Category Archives: Linlithgow League

Edinburgh University 3 – 10 Penicuik

Linlithgow League

Murrayfield Curling, 30th September 2012


H 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 Total
Edinburgh University * 0 0 1 0 0 0 2 x 3
Penicuik 3 2 0 2 2 1 0 x 10

Edinburgh University came into this match against former winners and last year’s runners up, Penicuik, knowing that they would have to improve on the start they made against 37 Club a fortnight ago. However, conceding 5 in the first two ends was not what the team had in mind. With the free guard zone full of stones Edinburgh were unable to put any pressure on Penicuik.

However in the third end the students were able to find their feet with the lovely guards of McCrossan followed up by some nice draws by Ward. Stockton’s stone successfully sneaked behind one of Ward’s earlier stones to claim the university team’s first point by the narrowest of margins.

Edinburgh University, however, were unable to generate any momentum in the fourth and fifth ends, conceding another four points. This was due to Penicuik’s superior skill, though Edinburgh’s debutant Dun challenged them with some very impressive draws.

In the sixth end McCrossan and Ward re-found the form that had won the third end to allow Dun to keep the central house clear for Stockton to draw in to take a point. However he was heavy by the slightest of margins and the point went to Penicuik.

In the final end, the University team were determined to keep the score line respectable and were completely dominant in the final end. Stockton was unlucky that his take out did not stay in the house however it did allow the team to take a well deserved 2.

Penicuik have always been a very strong team, and in the past Edinburgh University have conceded some very heavy scorelines, so to keep the scoreline respectable is a very important achievement. Their dominance in the final end only goes to prove the potential in the team and that things can’t be too far away from coming together.

Fraser Stockton

Edinburgh University 3 v 8 37 Club

Linlithgow League
Murrayfield Curling, 16th September 2012


H 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 Total
Edinburgh University * 0 0 0 1 1 0 1 x 3
37 Club 3 1 3 0 0 1 0 x 8

The first time you step out onto the ice in any season is going to be difficult, and the hope is that you can quickly shake off any rust and start making the shots asked of you. Unfortunately, this was not the case for the Edinburgh University side and they got off to a poor start with The 37 Club stealing 3 in the first end. Some lovely guards from McCrossan in a 2nd end played mostly front of tee set Edinburgh up to control the end but with Stockton unable to find draw weight, there was another steal. Things went from bad to worse in the 3rd end with another steal of 3. This time the team were unable to get many stones in play so never really threatened to score.

From being 7-0 down, Edmunds suggested to the skip that a change of tactics was necessary and from the 4th end the skip called a more defensive hitting game which worked in Edinburgh’s favour. Edinburgh then won the next four ends by a score of 3-1. Williams made almost every hit he was asked to make which set up Stockton up for a simple draw to score in the 4th end. He obliged, getting Edinburgh on the board but made his sweepers work hard for the point. A steal in the 6th end gave the University team a boost in confidence but the 37 Club skip snuffed out any chance of a dramatic recovery with an excellent promotion with the hammer. In the final end Edinburgh went out with a bang. Having hogged his first stone, McCrossan more than made up for it with an excellent double take-out. This put Edinburgh in control and the skip capped it off with another double take-out to score 1.

The team will be ruing what might have been given their much improved 2nd half performance. If they had performed like that from the start then there may have been a different result, however, there are still many positives to take from this first defeat. Here’s to a good season!

Eoin McCrossan

Edinburgh University 5 v 9 DAFS

Linlithgow League
Murrayfield Curling, 4th March 2012


H 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 Total
Edinburgh University 0 1 0 1 0 2 1 0 5
DAFS * 2 0 2 0 2 0 0 3 9

With just two games remaining of this competition, Edinburgh University’s task was clear – win the last fixtures and a final position at the bottom of the league would be avoided. Easier said than done, however.

Edinburgh’s opponents for this penultimate game, DAFS, had enjoyed comfortable victories in all of the three previous meetings (12-1, 15-3 and 11-2). While DAFS’ superiority was clear, the students set themselves realistic targets – improve on previous scores by restricting the opposition to under double figures and score more than three. As the line score shows, they achieved both.

Under the cool head of skip Graham Chernoff, the team of Ted Edmunds, Eoin McCrossan and Schuyler Ward began solidly. DAFS won the toss and took their two in the first end. Everything was being played front of house and DAFS utilised their last stone advantage.

The second saw Edinburgh stones buried from early on, following more good build up play, and after many uncharacteristic missed take outs from DAFS, Chernoff was left with the chance to draw for two which, unfortunately, he didn’t take.

Symmetry began to prevail in the score as DAFS again took a two in the third with the hammer after Edinburgh’s back end were unable to remove all the stones they wanted to. DAFS ability to find the house was proving more successful than the University’s. The fourth end again saw Chernoff with a draw attempt for two with the hammer but despite some strong sweeping it came up short.

Into the fifth and a few wobbles from the Edinburgh team were not fully exploited by DAFS – Ward was finding weight a problem but McCrossan made up for this with some useful shots in play. Edmunds then flashed on a takeout despite having previously peeled two guards successfully. Chernoff missed out on a double but the damage limitation he achieved was crucial as DAFS again took a two with their last stone advantage.

The sixth end proved to be a turning point as the students started to reduce the deficit. One shot in particular, however, could have cost the team dear had it not been for Chernoff’s great split for two with the hammer: two DAFS guards sat right next to each other just in front of the house and Edmunds was called to peel them away. It looked fairly routine – any sort of contact on either inside edge and they were both gone. Disbelief followed, however, as Edmunds’ shooter somehow found the space between the two stones and sailed through the house. An unwelcome trick shot from Edinburgh’s third player.

