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Skip Rick Thompson delivers in Thursday’s Masters’ final. (COLIN CORNEAU/BRANDON SUN)
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Sandy Ritchie makes a shot during the Masters’ Super League curling final, Thursday afternoon at the Brandon Curling Club. (COLIN CORNEAU/BRANDON SUN)
The Bert Peaslee rink has joined the Westoba Credit Union Masters’ Super League record books.
The squad, which is skipped by Rick Thompson and features Wade Sauter at third, Gerry Ehnes at second and Peaslee at lead, became the second team in the 20-year history of the league to win it three times. The foursome defeated Virden’s Murray Duncan 4-2 Thursday afternoon at the Brandon Curling Club in the league final.
"It’s pretty special," said Peaslee, who’s from Souris. "It puts us up with (Gerry MacKay) and it’s kind of the echelon we kind of shot for this year."
Peaslee’s team had a fantastic season. It topped the Money Masters Group with an 11-2 record and moved into the playoffs. The squad then topped Rick Demkey 6-2 in yesterday’s semifinal.
The final was played fairly wide open and was tied 2-2 after six ends. It turned in the seventh when Thompson fell out of the hack, but made a draw to the right side of the house.
Sandy Ritchie, who throws fourth stones for Duncan, threw a bit too much weight on his ensuing takeout and Thompson’s stone jammed on a biter, leaving Thompson an open hit for two.
The Peaslee squad ran the Duncan team out of stones in the final end to claim the league’s $600 grand prize. Duncan won $400.
Thompson, from Maryfield, Sask., thought his draw in the seventh end may have frustrated the Murray team, but he admitted he didn’t feel good after releasing the stone.
"I hurt my dignity," he chuckled. "I do that every once in a while. I sort of let it go and hoped."
Even though the Peaslee team, which also won the 2009 and 2010 titles, is now in the record books, the foursome isn’t looking at slowing down. The squad will be back next season and hopes to get the record all to themselves by winning a fourth league championship.
"You never know, but we’re going to try," Thompson said. "You have to think positive. We have a chance."
» cjaster@brandonsun.com
Republished from the Brandon Sun print edition December 21, 2012
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