Royals and Thunder repeat as CCAA Curling Canada Champions

National Championship Matches 

The Douglas Royals women curlers and Concordia Thunder men’s team are repeat CCAA Curling Canada Champions. The Royals and Thunder took different paths to gold, but both can now hang a 2020 CCAA banner next to their 2019 ones. 

The Humber men posed a serious challenge to Concordia’s defense, narrowly missing out on the Gold. The Hawks seemed to be in firm control of the match leading 5-1 through four ends, but Concordia got a pair in the fifth and sixth to even things up. Humber pulled ahead again but the Thunder stole three points in the ninth to lead 9-7 heading into the tenth. Not to be out done, Humber then scored the necessary two points to force extra ends. Now with the hammer, Concordia clinched the championship with the final shot of the match. 

The Royals back-to-back championship was earned after a 10-1 victory over the Humber Hawk’s women’s team. Douglas jumped out to an early 7-1 lead on the Hawks at the halfway point of the final. A steal of three more in the sixth was enough for the Royals to retain the crown. 

The Humber Hawks are the 2020 CCAA Women’s and Men’s Curling silver medallists. 

Bronze Medal Matches

The Red Deer Queens and Fanshawe Falcons men captured the Bronze Medals at the 2020 CCAA Curling Canada Championships. 

The Red Deer Queens and Concordia Thunder knew each other well, having met several times this season. Neither team led by more than a couple points and they were tied 5-5 after the eighth end. The Queens strategically blanked the ninth to take the hammer into the final end, where they secured two points and a 7-5 victory for the bronze. 

The Fanshawe men had been the top performers the first three days of competition, before losing their final two round robin matches and semi-final. In the bronze medal game, they seemed to return to form, maintaining their lead over NAIT all match. A single in the eighth and three more in the ninth sealed the 12-5 victory for the Falcons. 

Semi-final Matches 

The competitors in the medal rounds were determined during the morning’s semi-final draw. The women’s side featured a tight contest between Douglas and Red Deer, with only one end resulting in more than a single point. The Royals managed to steal a few points which proved to be the difference in their 7-4 win over the Queens. The Humber Hawks were more dominant in their performance, downing the Concordia Thunder 11-2. 

The Men’s playoff featured a pair of closer contests. Concordia and NAIT traded points and the lead all match, with the Thunder getting the eventual 9-7 victory in extra ends. Humber managed to distance themselves from Fanshawe early on, and despite the Falcons attempts at a comeback, the Hawks held on for the 9-7 win. 

Awards

 The top female and male performers were honoured following each of their respective final matches.