Team A (Deemo) vs Team D (John W)  6th November 2023

‘Seconds Out – Round Two!’

Both rinks took to the ice with Rink ‘D‘ fielding ‘Tides Out’ skipping with ‘The Young Yin’ at 3rd, ‘Sweet Chariot’ at 2nd and ‘Blue’ as anchor man lead. Rink ‘Deemo’ was fielding ‘Ivor the Engine’ at 3rd, ‘Newsprint’ at 2nd and ‘Flour Power’ in as a sub for ‘Maverick’ who was off on Choral duties.

Ends 1 through 4 was a testing period with ‘Deemo’ striking the first point and thereafter the rinks swapping single shots at alternating ends. After four ends it was all tied at 2 shots each. Tension was mounting!

Rink ‘Deemo’ managed to break the sequence with a two in the fifth end without the hammer – that was the breakthrough that was needed. Rink ‘Deemo’ took another single in the sixth end, again against the hammer, to go three shots up with time counting down and looking as if the seventh end would be time up! Keeping the pressure on ‘Tides out’ was the aim and a cluster of three stones behind an opposing stone giving some cover from a direct assault proved pivotal with ‘Tides out’ only managing to chip out one of the shots. ‘Deemo’ was able to replace the missing shot to keep the cluster of three which remained intact as ‘Tide Out’s attempt at a final draw just managed to slide through the house leaving a count of three to rink ‘Deemo’.

The game was a far closer encounter than the score line would indicate with very few stones going through the house; in fact the sixth end had only one or two stones not in play at its end with the critical counting shot going the way of rink ‘Deemo’. Fluke shots?  There were none that come to mind – just some very accurate play from both rinks with sweepers quick to answer the call and playing an integral part in each end.

The bell being rung, handshakes were made with congratulations all round for a keenly contested game and then we all retired to the rejuvenated bar to enjoy the new facilities for the much missed ‘Après curl’ experience when jovial banter was the order of the day – life at the rink has returned to something akin to ‘times past’.

Bye for now.

Deemo