East York Spring Thaw Bonspiel

A heavy guard with the 7 rock accidentally promoted Tim Fitzpatrick's squad into a tie game, necessitating a Last Shot Draw to determine the winner.  Team captain Lauren Bond stepped into the hack needing only to touch the 8 foot for the win.  Not only did she come through, but her draw touched the large button, propelling Team Bond to their second straight victory and a 2-1 record on the day.

It was quite a day of curling at the old East York Sports Centre.  24 teams from clubs such as Leaside, Dixie, Oshawa, Royals, and of course East York battled it out in an incredibly friendly event.  Our day began and ended on the Bloor-Danforth subway line, over 12 hours apart, broom bags in hand.  Here are some of the notables and highlights from a long day of curling, eating, and making new Canadian friends.

Our good fortune began at the Woodbine Subway/Bus terminal where we were immediately on a northbound 91 bus after ascending from the depths.  A short walk down Cosburn Avenue past charming bungalows (that run for $300K and up!) and the ballfields of Stan Wadlow Park was the final leg of a journey that started at the corner of Mt. Hope and Elmwood Avenues a day earlier.

The interior of the municipally owned club was quite the place.  Angled glass looks out over six sheets of curling paradise as an all-wood cathedral ceiling looms over the proceedings.  The lounge is quite inviting, featuring bar and kitchen areas at opposite sides of the room, a fireplace above which hangs a 52" flatscreen, and a piano for the musically inclined.  The basement of the split level mid-60's edifice houses additional lounges and locker rooms (with lockers the shape of Idaho such that one can store brooms) as well as the ice shed entry.

De facto Team USA in this event (Pete Fenson and Erika Brown couldn't make it) consisted of Tia at Lead and John Iuranich at Second.  Due to the restrictions on mixed team stone order, Lauren Bond threw third while I was privileged to wield the hammer.  We took to sheet 4 at 10:40 for our second draw matchup against the exceptional Carol Wheeler team.  After dodging a bullet in the first end in which Wheeler had the hammer and an opportunity to score three-to-four points, our team fell into a pattern of near-misses that saw us fall behind 4-0 after 4 ends.  A fourth steal, this time of three, put the nail in our coffin, but we regrouped for what was at the time our 'winning the Super Bowl' moment.  An outside narrowly guarded hit and stay for one allowed us to avoid the ignominy of a shutout and provided a boost of spirit heading into the lunch break.

Our early afternoon showdown pitted us against Elana Sone's East York rink.  The sequence of shots largely eludes me in this battle until we fast-forward to the 6th end.  Tasked with defending a 5-3 lead in the final end without the last rock, we annihilated the house from start to finish.  Tia did a tremendous job of setting a table that saw rocks four abreast at top four foot depth at one point.  After a 7 rock takeout, the math was in our favor, and victory was assured. 

 

The high drama at the end of Game 3 was made possible by a stunning chain of events.  Salty snacks, booze, and fatigue conspired to send Team Bond sleepwalking into their final matchup with Fitzpatrick's legion.  Before we knew it, we had surrendered a steal of five.  A double takeout and stay for one in the 2nd seemed like little consolation as it ensured a 6-1 deficit after three ends.  A clutch draw into the eight-foot without backing for three in the fourth made it a contest, and the ability to get up a pair of guards forced the opposition into a pair of mistakes, setting the stage for a very sloppy final end and the pressure-packed finale.

In all, we had a tremendous time and a very unique experience in this installment of our seemingly bi-annual Toronto mini-vacations.  Bela Szabo, event coordinator, did an excellent job ensuring that the event ran smoothly.  We are likely to go back to East York every year and hopefully we can persuade some other Rochester teams to make the trip.