St. Albert’s top curling rinks sweep into action next week at the Tournament of Champions at the Crestwood.
The 48th annual double-knockout competition features 12 Edmonton and area club champions in the women’s, men’s and mixed divisions.
Kathy Piper, the defending women’s champion, plays Monday against the Shamrock at 6 p.m.
Piper, third Nicole Bellamy, second Alison Howes and lead Laurie Schreiner are coming off an 0-3 showing at the Dominion Club Championships last weekend at the Ottewell.
Two weeks ago Piper’s rink won its fifth straight President’s Cup in the St. Albert playoffs.
The first game at cities for Craig King is 8:45 p.m. Monday against the winner of the opening match between the Saville Sports Centre, skipped by St. Albert’s Dale Throndson, and Ellerslie.
Craig, third Jamie King (throws skip’s rocks), second Ralph Killips and lead Elson Keown (subbing for Brian Pfeifer) finished the Dominion northern playdowns at 2-1.
The six-time defending President’s Cup winners are curling in their eighth Tournament of Champions in 19 years. They were victorious in 2006 and finalists in 2009.
St. Albert’s mixed champion slides into the city playoffs Tuesday against Crestwood at 6 p.m.
The club representative will be declared Sunday. The A-B final is 5:30 p.m. and if needed, the tiebreaker goes at 8 p.m.
Doug McLennan, the four-time reigning champion and last year’s Tournament of Champions winner, battles Wilf Gunderson today in the A final at 11:30 a.m.
The mixed, women’s and men’s city finals are April 14 at 6 p.m.
Draw schedules are posted online at www.crestwoodcurling.com.
The host team for the 2011 Esso Cup has an exhibition scheduled Wednesday against the MacEwan Griffins in preparation for the national female midget hockey championship. Puck drop is 5:30 p.m. at Performance Arena.
The last game for the St. Albert Slash was March 12. The 2-1 loss to the Edmonton Thunder eliminated the Slash in game four of the best-of-five north division final in the Alberta Major Midget Female Hockey league. The Thunder went on to defeat the Red Deer Chiefs in the fifth and deciding game for their second consecutive playoff crown.
This weekend the Thunder, last year’s national bronze medallists, plays the B.C. champion Thompson-Okanagan Rockets in the Pacific regional qualifier at Castledowns Arena.
The third annual Esso Cup, April 17 to 23 at Servus Credit Union Place, will feature regional champions and the Slash.
The general admission ticket package for all 19 games, including the semifinals and medal games, is available online for $50 at www.hockeycanada.ca/essocup.
