Double gold: Golden Bears and Pandas capture 2024 Canada West Curling banners
Alberta successfully defends home ice
EDMONTON – Further cementing themselves as the class of Canada West Curling, the Alberta Golden Bears and Pandas earned double gold on Sunday, each winning another CW banner at Saville Centre.
The Golden Bears successfully retained their crown, having now won five-straight Canada West titles. Going 5-0 this weekend at home, the Alberta men now own a perfect 21-0 record at the conference championship since it’s return in 2019.
The Golden Bears earned a back-and-forth 9-4 win over Calgary in the final draw to secure the title, simultaneously eliminating the Dinos from earning a spot at nationals. A dominant 10-1 Regina win over Lethbridge saw the Cougars place second on the men’s side with a 4-1 record.
Thanks to a 10-7 win over Calgary in Draw 5, the Pandas also went undefeated to claim the conference banner, their third in the last five years. The Alberta women also won CW titles in 2019 and 2020.
“The girls were playing really well all week. We were really flowing well together, the conversations we had were great,” said Pandas skip Serena Gray-Withers, who was named a Canada West All-Star on Sunday. “Getting this banner is huge; it is a really great confidence booster for us as we head into provincials next week. We are all feeling well and playing great at the moment.”
Both Alberta squads, along with the Regina men and Victoria women have also advanced to the U SPORTS Championship in Fredericton, NB. The Victoria women needed a tie-breaker win over Calgary to advance to nationals, with all three of Calgary, Victoria, and Regina tied for the second spot with 3-2 records. The Cougars were eliminated from the tie-breaker with the highest accumulative last stone draw distance.
Leading 6-5 through nine with hammer, the Vikes made a hit-and-stick for a single, punching their ticket to Fredericton with a 7-5 win over the Dinos.
Having won their first CW banner since 2020, the Pandas will now have the chance to capture a third-straight U SPORTS Championship in March. No team has ever won three-consecutive national titles, with both Laurier and Alberta twice winning two-straight.
The Pandas will also be among the favourites at the Alberta playdowns this week in St. Paul, as they are ranked 10th in Canada.
The Golden Bears will aim for their first U SPORTS title since 2018, with the Regina men aiming for their first since 2009.
Men’s Champion: Alberta Golden Bears
Men’s All-Stars
Lead: Max Cinnamon – Calgary Dinos
Second: Carter Williamson – Regina Cougars
Third: Adam Bukurak – Regina Cougars
Skip: Johnson Tao – Alberta Golden Bears
Coach of the Year: Laine Peters – Calgary Dinos
Women’s Champion: Alberta Pandas
Women’s All-Stars
Lead: Elizabeth Bowles – Victoria Vikes
Second: Elspeth Cooper – Lethbridge Pronghorns
Third: Catherine Clifford – Alberta Pandas
Skip: Serena Gray-Withers – Alberta Pandas
Coach of the Year: Heather Rogers – Calgary Dinos
FINAL MEN’S STANDINGS
TEAM | W | L |
Alberta | 5 | 0 |
Regina | 4 | 1 |
Calgary | 3 | 2 |
Brandon | 2 | 3 |
Victoria | 1 | 4 |
Lethbridge | 0 | 5 |
FINAL WOMEN’S STANDINGS
TEAM | W | L |
Alberta | 5 | 0 |
Victoria * | 3 | 2 |
Calgary | 3 | 2 |
Regina | 3 | 2 |
Lethbridge | 1 | 4 |
Brandon | 0 | 5 |
DRAW 5
F |
|
Alberta Pandas (W) | 10 |
Calgary Dinos (W) | 7 |
F |
|
Brandon Bobcats (W) | 9 |
Victoria Vikes (W) | 10 |
F |
|
Regina Cougars (W) | 9 |
Lethbridge Pronghorns (W) | 4 |
F |
|
Alberta Golden Bears (M) | 9 |
Calgary Dinos (M) | 4 |
F |
|
Brandon Bobcats (M) | 7 |
Victoria Vikes (M) | 5 |
F |
|
Regina Cougars (M) | 10 |
Lethbridge Pronghorns (M) | 1 |
TIE-BREAKER
F |
|
Calgary Dinos (W) | 5 |
Victoria Vikes (W) | 7 |
Photos by Connor Hood / University of Alberta Athletics