TVRA Southeast girls curling playoff relationship status - complicated

St. Mary’s Warrior Lucas Lowes keeps his eye on the broom while releasing a stone to the care of sweepers Killean Coghlan (left) and Jack Verberne (right). (Jeff tribe Photo)

Jeff Tribe, Echo Correspondent

Thames Valley Regional Athletics Association (TVRA) Southeast girls curling standings epitomize the social media relationship status ‘Complicated.’

With one game remaining following exams, all seven teams remain in play for the postseason. With a victory in the final regular season game against St. Thomas Parkside Stampeders, the Woodstock Huron Park Huskies, 8-7 winners over St. Thomas Central Elgin on Jan. 13, would move ahead of a three-way logjam including Woodstock St. Mary’s, St. Thomas Central Elgin and St. Joe’s for the fourth and final playoff position. If the Stampeders prevail, they will move into a tie for first with the Ingersoll DCI Blue Bombers, the Huskies would be eliminated, and the remaining three would have to decide which team joins those two and Tillsonburg Glendale in the first round of the playoffs. If the Huskies tie the Stampeders, they will earn two points and pull into a four-way tie for fourth, setting up an even more complicated scenario.

“It’s literally like (NFL) wild card weekend for girls curling,” laughed Blue Bombers coach Elaine Di Stefano.

IDCI currently stands in first at 5-1-0 and, regardless of the tie-breaking procedure, will finish in first or second and open playoffs against Parkside in the one versus two game. The winner advances to the TVRA Southeast final, and the loser plays the winner of the three versus four game for the second final berth. Playoffs are set for Feb. 11, 18 and 25, with the top team qualifying for Western Ontario Secondary Schools Athletic Association (WOSSAA) playdowns, and a run at a potential berth in the provincial final.

The Bombers’ lone loss on the TVRA regular season came at the hands of the Stampeders, albeit with a short-handed squad due to illness.

The St. Mary’s Warriors girls team is pleased to have a chance for the post-season, said coach Richard Murphy.

“It did create that excitement,” he said of the realization their season might not be over despite a 5-2 loss to St. Thomas St. Joe’s Rams in their final TVRA Southeast outing. “We do have an opportunity.”

IDCI's boys curling team will also open the playoffs in the one-versus-two game. The Blue Bombers finished tied in points with the Woodstock CI Red Devils, the latter earning top spot with one additional point for (61 versus 60) on the season.

The goal for both teams was to make the playoffs, said Di Stefano.

“Finishing top two was the ideal scenario. And then, we just need everyone to stay healthy. If we can stay healthy and have our experienced people on the ice, that’s our best shot.”

Predicting post-season outcomes based on past performance can be tricky, said Di Stefano, given her own team’s illness against Parkside, or the fact a six or eight-point differential in a game can come down to one or two big ends.

“You missed that one shot and gave up four.”

The boys will have their hands full opening against WCI, for example, she said, a Red Devils squad skipped by Alexis Schaeffer, an experienced curler who executes well and calls a good game.

“We don’t have room for error against WCI,” she said, a statement applicable to any of the teams in the top four, games she expects to play out like a chess match of move and countermove. “It’s who’s reading the ice, who’s hitting the shots and calling the right strategy.”

Red Devils coach Scott McIntosh concurred. While pointing out WCI’s boys team has either tied or beaten all of the teams in the top four, the Red Devils tied Ingersoll and benefited from what he felt was not the Warriors' best outing through a 7-2 win on Jan. 13 at the Woodstock Curling Centre.

“I would not underestimate any team in the playoffs.”

It will be a matter of who plays well on the day, what the ice is like, who can read it more quickly, adjust and make their shots as a result, predicted McIntosh.

“It will be a challenge.”

Entering playoffs in fourth place following a post-season-clinching win over St. Thomas St. Joe’s in their final outing, Warriors coach Murphy believes every team in that four-member group has the opportunity to advance to WOSSAA. His pre-game advice to his four curlers will be stick to their gameplan and remain focused.

“I look forward to the opportunity to let them show what they are made of.”