The students carried this improvement over to the penultimate end where more good build up play from the front end began to frustrate DAFS and sloppiness entered their game. Edmunds protected what Edinburgh already had with a great guard – further foxing the DAFS players who now began to criticise each other’s weight and calls as shots kept sailing through. When a succession of draws had been played and the end was over, Edinburgh had stolen a single to move within a point of DAFS. Delaying tactics from DAFS were evident as the thirds agreed on score – it was evidently a single, Edmunds was not going to be bullied by a measure and his DAFS counterpart eventually agreed on the score.

Whatever happened now, the students would be pleased with their performance having scored more against DAFS than any team had managed before and still being in the hunt in the final end. DAFS pulled out their best shots in this end and it all came down to the final stones. With a congested centre of sheet, Chernoff played an audacious angled raise which came off perfectly, promoting Edinburgh to shot stone. DAFS, however, could just see enough of it and their skip played an equally excellent shot through a funnel of stones to remove it and lie three.

A relieved DAFS team reflected that Edinburgh had come back very strongly and had run them close. Given previous results against this team, this was a significant improvement against the players who have all but won this season’s competition. Edinburgh’s final game is against the team directly beneath them, Heriots FP, in a game which will ultimately decide who finishes at the bottom of the league – a position Edinburgh will be keen to avoid having been there at the end of last season.

 Ted Edmunds

Current Standings
Team Played Ends Shots
For
Shots
Against
Shots
+/-
Points
1 DAFS 13 59 113 70 43 20
2 37 Club 13 56 97 73 24 18
3 Penicuik 13 55 103 72 31 17
4 Aegon 13 58 96 53 36 16
5 Vets 13 47 88 73 12 14
6 Edinburgh Ladies 13 48 83 96 -20 10
7 Edinburgh University 13 43 53 105 -61 5
8 Heriots FP 13 37 60 105 -53 4


Edinburgh University 5 v 9 Aegon

Linlithgow League
Murrayfield Curling, 5th February 2012


H 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 Total
Edinburgh University 0 0 1 1 0 2 1 0 5
Aegon * 4 1 0 0 1 0 0 3 9

Edinburgh University will wish they could simply chalk off the first end of this game, as a close encounter saw them succumb by the four points conceded there. Alison McAteer- fresh off a peel against Gogar Park Young Curlers, dropped down to third ,her place at skip assumed by Fraser Stockton, coming in directly after his three games in the Open Pairs. Schuyler Ward and Emma Wheeldon comprised the front-end.

Edinburgh- struggling in the league- were always second favourites in this game and made things difficult from themselves in the first, giving away a big early lead. A stolen single by Aegon seemed to be paving the way for a rout but the students had other ideas.

The front end, who started slowly, gathered impetus as each end passed, with Wheeldon’s improving guard play and Ward’s draws now giving Stockton a more solid foundation on which to build. A single in the third was a touch disappointing, but was followed up by a steal of one in the next; Stockton’s takeout had seen his shooter hang around, and his counterpart could not remove it. In the fifth, Aegon were restricted to a single of their own and the momentum was definitely switching to the students.

Edinburgh made full use of the hammer in the sixth, finally scoring a two when Stockton’s draw for seemed to be wrecking, but was well improvised into a tap-up which just stuck around. An incredible take-out from Ward in the seventh- just sneaking past an opposition guard- set the stage for a photo finish as Edinburgh clawed back another single to pull within one point.

The students simply couldn’t take advantage, though and, having lost just two points in the last six ends, yielded a three in the eighth.

Despite the result, there were some optimistic signs from this Edinburgh team. Normally very quick to let their heads drop after they go behind, the students instead worked even harder and put some real pressure on their opponents, and were ultimately unlucky to lose. McAteer’s performance too, was noteworthy, as she continued her comeback from a long-term injury in seemingly better form than ever. One has to wonder whether, had that early four not been lost, and had so much of the match not been played in the front of the house (restricting opportunities for draws and freezes) the result here might not have been different.

Michael Nicholson

Edinburgh University 4 v 11 Edinburgh Ladies

Linlithgow League
Murrayfield Curling, 11th December 2011


H 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 Total
Edinburgh University * 0 0 2 0 0 1 1 x 4
Edinburgh Ladies 1 4 0 5 1 0 0 x 11

The last meeting between these two sides saw Edinburgh University’s first ever point in the Linlithgow League that had not come from penalty points. The team that played in that 5 v 5 peel agreed that it was a pleasure to play in and it had been the embodiment of good curling.

Sunday’s game, however, was anything but.

With a stronger and more experienced team than played in the first encounter, hopes were high for an Edinburgh victory.  Only Ted Edmunds remained from that team, playing lead alongside former club President Ben Thomas, drafted in at the last minute as cover for the ill Michael Nicholson. Current President Alison McAteer assisted skip David Jenkins in the head.

Intimidation is a strong word, but when stepping onto the ice next to the final of the Scottish Mixed Doubles Championship and then to find that one of your opponents for the afternoon is Jennifer Dodds, it is hard not to feel like you are at a disadvantage even before a shot has been thrown in anger. Miss Dodds is a very talented young curler who Edinburgh remembered all too clearly -  her Strathclyde team scored a seven against the University team in a thrashing at the Universities Open back in April. Just one week before Sunday’s game, she qualified for the 2012 Scottish Junior Championships.

The first end began slowly with Edmunds, unaccustomed to playing lead, hogging his first stone  It was left to Jenkins to draw a port to score but he was unlucky with his effort and the Ladies stole a one.

The match began to turn against the University in the next end as the Ladies’ quality shone through. Thomas’s draws both went straight through the house after some lovely guard play from Edmunds. McAteer played some solid strikes but Jenkins couldn’t reduce the number of Ladies’ expertly buried stones and they counted four.

