February 8, 2009
WESTERN MUSTANGS SWEEP OUA CURLING CHAMPIONSHIP
PETERBOROUGH, Ont. - The Western Mustangs have won the 2008-09 Ontario University Athletics (OUA) men's and women's curling championships at the Peterborough Curling Club on Sunday.
The Mustangs men, comprised of skip Scott McDonald (London, Ont.), vice Micky Lizmore (London, Ont.), second Evan Lilly (Sudbury, Ont.) and leads Peter Myslik (Sudbury, Ont.), Chris Liscomb (Ilderton, Ont.) and Raymond Balberman (Brantford, Ont.) defeated the defending OUA and Canadian Interuniversity Sport (CIS) champion Wilfrid Laurier Golden Hawks by a 6-4 score in Sunday's final.
It was Western's second game of the day, as the Mustangs earned a trip to the final with a thrilling 9-8 victory over the Brock Badgers in the semi-final, following a 2-1 record in round robin play. McDonald, Lizmore and Lilly, who were all named OUA First Team All-Stars, along with Second Team member Myslik, helped give Western its first men's curling championship since 1987-88.
The Mustangs, who finished the regular season with a 7-1 record, lost to the Golden Hawks in Saturday's round robin by a 5-3 count. Laurier went on to earn a 3-0 record in round robin play, earning a bye into Sunday's final. The team of Matt Mapletoft (Wallaceberg, Ont.), Paul Arkilander (Sudbury, Ont.), Scott McGregor (Exeter, Ont.), Dave Kaun (Fort Frances, Ont.), Shane Konings (Gowanstown, Ont.), Matt Lowe (Unionville, Ont.) and Justin Sim-Little (London, Ont.) barely got an invite to the championship, knocking out the Windsor Lancers 6-4 in a tiebreaker as four schools finished in a tie for the final two championship berths with 4-4 records. The Golden Hawks were one victory away from becoming the first repeat champion in OUA men's curling in 15 seasons. Mapletoft, Arkilander and McGregor will join Mike Anderson (Markham, Ont.) and Bill Francis (Toronto, Ont.) in representing Canada at the 24th Winter Universiade in Harbin, China in two weeks.
The Badgers went 1-2 in the round robin, defeating the Queen's Gaels 5-2 to avoid elimination. The Gaels finished the OUA championship with a 0-3 record. Western, Laurier and Brock all advance to the Canadian University Curling Championships from March 25 to 29 in Montreal, Que.
The Mustangs women, comprised of second-year skip Erin Morrissey (Ottawa, Ont.), third-year OUA Second Team All-Star vice Jackie Masongsong (Markham, Ont.), sophomore second Jordan Ariss (London, Ont.) and second-year lead Sarah Jesson (Waterloo, Ont.), along with alternates Fiona Muirhead (London, Ont.) and Sarah Mason (Flesherton, Ont.), ended the tremendous run of the Laurentian Lady Vees in the OUA final, winning 8-3. Western was completely dominant all season, going 3-0 in the round robin following a 7-1 record in the regular season. It's the first women's curling title for Western since 2002-03.
The Lady Vees, under the guidance of OUA First Team All-Star skip Amanda Gates (Sudbury, Ont.), vice Kim Curtin (Lindsay, Ont.), and front ends Denise Brown (Barrie, Ont.), Joelle Boulanger (Mattawa, Ont.) and Renee Higgins (Sudbury, Ont.) advanced to the OUA final in Laurentian's first season in OUA curling. The Lady Vees had a 6-2 record during the regular season, and finished Saturday's round robin with a mark of 2-1 in a tie with the Golden Hawks and host Trent Excalibur. The Lady Vees earned a bye into the semi-final by winning a draw to the button prior to the start of the tournament in the event of a tie.
In Sunday's tiebreaker, the defending OUA and CIS champion Golden Hawks humbled the Excalibur 8-2. Laurier ran out of gas in the semi-final, losing to Laurentian 6-3. The Golden Hawks team of fourth-year Second Team All-Star skip Hollie Nicol (Markham, Ont.), second-year vice Danielle Inglis (Kleinberg, Ont.), third-year OUA Second Team All-Star second Laura Hickey (Toronto, Ont.) and second-year lead Hilary McDermott (Guelph, Ont.) will also represent Canada at the at the Winter Universiade. Western, Laurentian and Laurier also advance to the Canadian University Curling Championships.
It is the second consecutive year that one school won both OUA curling titles, as Western equalled Laurier's feat of last season.
2009 OUA CURLING CHAMPIONSHIPS
(Peterbourgh Curling Club, Hosted by Trent University)
February 7, 2009
Men's Round Robin
Laurier 6, Brock 3
Western 7, Queen's 4
Brock 5, Queen's 2
Laurier 5, Western 3
Western 7, Brock 2
Laurier 5, Queen's 3
Women's Round Robin
Laurier 7, Laurentian 4
Western 6, Trent 2
Western 10, Laurier 5
Laurentian 7, Trent 6
Western 6, Laurentian 3
Trent 6, Laurier 4
February 8, 2009
OUA Women's Tiebreaker
Laurier 8, Trent 2
OUA Semi-Final
Men – Western 9, Brock 8
Women – Laurentian 6, Laurier 3
OUA Final
Men – Western 6, Laurier 4
Women – Western 8, Laurentian 3
– OUA –
ABOUT ONTARIO UNIVERSITY ATHLETICS
Ontario University Athletics (OUA) and its 19 member institutions are developing Champions For Life. Giving 9,000 student-athletes the opportunity to excel academically and on the playing field, while preparing for life after university. For more information, visit OUA.ca.
