Day 4 Recap:
The Mohawk Mountaineers (6-1), Humber Hawks (6-1), Sault Cougars (5-2), and SAIT Trojans (5-2) clinched the men's semi-final berths at the 2023 CCAA Curling Canada Championships. Mohawk will face SAIT and Humber will battle Sault.
The men started things off on Day Four with a couple of matches featuring playoff implications. The CCAA's version of the Battle of Alberta had the NAIT Ooks hoping to play spoiler against their ACAC rivals. The Ooks fell behind early, but a strong second half had them within two points of SAIT entering the final end. Needing to steal, NAIT held shot rock multiple times only to have the Trojans skillfully pick off each one. The 6-4 victory secured SAIT a spot in the semi-finals.
Another rivalry match, featuring Humber and Mohawk, saw the Mountaineers hand the Hawks their first loss, leading to three teams being tied atop the standings at 5-1. Sault was that third team thanks to their 10-3 win over the Concordia Thunder. Augustana and Fleming rounded out the morning draw, with the Vikings defeating the Knights 10-5.
In the afternoon, Mohawk had a straightforward objective, win and they would clinch first place based on head-to-head results. Win they did, putting up big scores in the fourth and sixth ends on route to a 10-3 victory over Concordia.
The SAIT Trojans were the feel good story of the Men's pool. Entering as the fourth placed team from the ACAC, the Trojans lost their first two matches but then won five straight, including a 12-5 conquest of the Augustana Vikings to wrap up round robin play. The Trojans were also responsible for Mohawk's lone defeat, and the two will now square off in the semi-finals.
Humber and Sault finished second and third respectively following the Hawks dominant 11-3 win against the Cougars. The two will meet in the other semi-final. NAIT and Fleming wrapped up their tournament play with a competitive outing from both squads that saw the Ooks earn the eventual 9-4 win.
Day 3 Recap:
The Men's early draw featured two matches that came down to the last stone. The Mohawk Mountaineers were hoping to get back in the win column after a tough defeat the night before, but the Augustana Vikings stood in their way. The Vikings controlled the first half of the game forcing the Mountaineers to chip away at their lead. Tied at five in the final end the teams did their best to claim the button, but a close inspection of the stones resulted in a steal and victory for Mohawk.
The SAIT Trojans looked to be in firm control of their match with the Concordia Thunder but CUE managed to pull within one by posting three in the ninth. The Thunder hoped to force an extra end with a steal, but SAIT drew to the button to earn a single point and the 8-6 victory. The Humber Hawks and Sault Cougars dictated their contests on route to wins over the NAIT Ooks (8-1) and Fleming Knights (12-2).
Similar to the women's pool, only one men's team remained unbeaten at the end of the day. Concordia looked to spoil Humber's perfect record, scoring three out of the gate before losing the lead. In the eighth end the Hawks held a slight 6-5 edge, but CUE navigated a wall of guards to claim shot rock with their last stone. Undaunted, Humber used the hammer to clear Concordia from the house, doubling their score and preserving their winning streak.
Sault also entered this draw without a loss, but Mohawk set the tone early in their matchup, winning the first five sets. Sault earned a few back but the deficit proved to be too much and the Mountaineers won the match 10-4, pulling even with the Cougars in the standings. Augustana got in the win column by beating NAIT 8-3 while SAIT moved up into fourth place with an 8-3 victory over Fleming.
Day 2 Recap:
Sault versus SAIT was the highlight of the Men's first draw of the day. Tied 3-3 at the break, Sault took a single in the sixth but gave up three to the Trojans in the seventh. The Cougars responded immediately with four to reclaim the lead. The Trojans got one back in the ninth and nearly stole another in the tenth, but the Cougars held on for the 8-7 win.
The other three matches were close early, but the Concordia Thunder (11-4 over Fleming), Humber Hawks (8-4 over Augustana) and Mohawk Mountaineers (10-1 over NAIT) dominated the back half of their contests.
The Men's evening draw featured late-game drama across several sheets. The Mohawk Mountaineers appeared to be cruising to another victory, until the SAIT Trojans slammed the brakes in the eighth. Down five with three ends to play, the Trojans scored four in the eighth, stole one in the ninth and another two in the final frame for an incredible 9-7 come from behind victory.
The Concordia Thunder and Augustana Vikings needed extra ends to decide their contest. CUE held a sizeable 7-3 lead after eight, but Augustana responded with four over the last two ends. Holding the hammer in the 11th, the Thunder rolled to a hard fought 9-7 win.
Not to be outdone, the Sault Cougars found themselves in another nail-biter, when the NAIT Ooks staged a rally after falling behind 7-2. The Ooks scored three in the sixth and stole another in the seventh to pull within one, but Sault held on to win 9-6. Along with Sault, Humber maintained their unbeaten record by defeating the Fleming Knights 11-2.
Day 1 Recap:
The Mohawk Mountaineers began the men's side of the championship with a statement opening end worth seven points. Their opponents, the Fleming Knights, battled on valiantly, winning a few subsequent ends, but the deficit proved too tough to overcome. Mohawk claimed the match 11-4.
The other three matchups were more methodical and closely contested, at least through the first half of each. Humber stole three in the opening end of their game against SAIT, but the Trojans battled back, and things were knotted up 5-5 after eight. Humber then posted a crucial three points in the ninth and took the match 8-5.
The Sault Cougars and Augustana Vikings traded points, and blank ends with neither taking firm control of the match through six. The tide turned when Sault scored two in the seventh and stole another two in the eighth. Augustana got one back, but the deficit proved too much, and the Cougars held on for a 6-4 victory.
Edmonton rivals the NAIT Ooks and Concordia Thunder, who know each other very well, were tied at two after five. However, the Ooks then went on a run, scoring three in the sixth, two in the eighth, and another in the ninth to clinch the win 8-3.
NAIT Ooks at Nationals:
The NAIT Ooks men's curling team is hitting the ice at the CCAA Nationals in Subury, Ontario from March 15-19. The team earned the bronze medal in the ACAC Championship to punch their ticket to the national event.
The action-packed tournament begins on March 15th at 9:00 p.m. ET, so make sure to mark your calendars and tune in to support the Ooks! We'll be providing daily updates on the team's progress, so be sure to check back every evening. And for even more information, including a live stream of the tournament, click the links below. Let's go Ooks!