A much better end from the University followed as Jenkins was left to play some draws which he executed very skilfully. The measure was required, though it was clear the University had scored at least one. After McAteer and Dodds did the honours, the University counted two and were back in the match.

With the hammer in the fourth, however, the Ladies tied up the game with a five. Edmunds’s guards proved very attractive to the Ladies who just kept burying behind them leaving the University no shot.

Despite heads starting to drop, the University were lying for much of the fifth end. Jenkins drew for a chance of three but was slightly too heavy and ended up drawing into the already placed University stones. Out came the measure once again and it transpired that Jenkins’ eagerness to get points on the board had led to a steal of one for the Ladies. At 11-2 down, it was looking like a rout.

Mercifully, that proved to be the end of the Ladies’ scoring as a much more open sixth saw a single scored for the University after a miraculous triple takeout from Thomas – having clipped and removed a guard on the way down, his shooter proceeded to clear out the Ladies’ counters in the house. If this had been snooker, he would have been tapping the table.

In what proved to be the final end, Edmunds began to have flashbacks of that afternoon in Stranraer as, apparently out of nothing, the Ladies once again filled the house. With his last stone of the game, Jenkins drew in to lie shot. With the hammer, the Ladies had to hit and lie to take a SEVEN. They had been very effective with this type of shot during the match and the University team couldn’t bear to look as they expected their worst ever defeat in the competition.  But someone was looking down on the University, the team thought, as the shooter went sailing past Jenkins’ stone and left the University with just a seven point defeat and not a fifteen point one.

Despite the team never really finding their feet in this game, and perhaps relying on more than their fair share of luck, it has been an encouraging end of 2011 for the University in this competition with further progress expected in the New Year.

Ted Edmunds

Current Standings
Team Played Ends Shots
For
Shots
Against
Shots
+/-
Points
1 37 Club 10 42 69 56 13 14
2 DAFS 9 33 74 42 32 14
3 Aegon 10 46 74 42 32 12
4 Penicuik 9 38 71 50 21 12
5 Edinburgh Ladies 9 37 65 62 3 9
6 Vets 9 33 61 57 4 8
7 Edinburgh University 10 31 38 85 -47 5
8 Heriots FP 10 27 43 89 -46 2

Edinburgh University 2 v 14 37 Club

Linlithgow League
Murrayfield Curling, 4th December 2011


H 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 Total
Edinburgh University * 1 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 2
37 Club 0 3 2 0 4 2 1 2 14

After forfeiting their first game against Edinburgh University in this years Linlithgow League owing to an inability to field a full team, 37 Club came into this reverse fixture with vengeance in mind. To face them, Edinburgh restored Michael Nicholson to skip, assisted in the head by Ted Edmunds, with rookies Schuyler Ward and Emma Wheeldon completing the rink.

Edinburgh started brightly and will be disappointed not to have taken more than a single in the first end. Edmundss second shot, a delicate hit and roll, saw his shooter buried well behind a guard. After the 37 Clubs skip was unable to remove it with either of his shots, Nicholson had the chance of a tap up for two but was ever so slightly too light with his stone. 37 Club responded quickly with a triple in the second end, the only real highlight of which was a beautiful double takeout from Ward.

A congested third end saw 37 Club place two of their stones on the button, with an Edinburgh guard in front. Nicholson, faced with no other options, attempted a very difficult barrier weight double-raise-double-takeout, looking to push an opposition guard onto his own, and into the lying counters. The shot drifted just slightly wide and 37 Club stole the two. Edinburgh responded with a single in the fourth, Nicholson again failing to make a hit for two.

37 Club really started to apply the pressure in the fifth, splitting the house with four stones. Nicholson, with his second, attempted a freeze onto a rock in the back of the four foot but was a touch heavy. 37 Club, guaranteed a four barring accidents, spurned an opportunity to add another point, coming up slightly short with the hammer.

Into the sixth, another double takeout from Ward was the real highlight as Edinburgh somewhat belatedly began to assert themselves. Following some good build up work to leave the house rather full, Edmunds stepped up to play a delicate flick off the lying opposition shot through a port of Edinburgh stones in the back of the house. The shot just missed, though, and 37 Club took full advantage, freezing another rock onto Edmundss squandered target and taking another two points.

A change in strategy saw Edinburgh revert to a hitting game in the seventh, with Ward adding still another double takeout- eclipsed only by Edmundss sublime barrier weight double; swept exceptionally well by Ward and Wheeldon, it crept past the guard into the lying counters in the back twelve. 37 Club lay shot with only the hammer to be played but a tap back from Nicholson would have given his team four had the shooter not drifted just an inch wide. A similar scenario faced him in the last end, where a tap back could have given him five shots- and a more respectable scoreline- but again he was slightly wide.

Edinburgh did not play badly by any means, simply coming up against a strong team who never gave an inch- each of their draws being played to a perfect tee weight. The front ends inability to get stones in the house undoubtedly put pressure on Edmunds and Nicholson, who seldom had a real choice of shots to play; but in truth the strength of 37 Clubs back end was such that a loss would have been the most likely outcome anyway.

Michael Nicholson

Current Standings
Team Played Ends Shots
For
Shots
Against
Shots
+/-
Points
1 Aegon 9 42 70 37 33 12
2 37 Club 9 37 62 52 10 12
3 DAFS 8 30 69 38 31 12
4 Penicuik 8 33 61 44 17 10
5 Vets 8 30 57 50 7 8
6 Edinburgh Ladies 8 33 54 58 -4 7
7 Edinburgh University 9 28 34 74 -40 5
8 Heriots FP 9 24 37 79 -42 2

 

Edinburgh University 4 v 8 Penicuik

Linlithgow League
Murrayfield Curling, 27th November 2011


H 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 Total
Edinburgh University * 2 0 0 0 1 0 0 1 4
Penicuik 0 1 0 3 0 0 4 0 8

Edinburgh University do not traditionally enjoy fixtures against the reigning Linlithgow League champions, Penicuik. Games in the past have resulted in heavy defeats (2-14, 2-13) against a team who have won this competition many times in recent history.