Photo Credit: Alex Bourassa-Young
The Mustangs men, comprised of skip Scott McDonald (London, Ont.), vice Micky Lizmore (London, Ont.), second Evan Lilly (Sudbury, Ont.) and leads Peter Myslik (Sudbury, Ont.), Chris Liscomb (Ilderton, Ont.) and Raymond Balberman (Brantford, Ont.) defeated the defending OUA and Canadian Interuniversity Sport (CIS) champion Wilfrid Laurier Golden Hawks by a 6-4 score in Sunday's final.
It was Western's second game of the day, as the Mustangs earned a trip to the final with a thrilling 9-8 victory over the Brock Badgers in the semi-final, following a 2-1 record in round robin play. McDonald, Lizmore and Lilly, who were all named OUA First Team All-Stars, along with Second Team member Myslik, helped give Western its first men's curling championship since 1987-88.
The Mustangs, who finished the regular season with a 7-1 record, lost to the Golden Hawks in Saturday's round robin by a 5-3 count. Laurier went on to earn a 3-0 record in round robin play, earning a bye into Sunday's final. The team of Matt Mapletoft (Wallaceberg, Ont.), Paul Arkilander (Sudbury, Ont.), Scott McGregor (Exeter, Ont.), Dave Kaun (Fort Frances, Ont.), Shane Konings (Gowanstown, Ont.), Matt Lowe (Unionville, Ont.) and Justin Sim-Little (London, Ont.) barely got an invite to the championship, knocking out the Windsor Lancers 6-4 in a tiebreaker as four schools finished in a tie for the final two championship berths with 4-4 records. The Golden Hawks were one victory away from becoming the first repeat champion in OUA men's curling in 15 seasons. Mapletoft, Arkilander and McGregor will join Mike Anderson (Markham, Ont.) and Bill Francis (Toronto, Ont.) in representing Canada at the 24th Winter Universiade in Harbin, China in two weeks.
The Badgers went 1-2 in the round robin, defeating the Queen's Gaels 5-2 to avoid elimination. The Gaels finished the OUA championship with a 0-3 record. Western, Laurier and Brock all advance to the Canadian University Curling Championships from March 25 to 29 in Montreal, Que.
The Mustangs women, comprised of second-year skip Erin Morrissey (Ottawa, Ont.), third-year OUA Second Team All-Star vice Jackie Masongsong (Markham, Ont.), sophomore second Jordan Ariss (London, Ont.) and second-year lead Sarah Jesson (Waterloo, Ont.), along with alternates Fiona Muirhead (London, Ont.) and Sarah Mason (Flesherton, Ont.), ended the tremendous run of the Laurentian Lady Vees in the OUA final, winning 8-3. Western was completely dominant all season, going 3-0 in the round robin following a 7-1 record in the regular season. It's the first women's curling title for Western since 2002-03.
The Lady Vees, under the guidance of OUA First Team All-Star skip Amanda Gates (Sudbury, Ont.), vice Kim Curtin (Lindsay, Ont.), and front ends Denise Brown (Barrie, Ont.), Joelle Boulanger (Mattawa, Ont.) and Renee Higgins (Sudbury, Ont.) advanced to the OUA final in Laurentian's first season in OUA curling. The Lady Vees had a 6-2 record during the regular season, and finished Saturday's round robin with a mark of 2-1 in a tie with the Golden Hawks and host Trent Excalibur. The Lady Vees earned a bye into the semi-final by winning a draw to the button prior to the start of the tournament in the event of a tie.
In Sunday's tiebreaker, the defending OUA and CIS champion Golden Hawks humbled the Excalibur 8-2. Laurier ran out of gas in the semi-final, losing to Laurentian 6-3. The Golden Hawks team of fourth-year Second Team All-Star skip Hollie Nicol (Markham, Ont.), second-year vice Danielle Inglis (Kleinberg, Ont.), third-year OUA Second Team All-Star second Laura Hickey (Toronto, Ont.) and second-year lead Hilary McDermott (Guelph, Ont.) will also represent Canada at the at the Winter Universiade. Western, Laurentian and Laurier also advance to the Canadian University Curling Championships.
It is the second consecutive year that one school won both OUA curling titles, as Western equalled Laurier's feat of last season.
2009 OUA CURLING CHAMPIONSHIPS
(Peterbourgh Curling Club, Hosted by Trent University)
February 7, 2009
Men's Round Robin
Laurier 6, Brock 3
Western 7, Queen's 4
Brock 5, Queen's 2
Laurier 5, Western 3
Western 7, Brock 2
Laurier 5, Queen's 3
Women's Round Robin
Laurier 7, Laurentian 4
Western 6, Trent 2
Western 10, Laurier 5
Laurentian 7, Trent 6
Western 6, Laurentian 3
Trent 6, Laurier 4
February 8, 2009
OUA Women's Tiebreaker
Laurier 8, Trent 2
OUA Semi-Final
Men – Western 9, Brock 8
Women – Laurentian 6, Laurier 3
OUA Final
Men – Western 6, Laurier 4
Women – Western 8, Laurentian 3
– OUA –
ABOUT ONTARIO UNIVERSITY ATHLETICS
Ontario University Athletics (OUA) and its 19 member institutions are developing Champions For Life. Giving 9,000 student-athletes the opportunity to excel academically and on the playing field, while preparing for life after university. For more information, visit OUA.ca.
Photo Credit: Alex Bourassa-Young
