Registered: Dec 2005
Location: St. Thomas, North Dakota
Posts: 2613

Clubs cranks up in Fargo very soon.

I'm down on curling right now and I'm very down on Curlingzone.com, so maybe somebody else can preview the field.

Womens: Cool field. Colorado sends a real contender. Illinois sends a powerhouse. The local North Dakota team is very good. Gimme Norma O'Leary from Minnesota with the unstoppable Sarah Shuster on the front end.

Mens: Old friends, former opponents and even a beloved ex-teammate are in the field. I can't help but cheer for North Dakota because they have Travis and I love Travis almost as much as my own kids. I'll also be cheering for Leo Johnson from Alaska and I'm anxious to see him play. Still, it's all about Stopera from the GNCC. Whether Andrew shows up and skips or Sax Sather comes and Bill skips, it doesn't matter. They are the team to beat and I don't see them losing. I am looking forward to seeing Gallagher, Nicky Bling Bling Meyers and the Washington Senior team. I refuse to cheer for Minnesota even though they have Nice Guy Gartner and return to competitive curling "Big Daddy" Westburg. Why? Because Mazzota let me down in Mixed Doubles and I'm a sore loser.

Stop wins the Men's. Unstoppable wins the Women's. Best of luck. If you see me hanging around the club, please say hello. I'll be the guy who looks like and idiot with a sore left knee.

Ben Tucker

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Registered: Mar 2009
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Stopera is a shoe in, IF.........

Junior doesn't skip (all week). The kid has to go to school sometime, doesn't he? Odd he took that role here, he must have thought he would be in Estonia this week. I believe they got the 4 seed because of the original lineup. If Dad skips and the fifth plays a lot they will be tough to beat unless they are tired from traveling and curling.

They can still win if the team that won the GNCC plays intact, but I don't see that lineup happening.

Sieg (Senior National Champions) can still beat the field no matter what the lineup is, he is seeded one. In the finals.

Kitchen's can also make a deep run, great team, no jet lag.

Gartner is seeded second, probably fills out the final four with the three above.

Wisconsin gets the fifth seed. As the Home State club I can say this is as close to a "club" team as you will get. Four guys who signed up and went to state and surprised most everyone. The skip has a bronze from a few years back playing second and the other three may not have played down before. They like to spiel and curl a lot of games.

Leo Johnson is my Dark Horse. A few upsets here and there and he is in the mix come playoffs.

Word is Durrant will not be curling in Fargo. Wilson taking over the team. Who knows what that dynamic will be.

The field: I really don't know anybody but Myers but I imagine these guys will all pull a few upsets. Who knows when a team might get hot and are in the mix at the end?

Can't comment on the Women since Wisconsin didn't field a team to compete.

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Registered: Jan 2012
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Posts: 136

The more important question is will there be a webstream? We might go into withdraw without something to watch during the week. Plus the kids might get to see mom play on "TV" which would be pretty cool.

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Registered: Dec 2011
Location: NorthMad
Posts: 17

Finally a subject that isn't wrought with controversial, offensive to the sport, it's curlers and the spirit of the game. Sorry HPP, USCA directors, coaches, and powers at be...... Maybe we should consider this the REAL national championship now. Club curlers playing down with fellow curlers they actually know and have the interest of their club in mind. OK enough of the rant.
Tuck, don't give the trophy to Stopera quite yet. There's nine other teams along with me who beg to differ with your anointing the easties champ.
SEEDINGS:

1 WA-Sieg
2.MN-Gartner
3.ND-Kitchens
4.GNCC-Stopera
5.WI-Spielman
6.AK- Johnson
7.IL-Durrant
8.MACA-Myers
9.GLCA-Strouse
10.MOPAC-Gallagher

My prediction of order of finish.
1. Gartner: Already has one club gold medal in his pocket, this time it's for skipping!

