Had things gone just a touch better for Moose Jaw’s Dondalee Deis at the Curl Sask Master’s Women’s Provincial Curling Championship during the Feb. 11 weekend, a playoff spot could have been in the cards.
Instead, the local foursome would finish with a 2-2 record in their round robin pool and miss out on reaching the playoff round by a single win.
Deis, third Lorraine Arguin, second Kay Montgomery and lead Roberta Fonger got off to a great start in the tournament, rolling to a 9-3 win over Saskatoon’s Ada Lacoursiere. Deis built a 4-0 lead through three ends before putting up three in the fifth to make it a 7-1 game. Things were all but academic from there, as the teams exchanged deuces the next two ends before shaking hands.
Things were far tougher in their second outing against Wadena’s June Campbell. A deuce with the hammer in the first end was a good start for Deis, but Campbell got that back in the second end and then stole four points over the next two to lead 6-2 through four. Deis got one back in the fifth, but that would be her final points in the game and Campbell would take an 8-3 win.
Deis ran into Saskatchewan curling royalty in her third contest, with Saskatoon Nutana’s Tracy Streifel featuring former Sandra Schmirler standout Jan Betker at third. It was a tough start for the local crew as Streifel scored a pair in each of the first two ends and led 5-0 through three. A three-spot in the fourth got Deis back into things, though, and a steal in the fifth suddenly made it a one-point game. Streifel would finish things off the next end, though, with a four-spot making it a 9-4 final.
That loss knocked Deis from contention, as Streifel was undefeated at that point and Campbell had wrapped up her round robin with a 3-1 record.
The Moose Jaw foursome still went out on a high note, though, as they took a 6-5 win over Lloydminster’s Team Graham in their final contest. Deis got off to a great start with deuces in the second and third ends making it a 4-1 game. Graham picked up single points the next two ends to make it a one-point battle, and after Deis only scored one in the sixth, Graham tied things up with a deuce in the seventh. Deis made good use of the hammer in the final end, scoring one for the win.
Sure enough, Streifel and Campbell would go unbeaten through the playoffs and meet again in the final, where Campbell would take a 7-4 win.
The Campbell foursome will now represent Saskatchewan at the 2024 Curling Canada Masters Championship Apr. 7-13 in Saguenay, Que.
