By Darren Lum

Published Nov. 30 2017

Great playing and a little luck helped to secure third place for the Minden Curling Club’s U18 Men’s rink led by 14-year-old skip Evan Roitz of Bobycaygeon.

A slow start at the BroomSpiel 2017 presented by the Brooms League and hosted at the East York Curling Club on Saturday Nov. 25 did little to discourage the team.
The team which practices out of Minden and Uxbridge  includes Minden’s Liam Little second and Uxbridge brothers Aidan vice and Griffen Bowers lead.
This bonspiel had each team play three six-end games in the “point-spiel” format competition open to everyone which included men’s mixed and women’s teams. A points-spiel is broken down into one point for each end won a quarter-of-a-point for each point and 10 points for each win.

Despite Roitz’s rink starting with a loss in their first game only scoring four points they rebounded winning both of their next games scoring 18.5 points and then 19.5 points at the open competition.
The Roitz rink and another team were tied at the end by 2-1 records.
Organizers then examined ends won and a tie remained then they examined points scored and a tie remained. Both skips were then asked to draw a card from a deck. Roitz drew an ace of spades which broke the tie and gave the Minden-based rink third place and $80 prize money.
This team also won four commemorative milk jugs provided by event sponsor Steam Whistle Brewing.
The team will be playing weekly acquiring more experience towards peaking for the Slam Championship in Guelph from March 29 to April 2.

Roitz’s mother said her son and his teammates had never had to do that to break a tie before.
“Odd but it worked in our favour” she said.