The Battlefords own Cole Tenetuik and his teammates came incredibly close to representing Canada at the World Junior Curling Championships in Estonia.
The final rock in the 10th end thrown short of the house ended their run at the tournament and sent Manitoba to world’s for the second consecutive year.
It wasn’t as though Tenetuik didn’t expect to have a great tournament though.
“We had great expectations that we definitely had a chance to win,” he said through email. “We knew we had the skill on our team to make any shot we called and we were quite confident going in with how we were shooting.”
For Tenetuik, the week was about more than just curling.
“Just how the week brought us together as teammates and meeting new people is what really made the whole thing memorable,” he said. “The trip itself to the east coast was amazing. Getting to see a completely different part of the country was definitely a great experience.”
While they were confident coming in to the tournament, nervousness grew when they lost their third round robin game.
“We thought our chances were gone at making the playoffs just how the standings were playing out,” he admitted. “It was definitely tough thinking we were done, but we didn’t let it get the most of us. Going into those last two round robin games we said that if we win our next two there is a possibility.”
Being against the ropes is what fueled their comeback.
“I think that being on the verge of elimination actually encouraged our team to play a lot better,” he said. “It showed on the scoreboard with a 12-5 win over Quebec and a 12-4 win over Ontario.”
Sure enough, after winning their last two round robin games, things fell into place giving them a berth in the playoff round.
Their first playoff game was a tiebreaker against Quebec, which they won 8-7 in 10 ends.
In the semis against New Brunswick, they picked up an 8-6 win by scoring two in the 10th advancing to the finals.
“When (skip) Jacob made that double in the 10th I was ecstatic,” Tenetuik said. “Knowing that we were advancing to the championships was a dream come true for me and you just get jitters knowing that you actually get to play for the chance to represent Canada.”
The experience was made all the better with the boys having their own personal fan club with them.
“My dad and my uncle made the trip down to cheer us on. The other guys had all of their family there as well, which made for a half decent crowd cheering the green on,” he said.
There was one important person missing from the stands however.
“I only wish my mom could have made the trip down to watch us,” he said. “Getting to nationals wasn’t only my dream, but her dream as well. That was part of my motivation to make the finals so she could watch me play the game we love on live TV.”
After some butterflies in previous matches, Tenetuik said he was ready for the final.
“I wasn’t as nervous as I was in the tie breaker and the semi-final,” he said. “I think going into the final I was more comfortable with the TV surroundings and the fans and I felt that it was just another game that we get to play in.”
After tying the game up with two points in the ninth end, once again their fate came down to the 10th end.
With a guard just outside the top of the house, and a Manitoba rock inside the house, the final Saskatchewan throw needed to end closer to the button than the Manitoba rock, to force Manitoba to knock it out for the win.
As the final rock by Saskatchewan slowly came to a stop outside the house, the dream was officially over.
“After seeing that rock come to a stop my heart dropped,” Tenetuik said. “It was tough to see us come up short after how hard we fought to get there.”
Receiving a plaque and a silver medal wasn’t the prize they had in mind.
Now that Tenetuik is no longer junior eligible, he has a decision to make on whether to keep playing the game he grew up loving.
“I think I might take a break before jumping into men’s (league),” he said. “This was definitely a great way to finish off my final year of junior, but I probably won’t be able to stay away from the game. It’s just something I strive to do every year and if I don’t end up playing men’s I’ll find ways to keep throwing rocks just because I love the game.”
It’s that kind of passion that goes a long way towards creating life-long memories.
