PORT McNEILL—Jennie-Lynn Noel’s rink were the first to confess they weren’t in the habit of winning.
So there was some speculation as to whether the foursome’s nun outfits inspired a minor miracle when they won the 'A' final of the Broughton Curling Club’s Ladies Bonspiel last weekend.
Noel’s nuns faced off against Meagan Cadwallader’s rink as cows, pandas and referees dotted the other sheets in keeping with this year’s black-and-white theme.
After playing a regular format round-robin Friday and Saturday, the lineup was decided for Sunday’s six-end, skins format finals. To claim an end, the rinks had to either steal one or hold two, with blank ends rolling over.
Organizer Keith Balcke explained that Broughton Curling Club this year decided to offer cash instead of a prize table, so each end had a purse for the winners, with later ends worth more.
In the final, the Noel rink claimed the first end before tying the second; neither side able to claim the point. Cadwallader took the next two in succession but Noel rallied for the fifth.
The final end came down to the final stone. Cadwallader skip Ann Gray had the hammer and a tough shot after Noel drew to the button behind a high guard. Gray’s shot to remove her stone and tie the end couldn’t have been much closer but just didn’t turn in enough to make contact.
The steal gave Noel the end and the game, capping an undefeated weekend for the rink.
“Wow, we never win,” said Noel. Asked if their outfits may have curried favour from above, the rink of Noel, Tricia Ewen, Jennifer Holland and Heather Jack laughed.
“You don’t understand,” said Holland. “We’re here every Tuesday and we’ve never had to clean the ice.”
“Divine inspiration,” yelled a member of the Russell rink.
In the ‘B’ final, Deb Balke’s rink took ends one, two, five and six to claim victory over Stephanie Manke.
The ‘C’ final saw the Bronwyn Coyne rink rally to take the last two ends after Brenda Drummond took the first four in succession.
On the ‘D’ final Sarah Russell and Marcia Soper tied three ends but Russell took the end in the first, third and sixth for victory.