While the most recent outing against these tough opponents ended in defeat once again, all the players can be proud of a great effort in a game that began tight and tense. As in the past, however, Edinburgh’s inability to see out games and hold onto leading positions let the team down. Winning the same number of ends as your opponents is fine when your opponents score big in theirs, however, it is frustrating.

Maybe it was the final of the Edinburgh International being played on Sheet 4 that spurred the team on to an impressive start. The sheer brilliance (and noise) coming from Teams Brewster and Reid contributed to a great atmosphere.

The team for the day saw David Jenkins at skip – adding another appearance to his impressive tally. Graham Chernoff, usually a back-end player, was called in at second while Ted Edmunds played third after his debut at skip in his previous, tough game against Vets CC. Joachim Vesely, who has only been curling for a few months, played lead in his first competitive fixture and he began the game solidly.

The opening end saw a lot of striking after dbutante Vesely had played his first stones well in what began as a very open affair. Edmunds made up for a miss by successfully taking out a Penicuik counter, leaving skip Jenkins the chance to capitalise with the hammer. Some well-placed shots later, and the University had two points. The second end was tight again and culminated with Jenkins- who was ever so slightly off with his draws- restricting Penicuik to just the one point.

Penicuik came back more aggressively in the third. Edmunds- usually solid with strikes- missed twice but his skip made up for it by blanking the end and retaining the last stone advantage. To be ahead against Penicuik after three ends was no mean feat but, sadly, it was not to last. The fourth end was dominated by Penicuik who started to show what they are capable of. Despite Edinburghs best efforts they stole a three which swung the momentum back in their favour.

Still very much in the match, the University began the fifth well with Edmunds playing a great split to bury Edinburghs counters behind Chernoff and Veselys well-placed stones. Unfortunately, the team were only to count one as Jenkins’ final stones were slightly misjudged. Uncharacteristically for the University’s matches, the sixth end saw another blank after Chernoff had successfully cleared out a busy house. Two very wide corner guards of different colours were all that remained after this unusual end.

Going into the seventh just a point behind Penicuik should have given Edinburgh a huge confidence boost but the team started to let their heads drop. Vesely struggled with weight after his good early play and Penicuik continued to bury their stones. A great draw from Jenkins looked to have saved the end, but Penicuik tapped up perfectly to leave them lying four.

Knowing the game was beyond them, the students played the final end albeit without much enthusiasm. Good work from Penicuik left Edinburgh again facing several counters and a double-figure defeat that would, arguably, not have reflected upon their solid play. As it was, Jenkins was left to play the final stone of the match facing a similar house to the previous end. It was up to the skip to restrict Penicuik as much as possible and to keep the scoreline respectable. Despite the game having been lost and Jenkins’ clear frustration at earlier lapses he played a sublime draw to the button that not only restricted the opposition but that also gave Edinburgh their final point of the match to leave the final score at 8-4 to Penicuik.

This match showed that the team has grown in both confidence and ability since their tentative first outings in this competition over a year ago. Even facing defeat, the team can find praise for each other and acknowledge good decision making that comes from a noticeable improvement in both communication and etiquette. Edinburgh University no longer needs to fear teams the way they perhaps once did and if an effort can be made to sustain concentration and to build on good early play then there is no reason why the team cannot continue its upward trajectory.

Ted Edmunds

Edinburgh University 8 v 3 Heriots FP

Linlithgow League
Murrayfield Curling, 20th November 2011


H 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 Total
Edinburgh University 1 2 0 1 1 2 0 1 8
Heriots FP * 0 0 2 0 0 0 1 0 3

Four Edinburgh University curlers walk into a bar, and promptly get a round bought for them.

This somewhat cruel joke that had been circulating round the clubs membership unfortunately had an element of truth behind it, so long was it since the club had won a game. One had to look back to two seasons previously to find the last win not attributable to penalty points or forfeit. Sundays match looked to be a good opportunity to break this cycle. The opposition, Heriots FP, entered the game propping up the table with just two points, but would have been replaced there by Edinburgh University unless the students could at least gain a draw.

Following a poor performance in his previous game, Michael Nicholson dropped down from skip to third, replaced in the head by the experienced David Jenkins. Schuyler Ward and Rory Williams, each playing their second game for the club, revived their front end partnership from three games previously, swapping their positions from that fixture with Ward at second and Williams leading off.

Despite losing the toss, and thereby the hammer, Edinburgh stole a point in the first end. Some impressive takeouts- including a double- from Nicholson in the second opened up that rather congested end. When the Heriots FP skips last draw drifted a little too far, the measure was called for; despite seeming like a solitary point for Edinburgh, they lay second shot by the narrowest of margins and pulled into a three point lead.

Heriots FP clawed two back in the third, but were unable to build momentum. Jenkins- with the hammer for the first time in the match- faced losing four, but a cool-headed draw into the house, normally his Achilles heel, pinched a single for Edinburgh.

Edinburghs good form drifted a little in the fifth end, with Ward and Williams losing their weight and putting pressure on the back end. However, their strong sweeping helped Jenkins to salvage a further steal of one as Edinburgh continued to march on. In the sixth, it was Nicholson who put pressure on his skip. While his hitting in the first few ends had been imperious (five out of six made), he missed two easy strikes here to give Heriots the upper hand. Again, Jenkins stepped in with an exact draw and nicked a further single when the Heriots FP skips takeout drifted inches wide.

