The first provincial men’s berth for St. Albert curler Doug McLennan since 1985 was worth the wait.
The third for the 2015 Alberta seniors (50-plus) champion rink skipped by Glen Hansen was hoping to win a game at the Northern Alberta Curling Association playdowns last weekend at the Leduc Curling Club.
Instead, the St. Albert-based team with Don Bartlett and George Parsons in the lineup captured the B qualifier for a spot at the Boston Pizza Cup, Feb. 10 to 14 in Camrose.
“We were quite realistic. We went into the men’s thing to practise for seniors,” said McLennan of the Jan. 28 to 31 seniors northerns at the Ottewell. “There is a very competitive streak in all of us but this was just another shot at having some fun. Nobody takes themselves very seriously on our team and it worked out.”
The Kevin Koe rink, with Marc Kennedy of St. Albert at third, are the defending champions and No. 1 seed in the 12-team provincial draw.
“What’s our goal? Win a game,” McLennan said with a laugh. “That, and really just soak up the experience of being on arena ice with probably some decent crowds and try not to embarrass ourselves.
“It would also be nice to play Marc if we get that opportunity. We may never see them but that would be fun because I haven’t played Marc for a long, long time. He’s a St. Albert boy and a great kid.”
Hansen, who calls Hinton home, and Parsons of the Saville Centre are making their Boston Pizza Cup debuts.
Bartlett is a multiple provincial and Brier champion and McLennan was a newcomer to Alberta from Manitoba when he hooked up as Orv MacDonald’s third, with Dale Josvanger and Don Bezaire on the front-end for the Grande Centre rink at the 1985 provincials.
“You hear individuals or couples or teams talk about chemistry and this one has remarkable chemistry,” McLennan said of the seniors’ foursome that finished fourth at the Canadian champions last year at the Thistle. “We don’t see each other that often with Glen being out in Hinton and the boys playing on different teams and of course I dedicate my Mondays to the Dream Team (in the St. Albert men’s league) so when we do get together it’s kind of like old home week again. Everybody is happy to see each other and away we go.
“Provincials will be fun and that’s all we’re looking at it for. I don’t even know if we’ll learn anything to take into our northerns. Any number of games we get together is good.
“I guess we would probably be one of the favourites (at northerns) and there is nothing wrong with that.”
McLennan and Parsons curled together on the Wade White rink, with Dan Holowaychuk of St. Albert at second, that won the 2013 seniors provincials and were bronze medallists at nationals.
“There are some awfully good seniors teams. There is more parity, a lot more teams and a lot of good players so we’re not the only cagey veterans anymore,” said the recently minted 58-year-old McLennan. “We’re not for taking a ride around the farm yard. We’re thoroughbreds.”
A slight tweak to the lineup saw Parsons and Bartlett switch positions as Parsons battled through an injury and struggled regaining good pop for peels throwing second stones.
“Since he moved down he seems more relaxed and is playing exceptionally well,” McLennan said of Parsons returning to the position he played on the 2013 championship team. “Donnie can throw the high hard one and clean up some messes and bail us out of some stuff so with him throwing at second fairly hard I don’t have any problem throwing weight and Glen is one of the best hitters I’ve ever seen so if need be we’ll bowl with anybody.”
At northerns in Leduc, the defending seniors champions stole one in eight and a deuce in nine after four blank ends to defeat Curtis Harrish of Calmar 5-1 in the first game.
The next game Hansen stole singles in five and seven to lead 2-0 against Craig MacAlpine of the Saville Centre, who started with the game with the hammer. A deuce in nine capped off the 4-1 decision.
The only loss was 8-3 in eight ends to Bryan Blaylock of Ellerslie in the A semifinals on the strength of three deuces by Blaylock and his last one was a steal in eight.
Hansen rebounded with an 11-7 victory against the Jamie King’s St. Albert rink of third Glen Kennedy, second Sean Morris and Todd Brick. Dan Sherrard of the Crestwood and former winning skip at the Dominion Curling Club Championships, was parachuted in as a replacement for McLennan, who had a prior commitment at a company function. A three-spot in four made it 5-3 and four in 10 sealed the deal.
A 6-5 win over Roland Robinson of the Thistle was decided in 10 with Hansen scoring one. He also stole the only point of the game to lead 2-1 in four. Both rinks counted one deuce apiece.
Sunday’s B final against Warren Cross of the Saville Centre was scoreless until Hansen stole one in four and in six tacked up a deuce to lead 3-1. The teams traded singles the rest of the way.
McLennan said the TSN turning point was the first end.
“They had hammer and there was nothing in play but one stone of theirs. Glen was just throwing a hit, it picks and goes completely squirrely so they split the rings and what should’ve been a blank now looks like a deuce. Well, Glen then made this cross-house haywire double and sticks and they have to peel us out and they blanked,” McLennan said. “So, had we given up a deuce there it’s a whole different game. Glen gets the bad luck on the pick with his first stone and then makes this crazy double on his second one and we’re out of trouble.”
McLennan will now turn his attention to the Solo Liquor Stores Mixed Bonspiel, starting 7 p.m. Thursday in St. Albert. McLennan and sidekick Colin Jenkyns have recruited two females to replace lead Lauren Jenkyns, who is in Thailand, and third Allison Howes, who is sidelined with a lower-body injury. The winners of four-straight President’s Cups and eight in nine years in the St. Albert playoffs celebrated victories at the Edmonton and area Tournament of Champions in 2010 and 2015 and were the runners-up in 2013 and 2014. Nicole Bellamy is the mixed team’s alternate.
“It should be lots of fun and that’s what curling is all about,” McLennan said of the annual mixed bonspiel.
