麻豆社区

His first World Curling Tour win staring him in the face, 19-year-old skip Thomas Scoffin pushed out of the hack and released what he thought was the perfect shot.

With his opponent, South Korean Chang-Min Kim's final rock sitting at the top of the eight-foot, Scoffin had a chance to claim his first title on the world's top curling circuit 鈥� until things went awry.

"We had the end set up like we wanted it. All I had to do was draw to the four-foot, pretty routine,鈥� the University of Alberta junior skip explained. "I threw it really well, but it didn't quite make it.鈥�

Instead of drawing for its usual finish, the rock surprised Scoffin when it straightened out and finished short of its intended target.

The moment ruined what had been a perfect tournament for Scoffin's rink and handed Chang-Min Kim a 3-2 win at the Original 16 bonspiel held at the Calgary Curling Club this weekend.

"We really wanted to win, as it would have been the first World Curling Tour title for us,鈥� the Whitehorse native said. "It was a tough one to swallow, but we did everything we could.鈥�

It was the second WCT final of Scoffin's young career.

Despite the excruciating loss, Scoffin said he was pleased with his team's 7-1 record.

"I'm proud of how we played,鈥� he said last night after a late-afternoon practice in Edmonton. "Our team chemistry is working really well right now and things are really coming together. We're on an upward slope and I feel like we're peaking at the right time.鈥�

After dropping the final of the Canadian Junior Curling Championship 4-3 to Team Manitoba last season, Scoffin is playing this season with a revamped front-end that includes second Jaques Bellamy and lead Andrew O'Dell.

Third Dylan Gousseau is a holdover from last year's silver-medal winning team.

Scoffin is happy with his team's progress to date, as the team hit the ice for the first time together in September. The team rapped off seven straight wins in Calgary prior to the final, which went to an extra end.

The young rink took down each of Mario Freiberger, Neil Gerrish, Chad Dahlseide, Josh Lambden, and Robert Schlender, and Bob Genoway en route to the final, and took home $3,400 for finishing in second.

They also handed Kim's rink their only loss of the tournament, 6-4 in their last matchup of the main draw.

"This was the best we played individually and as a team all year,鈥� Scoffin said. "It's cool to see where we are at as a junior team and one day I'm looking forward to seeing us at the top.鈥�

There was actually two Scoffin rinks competing in the WCT bonspiel.

Thomas's father, Wade, skipped his Whitehorse-based team to a 1-4 record.

The elder Scoffin's team consists of lead Clint Ireland, third Steve Fecteau and second Mitch Young, one of Thomas's longtime junior teammates from his days with Team Yukon.

The Whitehorse rink's lone win came Friday with a 7-2 win over Lloyd Hill's Calgary-based team.

"We would have liked a few more wins, but our main goal was to get some competition,鈥� Wade Scoffin told the Star yesterday.

Wade Scoffin's rink is expected to challenge for the Yukon/N.W.T representation for the Brier, scheduled to take place in Kamloops, B.C. in March.

The younger Scoffin said it was nice to have his dad in the stands for the low-scoring final. Scoffin scored singles in the fourth and fifth ends to build a 2-1 lead before Kim eventually tied the score in the eighth to force an extra end.

"He's coached me for so many years, it actually relaxed me to know that he was watching,鈥� Thomas Scoffin said. "I definitely enjoyed that.鈥�

Scoffin is a sophomore student at the University of Alberta, where he is studying sport and recreation. His rink curls out of the Saville Sports Centre.

The Junior Golden Bears rink will next compete at the Spruce Grove Cashspiel Nov. 22 to 24 in Alberta, before turning their full attention to their main focus to the Northern Playdowns with the hopes of returning to the national junior championships this season in Liverpool, N.S.