Howard shows why he is the bonspiel favourite 
 

By MIKE KOREEN
THE WHIG-STANDARD
February 3, 2010
 

Without its best stuff, the Glenn Howard rink remains a force at the Ontario men's curling championship.

While the four-time reigning champion skip acknowledges his team hasn't been on top of its game early in the bonspiel, Howard still is finding a way to post key victories.

In the feature match yesterday afternoon at the Strathcona Paper Centre, the former world champion edged Peter Corner 5-4 in a rematch of the past two provincials finals, improving Howard's mark to 3-0.

The Coldwater skip upped his bonspiel-best record to 4-0 last night with a 9-3 blowout of Kirk Ziola's London rink (1-3).

"Our team is generally is the type of team that plays well enough to win," Howard said.

"We definitely want to be better. We haven't been our stellar selves. But the good news is we haven't played our best and we're still (4-0). We've just got to keep plugging away."

Gunning for a record fifth consecutive provincial crown, Howard has been tested early in the event.

He opened with a 9-7 win over Jay Young's Brantford team and then came from behind to beat Mark Bice of Tara with four in the ninth for a 9-6 triumph on Monday night.

Last year, Howard won his first three games in easier fashion -- by a combined score of 25-9.

In the Corner-Howard match, neither team managed to put up a deuce.

Both teams made some uncharacteristic errors. In the ninth, Howard jammed an attempted double takeout with his final stone -- a shot that likely would have given him three points.

Instead, it was a steal for one for Corner, tying it up at 4-4 heading into the 10th.

But Corner came up short with his final draw in the 10th, leaving Howard with an easy takeout for one and the victory.

"It wasn't very well curled," Howard said of the much-anticipated confrontation. "I don't think either team played exceptionally well. The ice is a little tricky right now, hopefully it gets a little more consistent as the week goes on. But it's still pretty solid, good conditions."

It was a frustrating loss for Corner, who also lost by one against Howard in round-robin play last year at the provincials in Woodstock.

"We've lost to him probably eight times in a row," said the Halton Region police officer. "It's time we get him. They've just played better than us.

"It was a close game, but I don't think either team was all that sharp. I felt the breaks didn't go our way, but that's curling. Hopefully, next time we play we'll get the odd break. But we've got to make a few more shots. We were not strong. We got in trouble from the second end on."

Indeed, after both teams took singles with the hammer in the first two ends, Howard had steals of one in the third and fourth to go up 3-1.

Corner did fight back, making a pressure draw close to the button for one in the fifth with Howard lying five.

But in the end, Howard came through with last rock.

When asked if the record run of titles is in the back of his mind, Howard quickly shrugged it off.

"We just want to win," Howard said. We just want to win every game we play.

After four draws, Howard is atop the 11-team standings. Bryan Cochrane of Ottawa Rideau, the champion in 2003, is second at 3-0 after having a bye last night.

Today is the lone day of the event with three draws -- 9 a.m., 2 p.m. and 7 p.m.

Ontario men'scurling championship

Crowded house:With the Glenn Howard-Peter Corner game on a sheet at one end of the building, fans battled for space at that side to get a good look at the finalists from the past two years.

Scoring big:There were some big ends yesterday afternoon. Bryan Cochrane scored five in the fifth en route to an 8-2 win over Rob Lobel. Chris Gardner did one better on another sheet, tallying six in the sixth on his way to a 12-7 win over Mark Bice.

Today's feature match:The two remaining unbeaten teams, Howard (4-0) and Cochrane (3-0) square off in the evening draw at 7.