Given the calibre of competition, it’s always been a difficult run for teams looking to put together an undefeated record in the Original 16 Cash League -- there’s always one off night or a game where the opponent rises to the occasion.
This past Wednesday night was that time for Matt Froehlich, as his perennial contender foursome dropped to 4-1 on the season thanks to a 6-4 loss at the hands of Pro-Tec Electric and Stan Barnsley (3-3).
The two teams were all tied up at three through four ends when Froehlich used the hammer to pick up a single point, but Barnsley replied with a deuce in the sixth end and a crucial steal of one in the seventh. Froehlich was unable to pull off the steal in the final end, giving Barnsley the two-point win.
Both BTN Chartered Accountants (Penny Barker) and KMS Construction (Ben Gamble) remain undefeated at 4-0 after postponing their games against EMJ Marketing (Joe Gunnis, 2-3) and Paws N Play (Jaedon Miller, 2-3) respectively.
After a fast start to the campaign, John’s Music (Ryan Wenarchuk) dropped to 3-3 on the season after taking an extra-end 7-6 loss to KalTire (Dustin Woloschuk, 2-4). The contest was a back-and-forth battle, with Woloschuk taking a 3-1 lead in the third end and Wenarchuk tying things up with a pair in the fourth before Woloschuk looked to pull away with a deuce in the fifth and steal in the sixth to lead 6-3. Wenarchuk picked up a single point in the seventh, though, and stole a pair in the eighth to tie things up, leading to Woloschuk using the hammer in the extra end to get his single point.
Fountain Tire (Barry Silk, 2-4) had the most comfortable win on the night, taking a 10-2 win over RK Sunview Farms (Tanya Heisler, 0-6). Silk got off to a fast start with three in the first end and a 4-0 lead through two before Heisler got a pair back in the third. That set the stage for Silk to take complete control of the game with a five-ender in the fourth, and a steal in the fifth brought things to an early end.
Rod Montgomery (3-3) looked to have things in hand after a great start against ProTec Studios (Tyler Krupski, 3-2), but one of the biggest comebacks in recent league history changed all that.
Montgomery scored two in the first and added deuces in the second and third ends to lead 6-0 before Krupski staged his rally. A single point in the fourth, steal of three in the fifth and steal of four in the sixth, and just like that, an 8-6 Krupski edge. Montgomery got one back in the seventh but Krupski would hold on in the eighth for the 8-7 win.
Original 16 Cash League action takes place every Wednesday night at the Moose Jaw Curling Centre.
