The University of Alberta Golden Bears and Pandas curling teams scored a double on Saturday, March 21 at the KW Granite Club in Waterloo, Ontario as each team captured a Canadian Interuniversity Sport and Canadian Curling Association national championship title.
For the Pandas, it is the first university national championship in program history, while the Golden Bears program collected its second, and first since 2012. The two U of A teams also become the first to sweep the titles since Wilfrid Laurier did in 2008, which was the inaugural season of CIS curling.
The CIS title wins also means that Golden Bears and Pandas Athletic collected four new banners in the 2014-15 season, following national championship victories in men's volleyball and men's hockey.
Skip Kelsey Rocque, and her varsity teammates Taylor McDonald (third), Claire Tully (second), Alison Kotylak (lead), alternate Taylore Theroux and coach Garry Coderre, defeated Thomson Rivers University for the championship crown, while the Golden Bears, consisting of skip Thomas Scoffin, third Evan Asmussen, second Jason Ginter, lead Andrew O'Dell and alternate Brayden Power, along with coach Rob Krepps, defeated the host Wilfrid Laurier Golden Hawks 6-4 to remain undefeated in the tournament, and clinch the title.
The Pandas were down 5-3 after six ends, but stunned the TRU team with a remarkable four points in the seventh to take a 7-5 lead. The WolfPack, who defeated Alberta in round-robin play, then scored one in the ninth, but Rocque cemented the 8-6 win, with the hammer, by running TRU out of rocks in the 10th
Alberta's vice Taylor MacDonald curled an outstanding 89 per cent to help lead Alberta to the victory. The win caps off a stellar season for Rocque, as the Fort Saskatchewan skip also captured her second consecutive provincial, national and world junior championship trophies this season as well.
In the first half of the men's game, both teams combined for three blanks and a score of 1-1 before Alberta grabbed two in the sixth end. Facing at least four rocks, Laurier skip Aaron Squires drew perfectly to the button to settle for one in the seventh. The teams kept it close, with Laurier coming within one point of Alberta heading home, but Alberta skip Thomas Scoffin played a near perfect game and made a perfect tap for the win. Scoffin curled 90 per cent in the final to lead Alberta.
DAY 4 SCORES
SEMIFINALS
Alberta 7 - Winnipeg 1 (men)
Wilfrid Laurier 9 - Saint Mary's 2 (men)
Thompson Rivers 10 - UPEI 1 (women)
Alberta 6 - Wilfrid Laurier 2 (women)
MEDAL GAMES
GOLD Alberta 6 - Wilfrid Laurier 4 (men)
GOLD Alberta 7 - Thompson Rivers 6 (women)
BRONZE Winnipeg 6 - Saint Mary's 4 (men)
BRONZE Wilfrid Laurier 8 - UPEI 3 (women)
FINAL ROUND ROBIN STANDINGS
MEN
*Alberta 7-0
*Wilfrid Laurier 6-1
*Saint Mary's 4-3
*Winnipeg 4-3
Toronto 3-4
Western 2-5
UNB 1-6
Dalhousie 1-6
WOMEN
*Thompson Rivers 7-0
*Alberta 6-1
*Wilfrid Laurier 5-2
*UPEI 3-4
Brock 3-4
Guelph 3-4
Saint Mary's 1-6
StFX 0-7
* Advanced to playoffs
2015 CIS ALL-CANADIANS AND AWARD WINNERS
1ST TEAM MEN
Skip: Aaron Squires - Wilfrid Laurier Golden Hawks
Vice: Richard Krell - Wilfrid Laurier Golden Hawks
Second: Jason Ginter - Alberta Golden Bears
Lead: Fraser Reid - Wilfrid Laurier Golden Hawks
1ST TEAM WOMEN
Skip: Kelsey Rocque - Alberta Pandas
Vice: Amanda Colter - Saint Mary's Huskies
Second: Alison Kotylak - Alberta Pandas
Lead: Claire Tully - Alberta Pandas
2ND TEAM MEN
Skip: Thomas Scoffin - Alberta Golden Bears
Vice: Evan Asmussen - Alberta Golden Bears
Second: Spencer Nuttall - Wilfrid Laurier Golden Hawks
Lead: Pedro Malvar - Toronto Varsity Blues
2ND TEAM WOMEN
Skip: Corryn Brown - Thompson Rivers Wolfpack
Vice: Jane DiCarlo - UPEI Panthers
Second: Samantha Fisher - Thompson Rivers Wolfpack
Lead: Ashley Nordin - Thompson Rivers Wolfpack
R.W. PUGH FAIR PLAY AND SPORTSMANSHIP AWARDS
Men: Pedro Malvar - Toronto Varsity Blues
Women: Aleya Quilty - UPEI Panthers
NATIONAL COACHING AWARDS
Men: Carole MacLean - Saint Mary's Huskies
Women: Gary Coderre - Alberta Pandas