Curling tour plays through the summer heat in Morris

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This article was published 25/08/2022 (1031 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

by CASSIDY DANKOCHIK

As temperatures reached nearly 30 degrees Aug. 21, the action inside the Morris Curling Club was also heating up.

The club hosted the Manitoba Junior Curling Tour Summer Spiel, featuring four women’s teams and six men’s teams.

A team skipped by Springfield’s Aaron Van Ryssel won the men’s side, defeating Virden’s Jace Freeman in extra ends to win the summer tournament.

“I’m just sore,” Van Ryssel quipped after the game.

“I was really hoping it was going to end in the eighth, my bones are just aching right now — and I’m a skip, I don’t even sweep that much.”

Both teams in the men’s final are bringing new looks into the 2022/2023 season, with players on both teams wearing the game jackets of a now-dissolved squad. Van Ryssel was joined in victory by third Riel Dufault, second Jonah Peterson and lead Andrew McKay.

“We haven’t been out on the ice until this weekend, so I’m super happy with the result,” Van Ryssel said.

“Right after this I’m going to go right back out on the tractor, so it might be a late night for me.”

After stealing a point in the first end, Van Ryssel was in tough after Freeman scored three and then forced a single to head into the sixth end up 3-2 with the hammer.

With only three ends left to stage a comeback, Van Ryssel’s squad was able to force a couple mistakes, scoring three more points without the hammer to take a two point lead into the eighth end.

Freeman’s deuce to force an extra end was all for naught as his final tap-back attempt left Van Ryssel laying one, not needing to throw his final stone.

“You just have to keep your spirits up,” Van Ryssel said on the comeback.

“If you get yourself down, you’re just going to dig a deeper hole for yourself. You just got to get over it, and you just have to play aggressive.”

It’s Van Ryssel and Peterson’s final year in the junior ranks, so the team is looking to pull on the buffalo of Manitoba, an experience Van Ryssel cherished last season.

“That was an absolute thrill,” Van Ryssel said of the national U20 event he played at last year.

“I just really hope we can pull together and take a win there.”

As for playing events in August, Van Ryssel was pleased to kick off the season on a winning note, but noted how odd it was to be curling at this time of year.

“It does not feel right,” Van Ryssel said, laughing.

“After one of our games we took a walk, and I was just broiling. It’s weird to be curling during this heat.”

Kenna Ponzio from Lakeville, Minn. won the women’s event earlier in the day, defeating fellow Minnesotan Sophia Ryorchuk 4-2 in the final. Ponzio scored 2 in the seventh end and then ran Ryhorchuk out of rocks in the eighth. Zachary Brenden, from Bismark, N.D. entered on the men’s side as well.