Edinburgh nearly let Heriots FP back into the game in the seventh, Ward and Williams coming off Jenkinss first stone a fraction early and allowing it to wreck on the short opposition guard. Heriots skip drew in to lie four but, with his counterpart recovering with a precision draw to lie shot, was forced to take a single. Edinburgh kept the next end open (aside from one lovely guard played by Nicholson) and had already counted Heriots FP out of the game by the time Jenkins stepped up to take one last point for the team.

While Edinburgh will no doubt welcome the league points from this game- which took them three clear of the bottom of the table- the morale boost of finally winning will surely be more precious to them. The question is, can they convert this into further success both in this league and the Scottish Universities league? Only time will tell.

Michael Nicholson

Edinburgh University 2 v 11 DAFS

Linlithgow League
Murrayfield Curling, 13th November 2011


H 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 Total
Edinburgh University * 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 1 2
DAFS 1 2 2 2 0 3 1 0 11

Edinburgh University fielded two debutants in this Linlithgow League fixture, as Emma Wheeldon (lead) and Joergen Joergensen (second) both stepped up for their first competitive game; Lewis Drennan returned for only his second match after a few years absence, slotting in at third. Michael Nicholson completed the quartet, taking the head against DAFS for the second time in as many seasons, the previous effort being a heavy 3 v 15 loss.

From the start of the match, it seemed that a similar thrashing was on the cards with Nicholson completely failing to get a read on the very swingy ice, and his teammates all struggling to find their weight. Despite winning the toss Edinburgh could not capitalise, their skip unable to draw to the four foot to beat his counterparts lying shot. Three successive steals of two points followed, but it could easily have been more, Nicholsons hit and roll in the third end limiting the damage when faced with losing five.

In the fourth end, though, Edinburgh had shown signs of resuscitation. Following a quick chat with his skip at the end of the third, Drennan pared his takeout weight back to a more measured level, and played two excellent strikes to clear the DAFS guards from the front of the house. However, it was DAFS who capitalised, two perfect tee weight draws proving impossible for Edinburghs skip to match.

In the fifth, with the game seemingly over as a contest, the DAFS third managed to bury his second stone perfectly behind a couple of his own guards. Nicholson responded with a terrific shot, a lovely corner freeze that left him lying shot with a further two stones in the house. The DAFS skip could do nothing to remove the stone so, with his second, Nicholson needed only to follow his previous line down with a bit more weight to tap the opposition rock back and take four, which surely would have shifted the momentum of the game. His shot was poor though, his line some two feet out despite the perfect weight, and Edinburgh counted only the single.

With the hammer for the first time in the match, DAFS went in for the kill and scored a big three in the sixth to put the game completely out of Edinburghs reach, with a further single in the seventh for good measure.

With nothing but pride to play for in the eighth, Edinburgh finally (but belatedly) enjoyed a bit of luck. Drennan followed one good barrier weight takeout with a second sublime (and slightly ridiculous) one; with DAFS lying four, his shooter removed one of their stones and jammed in between the other three, frozen onto each of them- one off to the left, and one each in front of and behind the Edinburgh stone, which lay just slightly off the centre of the button. DAFS could not get anywhere near it with their last shot so Nicholson faced a delicate draw weight takeout to take two, needing to hit the side-lying DAFS stone on the nose to push it and their back stone away. Unfortunately, the shot proved too big for him, his stone drifting mere inches wide.

Put simply, this was not a good game for Edinburgh University. Faced with superior opposition, the inexperience of the team shone through and too many easy shots were missed by all. Undoubtedly, had DAFS abandoned their lovely guard play for a more aggressive approach, the scoreline could have been higher. Edinburgh- and especially Nicholson- can take solace in the fact that the losing margin was lower than that of the previous fixture (where a very experienced team had played for them) but will not be looking for a third fixture against DAFS any time soon.

Michael Nicholson

Linlithgow League 2011 – 2012 (Round 6)
Team Played Ends Shots
For
Shots
Against
Shots
+/-
Points
1 Vets 6 26 48 32 16 8
2 37 Club 6 22 37 36 1 8
3 DAFS 6 20 53 28 25 8
4 Penicuik 6 24 41 36 5 6
5 Aegon 5 21 32 30 2 6
6 Edinburgh Ladies 5 23 37 30 7 5
7 Edinburgh University 6 17 20 49 -29 3
8 Heriots FP 6 17 22 49 -27 2

 

Edinburgh University 2 v Vets 11

Linlithgow League
Murrayfield Curling, 7th November 2011


H 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 Total
Edinburgh University 1 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 2
Vets * 0 4 1 1 1 2 0 2 11

In their fifth Linlithgow league match of the season, Edinburgh University took on the Vets, who came into this match following an impressive victory over league leaders, and last seasons champions, Penicuik. An administrative error prior to the match- whereby the team expected to play two and a half hours later than they were scheduled to- left the team rather flustered and, more importantly, two bodies short. Lewis Drennan and Emma Wheeldon were replaced in the front end at the last moment by Katie McGaan and Alison McAteer, who joined Fraser Stockton at third and Ted Edmunds, who made a long awaited first appearance at skip.

This troubled start however appeared not to affect Edinburgh too much as, following a series of good shots they took a one shot lead. However this was to be short-lived, as despite a perfect guard from McGann at lead, it was the Vets who placed a draw directly behind it making it almost impossible to be disposed of. While Edinburghs efforts to take out such a well-protected stone came to naught, the Vets (Veterans) experienced showed; several draws played exactly to the edge of the house made it impossible for Edmunds to do anything about conceding an early four.

