Manitoulin team heads for playdowns in Kenora next week
MANITOULIN—Island curler Jordan Chandler is hopeful the rink he is on, which includes his brother Kyle and world champion curler Brad Jacobs, will win the provincial curling championship playdowns and move on to the Brier, the Canadian national men’s championship.
“We are hoping to make the playoffs, and see what happens from there,” stated Mr. Chandler, as he and the members of his rink ready themselves for the provincials taking place next week. To prepare for the upcoming provincials, “we did a training session (the first weekend of January) in Sault Ste. Marie.”
“We are ready to go and are excited to be taking part in the provincials,” said Mr. Chandler.
Mr. Chandler played on Mr. Jacob’s team last year when the rink won the provincial Northern Ontario championship and went on to the Brier. Mr. Chandler played second on the rink which also included skip Brad Jacobs, lead Ryan Harnden, vice E.J. Harnden and alternate Caleb Flaxey. The team won their first four games of the event before dropping a game to the Sandy MacEwan rink (Mr. Chandler’s former rink). In the final game, the MacEwan rink scored three in the fifth end to take a 4-2 lead, and after the Jacobs team rallied, they held a 5-4 lead into the last end. The MacEwan rink fought back again and tied things up before the Jacobs rink scored one in the 11th (extra) end to win.
This year, Mr. Jacobs joined Mr. Chandler’s rink to compete in the provincial championship. Brad Jacobs will be skip of the rink, while Mr. Chandler will be vice. Kyle Chandler will be second and Jamie Broad, a Sault Ste. Marie curler, will play lead.
Mr. Jacobs is a past Olympic, provincial and Brier champion.
Mr. Chandler pointed out, “our new uniforms have the Manitoulin name on it, something we are very proud of and like to wear.” He added that the rink has “great sponsors, the biggest being Manitoulin Transport, along with Remax The Island Brokerage, New Sudbury Dental and Hardline Curling Supplies, which is providing the rink all of its curling gear.”
The provincials will take place January 24-29 in Kenora.
