Rink's Plan B still attractive
By DOUG GRAHAM
THE WHIG-STANDARD
January 30, 2010
Second Brent Laing buried the suggestion quicker than a Glenn Howard come-around draw to the four foot.
Because Howard's rink of Laing, Craig Savill and Richard Hart lost to Kevin Martin for Canada's Olympic curling berth, there has been plenty of speculation the team might have been less than eager to play in Tank ard 2010 Napanee.
Not so, said Laing, whose rink is one of 11 competing at the Ontario men's championship starting Monday at the Strathcona Paper Centre.
"Getting to the Brier has always been on our schedule," he said. "It's true the first goal was to get to the Olympics. That didn't work out. But our next goal was to get to the Brier."
He said the rink has moved on after its loss in the final to Martin in Edmonton in December. Martin's rink will play at the Vancouver Games in two weeks.
"We didn't go to the trials with blinders on. We knew there were seven other rinks (at Edmonton) all capable of winning," Laing said.
"There was a good chance we weren't going to be the winner, although we were very close."
The Howard rink is used to playing at the Brier -- the unit has won four straight Ontario men's titles and captured both the Brier and world titles in 2007.
In non-Olympic years, the Brier would be the big prize for Howard's rink.
Laing said the notion that getting to the Brier in Halifax next month is a consolation for the Howard rink isn't true.
"I'm not sure consolation is what you can call getting to the Brier. That's the goal every rink has at the start of a season," Laing said.
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"Yes, there was the Olympics, but winning the Ontario and getting to the Brier again is a goal for us."
Since losing to Martin, How -ard's rink has been in the playoffs
at two Grand Slam events -- losing the final to Martin last weekend in Winnipeg and at Guelph in the quarterfinals to a
hot-throwing Brad Gushue of Newfoundland -- and lost at the TSN Skins at Casino Rama two weeks ago to Wayne Middaugh, curling with Randy Ferbey.
"We've had a good month (since the Olympics qualifier),
just not as good as we would have liked," Laing said.
"Against Martin (last weekend in Winnipeg), neither rink
was sharp. We didn't play very well in the series. It says a lot (about) our rink that we still got to the final."
Curling fans in Napanee will be watching one of the very best rinks -- not just in Ontario but at the world level.
Ontario's spot in the Brier has been the domain for the past 30 years for either the Howards -- Glenn and older brother Russ, who is now retired from competitive curling -- or Middaugh and Ed Werenich.
Going back to 1980, one of those four skips has captured the Ontario men's curling title 23 out of 30 times.
One of the accomplishments the Howard rink can claim this time is a record fifth straight provincial win. Russ Howard, with Glenn at third, won four in a row from 1991 to 1994. Peter Corner was on the front end along with Middaugh.
Laing said the field for Napanee is one of the best the Howard rink has seen in its four-year victory run.
"Other than Middaugh not there, it is as good as we've seen," Laing said.
"Corner has proved over the years how good he is. Joe Frans, we know him (both Laing and Savill played with Frans and John Morris in 2002 when the rink went to the Brier) and he beat us last year (in the provincial round-robin)," Laing said.
"Mark Bice was the runner-up in the Canadian mixed and his second, Steve Bice, played for us (in 2007 as the rink's fifth man).
"We're looking forward to the competition."
dgraham@thewhig.com
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2010 ONTARIO TANKARD TEAM-BY-TEAM
ARNPRIORColin Dow, lead John Steski. Routezone andto Napanee:regional play. Lost only once through Jeff Greg Robinson. Robinson, lead Nolan Sims, fifth Skip:Chris Gardner
Team fact:Kingston's Ted Brown coached Frans in 1993-94 when he won consecutive Ontario junior titles. Route to Napanee:Undefeated in zone play before coming through Region 1 with just one loss. Rink members:Third Brad Kidd, second Mike Aprile, lead Sean Harrison.
Teamtogether juniorfact:men's in 2000 Morgan title. when and they Young won played the OntarioRouteregionals the ChallengetotheNapanee:Rumfeldt West in After rink, Alliston. losing went out 6-1 to at win Route to Napanee:Captured the Challenge East with a 6-1 record.