2. Sieg: Washington gets another medal (third year in a row) this times it's silver.

3. Spielman: When you win Wisconsin, you're always a contender. Spielman's second trip to clubs this time as a skip.

**** Side note: This is the second time in three years that a team from Blackhawk CC has made club nationals (Mark Olson 2012)! FYI it's a little three sheeter with members who actively spiel, playdown, and generally exemplify club curling etc. What do you think of that Milwaukee, Madison, Wausau, Portage, ...... Good for them guys!

4. Stopera: No chemistry, heck they don't even have a consistent lineup.

5. Johnson: Lost to Spielman's former team (Olson) in 2012 with a stronger team including Quin Evenson

6. Meyers: Texas .... really? How 'bout them boys!

7. Kitchens: Too young to play with the big boys. No home field ice! Too many Kitchens in the house spoil the soup.

8. Durrant (Wilson): See Stopera comment!

9. Strouse: No info on em... Good luck

10.Gallagher: See above statement. Enjoy the ride boys, you can only go up and get better.

Whats the Fargo venue like? , Number of sheets? , Ice quality?, Rock conditions? Anybody know?

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Registered: Dec 2005
Location: St. Thomas, North Dakota
Posts: 2613

Brand new club...six sheets, I believe. Ice is under the excellent management of Quentin Way. Rocks are very good from what I hear.

Ben Tucker
North Dakota

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Registered: Feb 2013
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Posts: 812

Watch out for Gartner. In MN playdown they outscored opponents 66-22, won all 7 games by at least 5 points, trailed only twice all weekend [opponents scored 1 in 1st end of semis and finals].

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Registered: Jan 2009
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Posts: 99

Yes Tuck,

There are six well manicured sheets of ice and new rocks that came with the new building. Everything seems to be getting into place and I think all the participants should have a great time, hopefully enjoying the atmosphere in our club along the way.

Everyone make sure they try a glass of Fargo Brewing Company's Stones Throw Scottish Ale upstairs while you watch or after your games.

(Yes its a shameless plug)

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Registered: May 2014
Location: Virginia, USA
Posts: 15

quote:

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Originally posted by down2

10.Gallagher: See above statement. Enjoy the ride boys, you can only go up and get better.

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Registered: Feb 2013
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Posts: 812

Why does the CZ Scoreboard show skips names rather than state names for teams? Unlike USA nationals, teams have to win in their state/region to get to Club Nationals. No offense to these skips but most curlers can more easily relate to and identify teams by name of state/region than by name of skip. Note that the Scoreboard for the Brier, where all the skips names are known, uses names of province/territory rather than skip

Last edited by dbsdbs on 03-08-15 at 09:51PM

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Registered: Dec 2014
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Posts: 206

A couple upsets on the men's side. Strouse (9th seed) from GLCA downs both 1 and 2 seeds (Sieg from WA and Gartner from MN) to sit 2-0, tied with Stopera also at 2-0. Should be some interesting match ups this week.

Meanwhile on the women's side, quite a few 2-0's, and a couple interesting games, with Calaway deciding to show up in the second half of the match against Paine to win. The many 2-0's may mean the women's field isn't as balanced as the men's, but we'll see what happens.

Hard to make any predictions now, but pretty good odds that a HPP team won't be winning. Although the HPP could just throw their team into the playoffs; didn't you see that rule giving them that option? :: cheeky grin ::

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Registered: Jan 2009
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Once the error is fixed, you should see that the ND men are 2-0 as well, to add to the top of the standings.

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Registered: Dec 2014
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quote:

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Originally posted by youngen
Once the error is fixed, you should see that the ND men are 2-0 as well, to add to the top of the standings.

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Registered: Mar 2009
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A little over half way home and Minnesota, New York and home boys Wisconsin are 4-1. Eight teams solidly in the running and a lot of big games still to play.

Should be an very interesting Wednesday and Thursday.

Sieg started slow but he will be there in the end. Alaska has struggled, surprised they aren't in the mix.

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Registered: Feb 2013
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Mens playoffs begin early. In final draw, Mn vs Wash and MI vs NY winners advance to final 4 and losers will be in tiebreaker, perhaps including IL. Should be fun.

