Down to four!

Team Alberta 1 skip Johnson Tao of Edmonton Ab delivers his stone to front end, lead Andrew Nowell and 2nd Benjamin Morin during page playoff 2vs3 against team BC. (Photo, Curling Canada/Michael Burns)

Winners emerge from page 2 vs. 3 playoff matches at 2022 New Holland Canadian Under-21 Curling Championships

The field in both men’s and women’s play has been whittled down to four teams each at the 2022 New Holland Canadian Under-21 Curling Championships from the Stratford Rotary Complex in Stratford, Ont.

As pool play gave way to the opening round of the playoffs on Thursday evening, the stakes were never higher. Page #2 vs. #3  elimination playoff matches were featured across all four active sheets with semifinal berths awaiting the winners.

In women’s play, Alberta #2’s Claire Booth (6-3; Calgary) stole nine consecutive points over five ends to take an 11-4 victory over New Brunswick’s Celia Evans (5-4; Oromocto). Alberta #2 will have their hands full in a semifinal match against undefeated Taylour Stevens of Nova Scotia (8-0; Halifax). 

Team Ontario #1 (Photo, Curling Canada/Michael Burns)

Ontario #1’s Emily Deschenes managed to score only a single deuce in her matchup against Alberta #1’s Serena Gray-Withers, but it was more than enough to claim a 7-4 victory. Ontario #1 squares off against Northern Ontario’s Katy Lukowich (7-1; Sudbury) in a semifinal.

Meanwhile on the men’s side, Ontario #1’s Landon Rooney (8-1; Whitby) rode high on back to back scores of four in the fifth and sixth ends to defeat Newfoundland and Labrador’s Nathan Young (7-2; St. John’s) 10-6. Ontario will now face Saskatchewan #1’s Daymond Bernath (7-1; Saskatoon) in a semifinal. 

And closing out the playoff picture, Alberta #1’s Johnson Tao (8-1; Edmonton) won a tight contest versus British Columbia #1’s Connor Deane (6-3; New Westminster) by a score of 5-4. The win earns Alberta #1 a semifinal berth versus Manitoba #1’s Jordon McDonald (7-1; Winnipeg). 

Semifinals at the 2022 New Holland Canadian Under-21 Curling Championships are set for 9 a.m. on Friday (all times Eastern) followed by the finals at 2:30 p.m on the same day.

All draws on sheet B are being live streamed on Curling Canada’s Youtube page, available here.

For teams, live scoring, results and event information from the 2022 New Holland Canadian Under-21 Curling Championships, click here.

This story will be available in french as soon as possible at https://www.curling.ca/2022under21/nouvelles/?lang=fr

Curling Canada