LIIDLII KUE/FORT SIMPSON
It all came down to the last rock in a bonspiel that is as much about firefighters from across the territory getting together and socializing as it is about curling.

Brent Lewis of Fort Simpson, who was on Neil Mitchell's team, releases a rock during the NWT Firefighters Curling Championship. - Roxanna Thompson/NNSL photo

The Fort Simpson Volunteer Fire Department hosted this year's NWT Firefighters Curling Championship from Feb. 6 to 9. Four teams from the village competed along with one from Hay River.

In the final game of the round robin Roger Pilling's team was on the ice against Michael Rowe's team. Although Pilling's team had gone undefeated and Rowe's had two wins and one loss, it was decided in advance that whichever team won was taking the tournament.

Rowe and teammates Michael Blyth, Dean Austin and Laurie Ozmun, who was filling in for Stephanie Cudmore, started off with an early lead of 3-0 by the end of the second end. Pilling, Scott Whitmore, Aaron Donohue and Travis Wright came back to tie the game in the next end by taking three.

Pilling had another big end in the fifth, stealing three. At the end of the eighth, they were ahead 9-6 with two ends left to decide who would be representing the territory at the Canadian Firefighter's Curling Championships, being held this year in Winnipeg.

No points were scored in the ninth end after Pilling used his final rock to take out Rowe's team's last rock in the house. Rowe then threw his rock away to keep the hammer in the last end.

With the final rock in the tenth, Rowe did have a shot that would have allowed him to get three and force the game into an extra end, but he didn't quite make it and only earned one point, giving Pilling the win at 9-7.

"It was a game of errors, a couple of mistakes for each team," Rowe said after the match.

There were some good shots made as well, he said. This was Rowe's second time competing in the firefighter event. There's a great crowd and atmosphere, he said.

"It's not about winning, it's about having a great time," said Rowe.

During the awards ceremony at the championship Rowe was presented with the Les McPhee Award, which is given to the curler who shows the most sportsmanship on and off the ice throughout the weekend.

Pilling agreed that the final game wasn't perfect.

"I'd call it a game of missed opportunity," he said.

In the second end, Pilling had an open hit for six points, but missed it allowing the other team to steal one. The last game was a pretty even match, he said.

The championship isn't about going to the nationals, but about camaraderie between firefighters, said Pilling. The host department always takes the curlers for a tour of their fire hall to showcase the equipment they have.

Illustrating the point that the nationals aren't the end goal, Pilling and his team announced they won't be going to Winnipeg. That gives the opportunity to the team of Doreen Scheller, Darryl Buhler, Ron Hogan and Terrance Fischer from the Hay River Volunteer Fire Department.

The Hay River team came in second after the skips from three teams, who were tied for second place, threw one rock to the button to break the tie with the closest rock winning.

"It was awesome, always fun," Scheller said about the championship.

Four teams is the most the Fort Simpson department has ever entered in the championship. The department has the highest number of members, 24 regular and 4 auxiliary, it has had in 25 years and two-thirds of them curl, Pilling said.