Last edited by dbsdbs on 03-12-15 at 02:52PM

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Registered: Dec 2014
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Posts: 206

Some tiebreakers coming up... Not as messy as it could have been. Some surprises; MI was fairly underrated, seeded 9, going 6-3 and making the playoffs.

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Registered: Apr 2014
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Posts: 15

If anybody is reading this, I believe there is a mistake on the live scoring of the IL vs NY tiebreaker. I believe NY got 3 in the 5th end, not IL.

EDIT: Nevermind, they fixed it!

Last edited by licurler on 03-13-15 at 01:30PM

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Registered: Dec 2014
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Final four is set for mens.

Predictions:

For semi 1: I go with Michigan over Wisconsin. WI won in their first matchup, but MI is playing pretty consistent (except against TX, what happened there?). MI beat the 1 and 2 seed in round robin. And heck, they weren't on anyone's radar at all.

For semi 2: I'll say Washington (Sieg) over NY (Stopera). It seems Sieg woke up towards the end of the week.

Finals: Michigan over Washington. Good story for an unknown to come out on top. And Wisconsin over New York for third.

The field seems pretty even, I don't see any team leaps and bounds ahead of anyone else. Depends on which team shows up for each game.

Last edited by IMWright on 03-13-15 at 01:54PM

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Registered: Dec 2011
Location: NorthMad
Posts: 17

Sorry IMWright.....you are wrong!
Not bragging , ok maybe I am, I selected 3 of the 4 men's finalists in my top five order of finish. I don't think anyone had Michigan finishing that high. Kudos to them, it's one of the things I love about curling.

SEMIS:
Washington over New York
= experience over youth. Once sieg got their rhythm they've been playing like a senior national type team should play. Within themselves and under control.

Wisconsin over Michigan
Wisconsin just playing better now. Doing lots of stealing and scoring 2 or more with the hammer spells success. IVe seen Spielman at bonspiels over the years and he's a completely different curler than he was just a few years back. Much better game control skills. Solid front end really sets them up well

FINALS:
Washington over Wisconsin in a close one. Sieg comes from behind and scores two in the 10th for the win. Packer fans should be used to that from a Washington team!

Michigan over New York for the bronze. first medal for a Michigan team at clubs.

From the looks of the scoreboards through the week theres been some exciting games. Must have been fun for all the competitors.

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Registered: Dec 2014
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quote:

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Originally posted by down2
Sorry IMWright.....you are wrong!
Not bragging , ok maybe I am, I selected 3 of the 4 men's finalists in my top five order of finish. I don't think anyone had Michigan finishing that high. Kudos to them, it's one of the things I love about curling.

SEMIS:
Washington over New York
= experience over youth. Once sieg got their rhythm they've been playing like a senior national type team should play. Within themselves and under control.

Wisconsin over Michigan
Wisconsin just playing better now. Doing lots of stealing and scoring 2 or more with the hammer spells success. IVe seen Spielman at bonspiels over the years and he's a completely different curler than he was just a few years back. Much better game control skills. Solid front end really sets them up well

FINALS:
Washington over Wisconsin in a close one. Sieg comes from behind and scores two in the 10th for the win. Packer fans should be used to that from a Washington team!

Michigan over New York for the bronze. first medal for a Michigan team at clubs.

From the looks of the scoreboards through the week theres been some exciting games. Must have been fun for all the competitors.

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Registered: Dec 2011
Location: NorthMad
Posts: 17

U R Wright I am Wrong!

Finals
Washington for the third year in a row in a close one over the boys from Michigan. Somebodies gotta beat those guys from out west.

Bronze goes to Wisconsin in a 7 end shaker over New York.

Party on Garth, Party on Wayne

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Registered: Dec 2014
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Posts: 206

quote:

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Originally posted by down2
U R Wright I am Wrong!

Finals
Washington for the third year in a row in a close one over the boys from Michigan. Somebodies gotta beat those guys from out west.

Bronze goes to Wisconsin in a 7 end shaker over New York.

Party on Garth, Party on Wayne

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