Ontario history:Frans skipped in the provincial last year. He is a two-time Ontario champion as a second for Wayne Middaugh in 2005 and as a third for John Morris in the 2002 event at Belleville. Team1996 Ridgetown asfact:the rink. Rumfeldt second on went Bob to Ingram's the Brier inTeamstudent which field.fact:makes at the Dow, him University who the is youngest a human of Ottawa, player kinetics is 21, in the TRENTON
Skip:Chris Ciasnocha Team fact:Fifth man for the rink is Neil Harrison, father of lead Sean Harrison. Neil was the lead for Ed Werenich in his world championship season in 1983. Ontario history:None of Young's rink members have been to the Brier. Young played second for Canadian and world junior champion John Morris in 1999. Craig Savill and Brent Laing of the Glenn Howard rink were on that team.
COLDWATER OntarioOntario 1995 title in at field 1999. thehistory:at 2003 Kingston Cochrane Brier. and Moffatt won represented played the Ontario in the Rink members:Third Wes Johnson, second Jamie Farnell, lead Andrew Ball. Skip:Glenn Howard
Ontario history:Fourth time to the Tankard for Rumfeldt. He played second for Phil Daniel in his last appearance in 2004. Went to the Brier in 1996 as a second for Bob Ingram.
TARA Ontariothe Woodstock. and Tankard Ontariohistory:for Gardner junior the The mixed first is Gardner an time champion. Ontario last rink year bantam played in inLONDON HIGHLAND
Skip:Mark BiceRoute4 and wentto Napanee:unbeaten Won at the the regionals. Kingston Zone Rink members:Third Richard Hart, second Brent Laing, lead Craig Savill. BRAMPTON Skip:Kirk Ziola
Rink members: Third Codey Maus, second Steve Bice, lead John Grant. Skip:Peter Corner
Rink members:Third Darcy Tomchick, second Scott McDonald, lead Paul Moffatt, who is from Kingston. Rink members:Third Graeme McCarrell, second Ian Tetley, lead Brad Savage. Route to Napanee:Lost only once through zone and regional competition.
Routewhich the provincial Howard bringsto Napanee:championship. rink the received defending Under a a bye champion new to OCA the rule back,Teammembers his mixed and junior Countryfact:one out is year None from Club. of out Ottawa of Trenton. of the the Ciasnocha and Cataraqui Ciasnocha played rink junior Golf played Route to Napanee:Undefeated through zone and regional play.
Ontario history:First time to the Tankard for the Ciasnocha rink. Route to Napanee:Lost once in zone play before going undefeated at Region 4 qualifier. Team fact:Steve Bice was the fifth man for Glenn Howard in 2007 when the rink won the Brier and the world championship. WHITBY
Skip:Rob Lobel Team fact:Moffatt is the newest rink member. He played in Alberta with John Morris, his university roommate at Laurier. Team fact:Ian Tetley is a three-time world champion, winning with Wayne Middaugh (1998), Ed Werenich (1990) and Al Hackner in 1985. Team fact:Glenn Howard and his older brother Russ won seven Ontario titles together. But in both cases, when the Tankard was held in Kingston (1985 and 1995) the Howards didn't win. They did win the Ontario championship when it was held in Trenton in 1992.
Rink members:Third Steven Lobel, second Steve Small and lead Stu Garner. Ontario history:Second time at the Ontario Tankard for Bice. He and third Maus were the runners-up at the Canadian mixed in the fall, losing out to Mark Dacey of Nova Scotia.
THORNHILL Route to Napanee:Undefeated through zone and regional play. Ontario history:Corner has been to the Brier as a skip (2000) and four other times as a lead for Russ Howard. McCarrell also has been to three Briers.
Skip:Joe Frans Ontariofor same world its lineup. fifth championshiphistory:straight The The rink Ontario in Howard won 2007. the title rink Brier with is and going theOntariotrip Ontario the went to provincial Tankard to a the provincial,history:Brier at finals Kingston. Ziola in including 1983. in Saskatchewan is making He the was his 1995 at 13th three and of BRANTFORD
GUELPH OTTAWA RIDEAU Skip:Jay YoungRinksecond Scottmembers:Foster, Third lead Adam Mike Anderson. Spencer,TeamHerron championshipfact:rink, Small which in Scotland played went to on the in Kingston's 1991. world junior Noel
Skip:Robert RumfeldtSkip:Bryan Cochrane RinkTylermembers:Morgan, lead Third Chad Chad Simpson. Allen, secondRink members:Third Scott Hodgson, secondRink members:Third Rich Moffatt, secondRouteand regionalto Napanee:play. Lost only once in zoneOntarioits third straighthistory:men's The Lobel provincial. rink is playing in