Fred Perepiolkin and his Kamsack team of Glen Becenko, Mark Warriner and Jennifer Koroluk aced three play-off games in Norquay January 9 and Benito January 10 to win their first-ever Duck Mountain Super League (DMSL) curling title.
Perepiolkin, sponsored by Nykolaishen Farms, qualified for the A-side semi-final by defeating Bob Kolodziejski of Canora, now skipping the Terry Dennis rink, in the Norquay tie-breaker draw.
Four DMSL teams had finished round-robin play tied for second place. Jeremy Hrycenko, sponsored by Rawhides Bistro and Saloon, also advanced to the A-side semi-finals by defeating Benito’s Rick Kinaschuk.
When all seven DMSL teams arrived in Benito January 10, the ice was perfectly keen and the lounge was well stocked with beverages, wings and ribs. About 25 spectators, some travelling from Kamsack, were seated behind the glass.
A and B-side semi-final play got underway at 6:45 p.m.
Don Bowes, sponsored by Cottenie and Gardner of Kamsack, had his hands full with Jeremy Hrycenko of Arran. Their game was tied coming home. Bowes had a counter guarded in the four-foot, but the button was open for a draw shot.
Shortly after Hrycenko released his final stone it picked up some debris and fell short of the rings, giving Bowes the win.
On an adjacent sheet, Perepiolkin, usually bolstered by his vacationing teammate Nolan Nykolaishen, was quite pleased with his new lead, Jennifer Koroluk, the only woman in Super League competition. His game against Ken Newell of Norquay, sponsored by Challoner Farm, was initially close but concluded after seven ends when Newell had had enough.
In the B-side semi-final, Rick Kinaschuk, sponsored by W.F. Schneider and Son of Benito, faced Randy Trofimenkoff, the pride of Nykolaishen Farm Equipment. The game was tied 2-2 after five ends. Relying on the advice of his vice-skip, Jimmy Nahnybida, Trofimenkoff played a very cagey sixth end, first drawing the eight foot, then raising his first stone to knock out Kinaschuk’s counter and score four points. This shot ended the contest.
A- and B-side finals began after a brief intermission.
Appearing in his second consecutive DMSL championship game, Bowes got off to a slow start against Perepiolkin, but drew for two in the third end to make the score 3-2. The fourth end was a disaster for Bowes and a triumph for Perepiolkin who scored six points, the equivalent of a knock-out punch in boxing. With the score 9-2 after four ends, the teams shook hands and went upstairs.
Meanwhile, the B-side final between Trofimenkoff and Kolodziejski raged on. Both skips played well, trading two-enders. Finally, sometime after midnight, when Kolodziejski had the hammer and was one up coming home, he had a chance to win but flashed a take out.
Trofimenkoff, in attempting to put a second rock in the house, ticked an existing guard stone and created a narrow port. Kolodziejski threw again, missed, and the game was tied.
Rather than play an extra end, both skips agreed to leave the B-side final tied. The prize money was split and spent on food and refreshments.
In a brief ceremony in the Benito curling rink lounge, Tom Jordens, CEO of the Duck Mountain Super League, presented the championship trophy to the Fred Perepiolkin team. He thanked the seven sponsors and everyone else involved in making this, the 30th year of DMSL competition, a resounding success.
Curlers wishing to enter a team for the 2017-18 season are encouraged to contact Jordens.
