After failing to reach the playoffs in their first three outings on the World Curling Tour this season, Team Scoffin has made the finals in their last two.
The Albertan rink, led by skip Thomas Scoffin of Whitehorse, reached the final of the 2015 Dawson Creek Cash Spiel over the weekend in Dawson Creek, B.C.
“It was another good team weekend for us,” said Scoffin. “It was definitely positive for us going forward ...
“We’re definitely climbing our way to the peak right now and we’re firing on all cylinders. It feels good to perform up to our expectations.”
Scoffin arrived in the WCT final following five straight wins, outscoring the competition 32-6 with two shutouts along the way.
The team, which includes third Evan Asmussen, second Jason Ginter and lead Andrew O’Dell, then lost 5-1 to the team of skip Kurt Balderston from Grande Prairie in Sunday’s final of the 43rd annual bonspiel.
Included on the Balderston rink was second Rob Bucholz, who coached Scoffin when his rink made the final of the Canadian Junior Curling Championships in February 2013.
“We’re still really close, him and I, both being from Edmonton here,” said Scoffin. “I see him around the Saville (Sports Centre) all the time. It was pretty fun to get to play against him and his teammates in the final.”
Last month Team Scoffin reached the final game of WCT’s Original 16 at the Calgary Curling Club in Alberta. They lost 6-2 to Calgary’s Team Thomas, led by two-time junior world champion skip Charley Thomas.
Scoffin, 21, has now skipped a team to four WCT finals but is still looking for his first title.
In between the two WCT final appearances, Scoffin played second for Edmonton’s Team Bottcher at the Pinty’s Grand Slam of Curling event, The National, in Oshawa, Ont.
The Botcher rink went 1-3 and did not advance to the playoffs. The highlight for the team, led by skip Brendan Bottcher, was a 6-3 win over Calgary’s Pat Simmons, the two-time defending Brier champ and 2015 world championship bronze medalist.
Scoffin is currently in his fourth year at University of Alberta where he curls for the school’s Golden Bears team. Last March Scoffin and the Golden Bears claimed the Canadian Interuniversity Sport men’s curling title.
Contact Tom Patrick at
tomp@yukon-news.com