Four northern curling rinks off to Ontario Scotties

NEWS RELEASE

NORTHERN ONTARIO CURLING ASSOCIATION

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Horgan Wins Inaugural Women’s Championship

January 8, 2008 – The Tracy Horgan team from Sudbury’s Idylwylde Golf and Country Club and Sudbury Curling Club are the champions of the first-ever Northern Ontario Women’s Curling Championship held January 3 to 6, 2008 in Espanola, Ontario.

Horgan, last season’s Northern Ontario Junior Champion, defeated the Krista McCarville rink from Thunder Bay’s Fort William Curling Club in an exciting championship game on January 6th. Horgan stole a point in the final end for a 7-6 victory. Horgan is joined on her team by Jennifer Horgan, Amanda Gates, and Andrea Souliere Poland. McCarville is the defending two-time Ontario Scotties Tournament of Hearts champion. McCarville’s team includes Tara George, Kari MacLean-Kraft and Lorraine Lang.

The field featured fifteen teams from across Northern Ontario. The top four teams from this weekend’s event qualified for the 2008 Ontario Scotties Tournament of Hearts to also be held in Espanola January 21st to 27th. In addition to Horgan and McCarville, the Amy Stachiw rink from Fort William Curling Club and Bolander team from the Copper Cliff Curling Club also qualified.

The new Northern Ontario Womens Championship provides Northern Ontario teams with stronger competition leading to the Ontario Scotties. It also reduces the amount of travelling for teams.

“We are extremely pleased with this new format and the success of the Championships held in Espanola,” said President Al Gemmell. “Thank you very much to the Espanola host committee for doing such a terrific job. They will be wonderful hosts for the upcoming Ontario Scotties Tournament of Hearts later this month.”

The winner of the Ontario Scotties Tournament of Hearts will represent Ontario at the national Scotties Tournament of Hearts February 16th to 24th in Regina, Saskatchewan.

For full results from the Northern Ontario Women’s Championship visit www.curlnoca.ca.

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