's next game was against the Toronto Varsity Blues. The Blues, a team that has improved dramatically under the leadership of head coach Scott Jenkins, shot lights out posting a final score of 7-4 against the Hawks. The record for the Hawks now stood at 4-2.
With the Hawks knowing the any further loss would eliminate them from contention, they met the newest member of OUA, the Laurentian Voyageurs. With strong shot making by front end freshmen Mathew Lowe (Unionville, Ont.) and Shane Konings (Gowanstown, Ont.), the Hawks kept the pressure on Laurentian, resulting in a 7-3 win, bringing Laurier's record to 4-3.
The final crossover game against long time rival, the Queen's Gaels, was to decide the possibility of qualifying for a tie-breaker game. With several universities having similar records going into the final draw, a 4-4 record kept the quest alive.
The Hawks and Gaels played a highly aggressive and skilled game with the score board reflecting blanks and singles. The Hawks were down one going into the eighth end with hammer but were unable to get their deuce. Tied after eight, an extra end was needed to decide the outcome. With a flawless played end lead by the "Rock", third Paul Arkilander (Sudbury, Ont.), the Hawks stole one, winning the game 4-3. This brought their record to 4-4 following the completion of round robin play.
With five teams tied with identical records, tie breakers followed with the Hawks positioned to play the Windsor Lancers. The Hawks, knowing that a win would give them a berth into the provincials, came out strong against the Lancers. Lead by skip Matt Mapletoft (Wallaceburg, Ont.) who stepped into the skip position this year, led the team to a 6-4 victory. He will be Laurier's lead in China with Team Canada.
Source: Golden Hawks Athletics
Laurier opened up against Trent Excalibur in the Friday night draw. With a very controlled game, the Hawks stole several ends and took multiple deuces while only allowing the Excalibur singles. The final score was 7-4 for the Hawks giving them a 3-2 record.
The purple and gold's next game was against the Toronto Varsity Blues. The Blues, a team that has improved dramatically under the leadership of head coach Scott Jenkins, shot lights out posting a final score of 7-4 against the Hawks. The record for the Hawks now stood at 4-2.
With the Hawks knowing the any further loss would eliminate them from contention, they met the newest member of OUA, the Laurentian Voyageurs. With strong shot making by front end freshmen Mathew Lowe (Unionville, Ont.) and Shane Konings (Gowanstown, Ont.), the Hawks kept the pressure on Laurentian, resulting in a 7-3 win, bringing Laurier's record to 4-3.
The final crossover game against long time rival, the Queen's Gaels, was to decide the possibility of qualifying for a tie-breaker game. With several universities having similar records going into the final draw, a 4-4 record kept the quest alive.
The Hawks and Gaels played a highly aggressive and skilled game with the score board reflecting blanks and singles. The Hawks were down one going into the eighth end with hammer but were unable to get their deuce. Tied after eight, an extra end was needed to decide the outcome. With a flawless played end lead by the "Rock", third Paul Arkilander (Sudbury, Ont.), the Hawks stole one, winning the game 4-3. This brought their record to 4-4 following the completion of round robin play.
With five teams tied with identical records, tie breakers followed with the Hawks positioned to play the Windsor Lancers. The Hawks, knowing that a win would give them a berth into the provincials, came out strong against the Lancers. Lead by skip Matt Mapletoft (Wallaceburg, Ont.) who stepped into the skip position this year, led the team to a 6-4 victory. He will be Laurier's lead in China with Team Canada.
Source: Golden Hawks Athletics
