Heading into play on the final day of the Ontario Winter Games qualifiers earlier this week in Guelph, Sudbury curlers remained in the running to earn a prestigious provincial berth at the 2023 Canada Winter Games in P.E.I. in each of the three categories up for grabs: U18 Boys, U18 Girls and U20 Mixed Doubles.

And while the locals fell just short, it doesn’t take away from some very impressive curling from representatives of the renamed Northern Credit Union Community Centre (formerly Curl Sudbury), nor the fact that all three teams managed to reach their initial goal of qualifying for the Ontario Winter Games in March in Renfrew.

Local finalists included the rejigged Brendan Rajala rink, with the 17 year-old skip still partnered with second Jesse Crozier, but bringing aboard the Thunder Bay duo of Jackson Dubinsky and Adam Wiersma this year to deal with the inevitable challenges that come with athletes aging out of youth-based divisions.

Competing in just their second bonspiel together, Team Rajala topped Pool A play with victories over Aaron Genjaga (4-3), Owen Thompson (6-3) and Kai Collins (5-2). Safely through to the quarter-finals, Rajala and company would send both Nicholas Rowe of Ottawa (6-4) and Sonny Di Franco of Manotick (5-3) packing before dropping a very close final (5-3) to Kyle Stratton of London.

Can’t blame Rajala for hoping and wishing that he can keep this team together into 2023-2024.

“In our first game together, we played amazing, won like 14-2 - and we get along really, really well,” said the grade 12 student at Lasalle Secondary and younger brother to Canadian Youth Olympics curler and national champion Lauren Rajala (more on her in a bit). “I think it’s just about finding players who are comfortable in their positions.”

“Once you are in that role, you can work on that role and fine tune it.”

Even more encouraging, perhaps, is the fact that Team Rajala were, very simply, playing better and better as the games wore on. “The first game, we beat the other team but did not play well,” said the skip. “I found that as we went through the tournament, we only got better. The final was a bit shaky, but we still played very well.”

While Team Rajala had at least one bonspiel of experience prior to tackling entries from all over Ontario, the mixed doubles pairing of Ian Deschene and Britney Malette had all of two games together before hitting the ice in Guelph.

A native of Thunder Bay, Malette curled with Abby Deschene last year (Ian’s older sister) in Sudbury, developing a relationship with Ian off the ice before the new couple decided to test that partnership in a curling setting not all that long ago.

“This is our first year in mixed doubles, but the team chemistry was definitely there,” said Deschene with a laugh. “We were a bit surprised that there were only two teams, ourselves included, that were couples,” added Malette, a first year Laurentian University student in the Behavioural Neuroscience program.

“I expected everyone to be a couple. I think it made our relationship stronger, but I could see that it could have gone the complete opposite way with some tough losses. I think we make a great team.”

In fact, Team Deschene/Malette opened play with losses to Matthews/Delaney (9-2) and Mulima/Zemmelink (10-3) before really starting to figure things out, clawing their way back to a 3-3 mark in round robin play and then upsetting the top seeded Markle/Henry duo (7-4) before finishing second to the Mulima/Zemmelink tandem (7-3).

“I found it’s much more of a draw game - all of the points are scored within the button or the four foot,” said Deschene. “It’s a lot more precise - and you have to sweep a lot. I’m basically sweeping every rock, hers and mine. You get a little exhausted but I think now, if I had to do it again (which they will), I’ll be more prepared.”

Guaranteed a berth at the Ontario Winter Games and now convinced that an entry to the Open Mixed Doubles provincials taking place at the Idylwylde in the new year would be worthwhile, the pair were thankful for the experience they gathered in a very short period of time.

“My takeaway was definitely being resilient,” said Malette. “We went in hoping to win, as everyone does going into any competition - but also learning about the competition. After taking two losses, it was tough, but we just kept going at it and stayed tough and found our way into the playoffs.”

Also representing Sudbury in Mixed Doubles play at the event was the team of Samuel Dumais and Samantha DiGiglio who did not advance to the playoff round.

Coming up one game shy of a berth in the finals was Team Toner (Mia Toner, Valerie Ouimet, Justine Toner, Clara Dissanayake), who managed to duplicate the Rajala 3-0 mark in pool play and crushed Madison Onischke in the QF (8-1) before being edged 5-4 by Katrina Frlan in the semis.

Meanwhile, out in Manitoba, Lauren Rajala has joined forced once again with skip Katy Lukowich, the young ladies now merged with Makenna Hadway, Mikaylah Lyburn and fifth Lexa Siggurdson in trying to make the most of the final year of junior eligibility for the Sudbury native.

While the big news recently for the team was qualifying for the Scotties (Open Women’s) Provincials next month, the fact is the main focus remains the parallel playdowns at the U21 level for this rink. “There’s a lot of good junior competition in Manitoba,” acknowledged Rajala, who is continuing her studies at Laurentian on-line this year, fully intent on being back home on a full-time basis for the winter of 2023-2024.

“I would say that the top five teams are looking pretty good right now for junior provincials - but we’ve won our past three events, so that’s pretty exciting.”

As for a Scotties event that will include the likes of Jennifer Jones and Kaitlyn Lawes (curling with former Team Fleury members Selena Njegovan and Kristin MacCuish), the expectations are a tad more subdued.

“We know that we are probably the underdogs going into the event, but I think we have a good chance at qualifying for the playoffs if we play well,” said Rajala. “Just qualifying is an accomplishment in and of itself.”

And finally, still on the topic of great curling, a quick reminder that the 2023 Nickel City Curling Championships are set for the Gerry McCrory Countryside Sports Complex from March 15th to the 26th. A wide variety of ticket packages are available for the playdowns that include the 2023 U Sports / CCAA University - College Championships as well as the Canadian Mixed Doubles.

For ticket information, visit greatersudbury.ca/tickets, searching under packages, while if anyone is interested in volunteering for the event (dozens of volunteers are still required), please sign up at volunteer.curling.ca/2023NCCC.