The disappointment of that end was to be compounded by the bad news that McGann, by far the teams most experienced hand, had to retire through injury. McAteer would play the first three stones and Stockton the next three, with Edmunds continuing to play the final two.

The Vets experience continued to show in both the third and fourth ends as they successfully managed to steal a point in each, though the spoils could have been greater had it not been for the cool head of Edmunds, who seemed little fazed by whatever faced him. Nowhere was this more visible than in the fifth end, where the toll of declining morale and concentration began to show. Faced with conceding six, a calm Edmunds drew in to limit the damage to a single counter.

Perhaps inspired by their skips last shot Edinburgh got back up to pace, with McAteer playing some lovely guards which were successful in protecting two well-placed draws by Stockton, leaving Edinburgh lying four with only skips stones to play. However, the Vets skips cool was the equal of Edmunds, and his draw in restricted the university to one point. For the students, though, the sole counter was welcome stopper at a time when they were leaking points.

The pleasure of that point was to be short-lived as a dull last end gave the Vets another two, ending a disappointing match for Edinburgh University. Although they knew success in this match would be difficult against such experienced opposition, the team that eventually played was an experienced one, and should have been able to avoid such a heavy defeat. Without the pre-match frenzy caused by the scheduling error, and without McGaans injury, it is fair to say that Edinburgh would have caused the Vets more problems.

Fraser Stockton

Linlithgow League 2011 – 2012 (Round 5)
Team Played Ends Shots
For
Shots
Against
Shots
+/-
Points
1 Penicuik 5 21 36 23 13 6
2 Aegon 5 21 32 30 2 6
3 DAFS 5 20 42 26 16 6
4 Vets 5 20 36 29 7 6
5 37 Club 5 17 24 31 -7 6
6 Edinburgh Ladies 5 23 37 30 7 5
7 Edinburgh University 5 15 18 38 -20 3
8 Heriots FP 5 15 19 37 -18 2

Edinburgh University 3 v 9 Aegon

Linlithgow League
Murrayfield Curling,  23rd October 2011


H 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 Total
Edinburgh University 0 2 0 0 1 0 0 0 3
Aegon * 2 0 2 1 0 1 2 1 9

*Denotes hammer.

With a win and a draw already recorded in the Linlithgow League,  Edinburgh were optimistic going into their third match of the season. With Schuyler Ward (lead) and Rory Williams (second) both making their curling debuts,  and Alison McAteer returning to competitive play for the first time in over a year,  it was always bound to be an interesting game. The team was completed by David Jenkins, playing at third.

Edinburgh struggled to gauge the right weight in the first end,  with several underplayed shots handing Aegon two points in the first end.  Edinburgh took advantage of gaining the hammer,  setting up to lie two before the skips played the final stones. A draw played light by the Aegon skip left Edinburgh with a good chance to take the lead,  but McAteer’s own draw could only make the guard zone.

The third end started well,  the front end settling into their stride and setting up a collection of stones in the guard zone and the outer edges of the house. However,  a couple of neatly played shots by the Aegon third left Edinburgh struggling to hold on. Opting for damage control as their best option,  McAteer played a hit and roll to leave Aegon lying one and avoid the risk of losing three. The Aegon skip responded with an excellent draw to pull two ahead again.

Ward and Williams produced some solid shots in the fourth end,  however,  Aegon were able to place one lying shot carefully behind a collection of guards,  out of sight from the hack. Jenkins successfully struck the second lying shot,  but McAteer found a draw to beat Aegon’s shot beyond her,  leaving Aegon 5-2 ahead.

A speedy fifth end saw misses from both front ends and a clear house and guard zone.  Aegon’s third drew his shots neatly to the four foot,  and Jenkins responded with a textbook takeout on one,  leaving McAteer to remove the other.  Aegon’s skip failed to respond,  with a draw falling short of the house.  Deciding against a tactical blank end,  McAteer managed to find tee weight and claimed Edinburgh’s last point of the day.

The sixth end started well,  and it even seemed as though Aegon were on the back foot as Ward played two almost identical shots to lie in the eight foot. Williams followed by two lovely shots,  and the Edinburgh team were soon lying four. Aegon team made the most of the hammer though,  and an impressive draw by their skip saw them take a single

A guddle of stones at the front of the house made it difficult for the students in the seventh,  and Aegon took fulladvantage,  leaving two stones lying and a difficult gap for a draw,  which McAteer could not find.  Similarly,  she could not make the final draw in the eighth which would have given her team a further consolation point,  Aegon stealing once more.

Overall the team put in a sterling effort,  with great debuts from Ward and Williams,  and some excellent shots particularly in the later ends. McAteer managed several strong draws and very consistent play from Jenkins kept the pressure on. There was no lack of stones in play throughout the match and,  while Aegon thoroughly deserved every point they won,  it was by no means an easy game. The Edinburgh team simply failed to capitalise on chances   which will no doubt be less of an issue later in the season with more competitive experience. Nevertheless,  there was great communication between players,  and while they may not have won the game,  it was still a very respectable performance by the student team.

Alison McAteer

Linlithgow League 2011 – 2012 (Round 4)
Team Played Ends Shots
For
Shots
Against
Shots
+/-
Points
1 Penicuik 3 15 29 10 19 6
2 Edinburgh Ladies 4 19 32 23 9 5
3 Aegon 4 15 25 28 -3 4
4 37 Club 4 13 17 26 -9 4
5 DAFS 4 11 33 24 9 4
6 Edinburgh University 4 13 16 27 -11 3
7 Heriots FP 4 13 19 30 -11 2
8 Vets 3 11 19 22 -3 2

Edinburgh University 5 v 5 Edinburgh Ladies

Linlithgow League
Murrayfield Curling, 9th October 2011


H 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 Total
Edinburgh University 1 1 0 1 0 2 0 0 5
Edinburgh Ladies * 0 0 1 0 1 0 2 1 5

*Denotes hammer.

