Canadian Juniors
SAULT STE. MARIE, Ont. - Aaron Sluchinski’s Alberta rink needed just six ends to grab a share of the lead in the men’s tournament at the Canadian junior curling championship.
Sluchinski improved to 3-1 with an 11-1 rout of Colin Miller’s Northwest Territories team on Monday in Draw 4 action.
Alberta broke open a 1-1 tie by scoring three in the third end. They followed with two in the fourth, one in the fifth and delivered the knockout blow with four in the decisive sixth end.
Miller’s rink fell to 0-4.
Alberta joined a packed house atop the men’s standings. B.C., Saskatchewan Manitoba, Ontario, Northern Ontario and Quebec are also 3-1.
P.E.I. sat a game back at 2-2, New Brunswick, Newfoundland and Labrador and Yukon were 1-3 while Nova Scotia joined N.W.T. at 0-4.
In other Draw 6 play it was: Manitoba 9 Ontario 2, Quebec 8 Nova Scotia 1, Northern Ontario 10 Newfoundland 7 and Yukon 8 New Brunswick 7.
In Draw 5 action it was: New Brunswick 9 Nova Scotia 2, Saskatchewan 9 B.C. 7 and P.E.I. 8 N.W.T. 4.
In the early draw it was: Manitoba 8 Saskatchewan 5, Quebec 9 P.E.I. 5, Northern Ontario 7 Yukon 2, B.C. 6 Alberta 5 and Ontario 10 Newfoundland 2.
In the women’s tournament, Northern Ontario’s Ashley Miharija remained undefeated after a 14-4 drubbing of the Yukon (0-4) followed by a 10-6 win over Newfoundland (1-3).
Alberta’s Maria Bushell and Manitoba’s Kaitlyn Lawes both improved to 3-1 with wins in Draw 6, joining B.C. in a three-way tie for second place.
Bushell needed just six ends in a 12-1 rout of the Northwest Territories (0-4). It was the second rout of the day for Bushell’s rink, which blanked B.C. 15-0 in Draw 4.
Lawes improved to 3-1 with a 10-4 win over Ontario (2-2).
New Brunswick, Nova Scotia, P.E.I., Quebec and Saskatchewan all join Ontario at 2-2 after six draws.
In other Draw 6 scores it was: Nova Scotia 5 Quebec 3 and New Brunswick 10 Yukon 3.
In Draw 5 it was: New Brunswick 6 Nova Scotia 5, B.C. 9 Saskatchewan 4 and P.E.I. 12 N.W.T. 3.
In the early draw it was: Manitoba 7 Saskatchewan 4, Quebec 12 P.E.I. 2 and Ontario 8 Newfoundland 2.