LIIDLII KUE/FORT SIMPSON - Between nailbiting shots and medevacs, this year's Merchants' Mixed bonspiel in Fort Simpson wasn't short on excitement

The finals in the A division of the event, held Jan 29 to 31, literally came down to the last rock. During the game, Freda Blyth and Pat Rowe's rinks proved to be evenly matched in the back-and-forth contest.

After their opponents narrowly missed making their last shot, the team of Erin Wyatt, left, Sheldon McKay, Laurie Ozmun, Pat Rowe and Lee Scobie emerged as the winners of the A division at the Fort Simpson Merchants' Mixed Bonspiel. - Roxanna Thompson/NNSL photo

Blyth stole one in the first end but Rowe's team was up 3-1 by the end of the third. In the fourth Blyth took one and went on to steal one in the next end to tie the game.

Blyth's rink pulled ahead by one in the sixth after a measurement showed its rock was an inch closer to the button than Rowe's. In the seventh, however, Rowe's evened the score at 4-4.

Holding the hammer in the final end skip Freda Blyth was faced with a house where Rowe's scoring rock was well-placed behind a guard. Freda threw her rock, which narrowly slipped by the guard to raise her rock toward the button. Too heavy the rock sailed too far, giving Rowe' the win.

"It was such a close game for the whole thing. It was a nailbiter," said Laurie Ozmun, the skip for Rowe's.

Ozmun said the team, which included Erin Wyatt, Lee Scobie and Sheldon McKay, was nervous as Freda made the final shot.

"It was a fabulous shot and she made it. We were lucky it was just a little heavy," Ozmun said.

Pat Rowe, the team's original skip, watched the final game from the curling lounge. Rowe fell on the ice before delivering his first rock during the team's second game. Despite breaking three ribs and being medevaced to Yellowknife, Rowe returned in time to see the team's victory.

The team missed having Rowe's experience and confidence as skip but the remaining members and Sheldon McKay, who was brought in for the last two games, had strong camaraderie, said Ozmun.

"We just meshed really well. We had great communication," she said.

The finals was a really good game to play, said Freda, the skip for Blyth.

"My team was awesome," she said.

"Everyone just did their best."

The other members of Blyth's rink were Chuck Blyth and Scott and Sharon Whitmore. Although luck wasn't on her side in the finals, Freda made an astounding shot in the semi-finals to get to the title round.

In the semi-finals Blyth and Dave Fiebelkorn's rink were tied 7-7 at the end of the eighth forcing an extra end. With his final shot Fiebelkorn shot right to the button and froze his rock to a teammate's already in play.

With the hammer, Freda expected to hit down the middle but her rock curled left hitting one of her own rocks instead. That rock drove across the house hitting one of Blythe's rocks and splitting off the other. When the dust cleared, Blyth was left with a rock near the button and another in the red for a 9-7 win.

"We were like wow, how did that happen," said Chuck Blyth.

There was good curling in many of the games during the bonspiel, said Roger Pilling, the president of the Fort Simpson Curling Club.

A total of 45 curlers on 11 teams competed. The numbers were down slightly from the normal average of 13 to 14 teams, Pilling said.

The annual bonspiel is the club's largest event.

"Our sponsorship continues to be excellent," he said.

Three of the larger prizes were trips to Moose River or an equivalent donated by local companies. Kim Wright won a trip with Canadian Helicopters Ltd. while Kyle Wright won Simpson Air's prize. The Great Slave Helicopters Ltd. trip went to Diane Edwards.

First place in the B division went to a Hay River team composed of Wyatt Scheller, Kyle Wright, Kim Wright and Doreen Scheller.

Colin Munro, Leah Keats, Glen Burritt and Morgan Swant won the C division.