Edinburgh University went into this match on the back of recording their first ever points in the Linlithgow Trophy- albeit on a technicality- in the previous game against the 37 Club.  Despite the optimism emanating from that win,  the team remained second-favourites against an Edinburgh Ladies team whose last result had been a 10 v 3 crushing of Heriots FP,  and this game was viewed simply as good practice for the University team.

Edinburgh University gave Fiona McKay her debut at lead and promoted Eoin McCrossan to second following his good performance the previous week,  to give a front end with only one game and three weeks of curling between them.  The pair by no means disgraced themselves,  a shaky start giving way to some tight curling.  The more experienced back end comprised Ted Edmunds at third,  with Katie McGaan restored at skip following a week’s absence.

Edinburgh got off to a great start,  stealing both the first two ends to take a 2-0 lead against a team who were strong,  but whose preceding imperious reputation had perhaps been unfounded.  The first point came after a good draw by McCrossan and some solid work from Edmunds and McGaan left the opposition skip facing a draw against three,  which she could only cut down to one.  A failed takeout by the Ladies in the second left the University team lying shot for the majority of the end,  and such was the situation once the hammer had come to rest.

Edinburgh Ladies chalked up their first point in the third but will have been disappointed not to take more.  Some lovely guards helped bury a couple of their counters well,  but a good tap-up from Edmunds split them and left them with just a single stone scoring.  In the fourth,  McCrossan followed up a good draw with arguably the hardest shot in the game-  same again.  Edmunds built on this,  some solid takeout work- representative of his success with that type of shot all day- leaving McGaan in a position to draw for two.  Her shot proved a shade heavy,  but the University still took one point.  A scrappy fifth end saw the Ladies taking another single,  Edmunds’s tight draws both clipping opposition guards on the way down and breaking his team’s momentum.

Going into the sixth end,  the first few stones left the sheet looking as though it were being used for guard practice rather than a match,  the entire area in front of the house becoming very congested.  A nice draw from McKay found its way through,  though,  and Edmunds was later able to freeze onto it.  What followed was a moment of pure magic;  McGaan,  conscious that her team was lying shot and that any shot played through the guddle risked promoting an opposition rock,  called for her own last stone simply to be burned.  Changing her mind once in the hack,  the skip instead aimed to draw through a narrow port to get her second shot.  Played to perfection- and well swept by all four students- her stone came to rest perfectly for the two.

The euphoria- and hugs- elicited by that shot, and the excitement of leading by three,  was not to last, though.  A much more open seventh end concluded with a simple open draw for Edinburgh Ladies to claw back two.  The University team were then unlucky;  the bell sounding mere seconds after the first shot of the final end had been played meant that instead of a seven end victory,  they faced a tight eighth,  knowing that they could afford to lose no more than two.  Dauntingly for the young team,  with all other games finished,  they were the last ones on the ice and the whole of Murrayfield focussed their attention on them.

Coping well with the pressure,  the University team built up a good advantage,  Edmunds drawing in to lie one with only skips’ stones to play.  The Ladies regained the upper-hand,  the slightest of contacts promoting a guard that would later prove crucial.  McGaan,  shaking noticeably under the pressure,  came up short.  A tense measure was required to determine what the students already knew- Edmunds’s shot was not closer than the promoted guard.

Handshakes all round (and a wee kiss from the Ladies’ skip) were offered along with a concession that the University should have won- music to the ears of the team whose team ethic, perseverance and sportsmanship could not be faulted.  By drawing Edinburgh University took their first point from a game (where penalty shots had not been added) in over two seasons.  With the team now sitting in the upper half of the league table, confidence will be sky-high for the next game.

Ted Edmunds

Linlithgow League 2011 – 2012 (Round 3)
Team Played Ends Shots
For
Shots
Against
Shots
+/-
Points
1 Penicuik 3 15 29 10 19 6
2 DAFS 3 12 27 15 12 4
3 Edinburgh Ladies 3 14 23 17 6 3
4 Edinburgh University 3 11 13 18 -5 3
5 Vets 3 11 19 22 -3 2
6 Heriots FP 3 10 15 25 -10 2
7 Aegon 3 9 16 25 -9 2
8 37 Club 3 8 12 22 -10 2

Edinburgh University 6 v 0 37 Club

Linlithgow League
Murrayfield Curling, 2nd October 2011

37 Club forfeited the game due to an inability to field four players.  The game was awarded to Edinburgh University 6 v 0.
The following relates to a friendly that was played instead.


H 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 Total
Edinburgh University * 1 1 0 1 0 0 x x 3
37 Club 0 0 1 0 3 1 x x 5

Edinburgh University scored their first points in the Linlithgow League in 12 games, and hauled themselves off the bottom of the league, when the 37 Club were unable to field a full complement of four players.  Both teams agreed, regardless, to play a friendly match.  Therefore, with nothing at stake but pride, an inexperienced Edinburgh team took to the ice.

Edinburgh made a couple of personnel changes from the team which succumbed to Penicuik in the first league fixture.  Katie McGaan and Kelly Jamieson dropped out, with David McHale and Fraser Stockton moving up to second and skip respectively.  Lewis Drennan slotted in at third, while Eoin McCrossan- making his competitive debut, having tried the sport for the first time only two weeks previously- completed the quartet.

