By Rebecca Connop Price

Cotter through to B.C. men’s curling final

Feb 13, 2016 | 5:33 PM

Nelson, BC (February 13, 2016) – Jim Cotter’s Vernon/Kelowna rink is back in the B.C. final after dispatching Sean Geall’s Royal City rink 5-1 in the page playoffs.

A draw for three in the 9th end during today’s page 1 vs 2 game ensured the victory for Cotter and his rink of third Ryan Kuhn, second Tyrel Griffith and lead Rick Sawatsky after Geall was light on his last rock.

Five-time BC Men’s champion Cotter is playing with the same foursome that won in Vernon in 2015. The overall winner of the event will represent B.C. at the Tim Hortons Brier in Ottawa (March 5-13).

The 2016 Canadian Direct Insurance BC Men’s Curling Championship continues tonight and tomorrow at the Nelson Curling Centre in Nelson, BC.

Geall and his rink of third Andrew Bilesky, second Steve Kopf and lead Mark Olson still have a chance to advance to the final. They face the winner of the page 3 vs 4 page playoff in tomorrow’s semi final.

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The page 3 vs 4 game is a match-up between Victoria’s Team Jackson and Royal City’s Team Joanisse. It takes place tonight at 7 p.m.

This is the first year that Glen Jackson, who represented B.C. at the Brier in 2001, is curling with this line-up. It includes 2012 and 2013 BC Junior Men’s champion Corey Chester, as well as 2007 Juvenile champion Joel Cave. The team is rounded out by Andrew Komlodi, who previously curled competitively in Nova Scotia. Meanwhile, the Royal City rink of Dean Joanisse, Paul Cseke, Jay Wakefield and John Cullen are curling for the second year together. 

Team Joanisse were last year’s silver medallists. Joanisse represented B.C. at the Brier in 2001 (with Jackson as his second) and 2007. Team Geall features two members of the 2013 BC Men’s championship team (Team Bilesky with Andrew Bilesky and Steve Kopf). Sean Geall represented B.C. in the Brier in 2009.

A total of 16 teams qualified for the 2016 Canadian Direct Insurance BC Men’s Curling Championship.

The semi finals and finals of this year’s championship will be televised on Sportsnet tomorrow (Sunday, February 14). The semi finals will be televised at 11 a.m. on Sportsnet Pacific and the finals will be televised at 4 p.m. on Sportsnet 360.