Joey Payeur
Some of the old names are throwing out of new spots.
But one thing that hasn’t changed is the fact all three Muskie curling teams will be a handful for anyone they go up against this season.
Coming off a terrific campaign last season that saw all three rinks win their respective league titles, Fort High looks to be a threat on all fronts again after a series of exhibition games Sunday and Monday in Atikokan to kick off the new NorWOSSA season.
There’s a fresh face making the calls for the Muskie girls this season as Erin Tomalty moved up from second to take over for graduated skip Hailey Beaudry.
But Tomalty didn’t miss a beat in leading her quartet, including Tory Beaudry and Anika Beaudry (who switched with each other between third and second), along with lead Andrea Schram, to a 4-0 record and top spot in the standings.
“Obviously, by winning all her games, Erin showed she can handle herself,” said Muskie boys’ coach Ron Silver, who was on hand for both days of the event.
“She played well and even being on different ice didn’t affect her too badly.”
The Muskies dumped the Rainy River Owls 13-1 and doubled the Kenora Broncos 8-4 on Sunday.
Then on Monday, they earned a 5-1 victory over the St. Thomas Aquinas Saints (Kenora) before blanking the host Voyageurs 8-0 in four ends despite Atikokan also entering the game with a 3-0 record.
“We’ve got to be careful because [the Sioux Lookout Warriors] cancelled at the last minute and they’re likely going to be our toughest opponent in NorWOSSA this year,” warned Silver.
As for the Muskie boys, skip Chris Silver delivered several key shots to guide his team of Daniel Vandenbrand, Jason Bazylewski, and Davis Jackson to a 4-1 record in Atikokan.
The Rainy River Owls posted that same mark, but they pushed the Muskies down to second place after beating Silver’s squad 6-1 in their opener.
“We struggled a bit,” admitted Ron Silver, who had everyone on the team other than the skip switch spots during the two days to get comfortable playing different positions.
“Rainy River had some good shots and we got some bad breaks.”
Fort High pulled it together after that, though, starting with a 6-2 defeat over the host Voyageurs.
The Muskies then beat St. Thomas Aquinas 7-3.
“It went down to the last end but the boys had control for most of the game,” noted Ron Silver.
The Muskies made it three-straight wins with a 4-3 squeaker over the Red Lake Rams, with Silver nailing his draw for two with his final stone to nab the victory.
Fort High wrapped up play with an 8-1 win over the Kenora Broncos that included a dynamite double to score three and bring about handshakes in the fourth end.
In the mixed division, the skipping tandem of Dawson Mihichuk and Maggie LeMesurier, along with the front end of Mackenzie Taylor and Macarthur Wilde, also rode the position carousel while tying for first place with a 3-1 mark.
Because NorWOSSA rules dictate the skip and second must be the same gender, as well as the third and the lead, Mihichuk and LeMesurier took turns skipping and playing third.
Taylor and Wilde, meanwhile, hopped back-and-forth between second and lead.
The merry-go-round didn’t bother the team for the most part—beating St. Thomas Aquinas 8-3 and then nipping Rainy River 8-7 in its opening draws of the three-team, double round-robin division.
Mihichuk’s textbook draw for four in the final end erased a three-point deficit to pull out a 7-6 decision over the Saints in the Muskies’ third game.
But Rainy River wasn’t having any more of Fort High’s dominance—cruising to a 9-2 win to wind up at 3-1 and tied for first with the Muskies.
“The team learned a lot through the two days as they hadn’t curled before as a group competitively,” said Ron Silver.
“Dawson had a couple of shots that were lights out and saved us a few times and Maggie did, as well,” he added.
The Muskies now will fine-tune their game to prepare for the NorWOSSA qualifier Jan. 11-12 in Sioux Lookout.
The top six teams from each division in the qualifier will advance to the NorWOSSA finals Feb. 8-9 in Fort Frances.