Edinburgh started well, some lovely guards in the first end allowing them to dominate the centre and put pressure on their opponents.  A nice draw into the house from Stockton-  facing the pressure of playing his first ever game at skip- left his team lying shot and well protected by their own guards.  The 37 Club’s skip failed to answer the challenge, leaving Stockton with a draw for two with his final throw; he failed to capitalise, though, clipping his own guard on the way down and being forced to settle for a single point.  Edinburgh then doubled their lead, stealing one in a very tight second end.  Some good guard play by both teams’ front ends kept the sheet congested and Drennan did well to draw into the house.  Stockton’s next shot protected it perfectly and the 37 Club could do nothing to remove it.

Another close end followed, as a series of good draws by the whole Edinburgh team left them in a strong position, forcing the 37 Club’s skip to draw in for a solitary point. In the fourth end, though, Stockton’s team found themselves facing down the barrel of a gun, with the young skip himself forced to draw in against a number of opposition counters to take one.  The shot was heavy but the guddle at the back of the house proved a boon, with his stone nestling in, just behind the button.

Such fortune did not follow them into the fifth end, when Edinburgh’s inexperience finally began to show.  Some poor, over-hit shots from the McHale and McCrossan left the 37 Club lying four and, when Stockton’s last stone wrecked on a guard, they ran the risk of losing five, saved only by the opposition skip accidentally promoting an Edinburgh rock. The three conceded, though, was a big loss in such a tight game, and Edinburgh entered the sixth and final (given the time available) end knowing they needed to take two to win.

That did not prove an impossible feat at first, with their front end recovering from their errors in the previous end to put two guarded stones into the house.  However, a marvellous double takeout by the opposition third (himself an alumnus of the University and its Curling Club) stymied ambitions of a win.  Stockton, faced with a draw to the eight foot, came up short thereby gifting the end, and the match, to the 37 Club.

Edinburgh’s inexperienced team came away understandably disappointed but proud of their performance against sterling competition and optimistic of claiming victory on even terms in the future.  Certainly, their performance in this match was one the finest they have produced in this competition over their two years of participation.  With only Penicuik enjoying an unblemished record after two games, this league may be tighter than first appearances suggested and it may be that Edinburgh will fare better than their first game thrashing suggested.

Fraser Stockton

Linlithgow League 2011 – 2012 (Round 2)
Team Played Ends Shots
For
Shots
Against
Shots
+/-
Points
1 Penicuik 2 10 19 6 13 4
2 Edinburgh Ladies 2 10 18 12 6 2
3 Vets 2 8 14 14 0 2
4 DAFS 2 7 15 10 5 2
5 Aegon 2 7 11 13 -2 2
6 Heriots FP 2 7 11 15 -4 2
7 Edinburgh University 2 7 8 13 -5 2
8 37 Club 2 3 4 17 -13 0

Edinburgh University 2 v 13 Penicuik

Linlithgow League
Murrayfield Curling, 25th September 2011


H 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 Total
Edinburgh University * 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 2
Penicuik 0 3 2 2 3 1 2 0 13

Edinburgh University were not expected to take much from this opening Linlithgow League match against the reigning champions, but with the benefit of the hammer in the first end looked to have the potential to produce a scare.  Some fine defensive play from front end Kelly Jamieson and David McHale-  making his competitive debut for the club – made their opponents work hard to lie shot, before skip Katie McGaan’s final stone removed the lying Penicuik shot and stuck to give Edinburgh the lead.

The solid start was soon undone though, with the inexperienced Edinburgh side failing to contain their more aggressively able opponents.  Two errant shots from third Fraser Stockton left Edinburgh with a mountain to climb in the second end, one which proved insurmountable with McGaan struggling to find draw weight, and Penicuik took a one point lead, which they capitalised on with a further two in the third end.

A poor-quality fourth end from Edinburgh saw their opponents stones stacking up in the house and by the time McGaan stepped into the hack to play her second, she was facing six, with no Edinburgh counters in the house to work with.  For McGaan, the moment would surely have evoked memories of April’s Scottish Universities Open where she found herself at risk of conceding an eight-ender.  As on that occasion, she contained the damage, but there was only so much that the skip could do.  A solid draw squeezed through the Penicuik stones but a further two points were yielded.

Despite retaining the hammer for much of the game, Edinburgh simply couldn’t make good use of it, regardless of the technique they showed.  A top-end takeout from McGaan with her first in the fifth deserved more, but the Penicuik reply was a strong takeout of their own which stripped Edinburgh of their options and forced them to drop another three points, quickly followed by a further two in the sixth following two heavy draws from Stockton.

With their slim chance of a victory gone, Edinburgh raised their shot-making substantially in the seventh.  Good build-up play by Jamieson and McHale was followed by a superb takeout from Stockton.  A strong response from the Penicuik skip left McGaan facing the prospect of a heavy end against her, and she was unlucky to limit the damage to two after her shooter rolled wide following a takeout.  A similar shot in the final end was more successful and rewarded Edinburgh’s resilience with a second point.

Edinburgh were never likely to take much from this match; while Penicuik were last year’s champions, Edinburgh were the other book-end, failing to win a match and finishing with a heavy shots against total.  The difference in skill, but especially experience between the young Edinburgh students and the majority of teams in this league is clear and the need for improvement is evident.  Penicuik- and most of Edinburgh’s other rivals in this competition- clearly benefit from years of playing together, and it remains to be seen whether such strong teamwork can be overcome by a club whose membership is necessarily transient.

Fraser Stockton

Current Standings
Team Played Ends Shots
For
Shots
Against
Shots
+/-
Points
1 Penicuik 1 6 13 2 11 2
2 Heriots FP 1 5 8 5 3 2
3 Vets 1 4 9 8 1 2
4 DAFS 1 3 11 4 7 2
5 Edinburgh Ladies 1 4 8 9 -1 0
6 Aegon 1 3 5 8 -3 0
7 37 Club 1 3 4 11 -7 0
8 Edinburgh University 1 2 3 13 -11 0