The Coldwater and District rink finished second in the mixed bantam provincial finals, a personal best certainly for Jessica Lyall, but also for the three other curlers and the coach.

The team won three straight games and hopes were high that they would sweep the competition, but in their first game on Friday they fell three points behind after the first end and never really recovered from the shock, their first loss ever. The second game on Friday the team pulled it together and played a hard-fought game against an excellent Ottawa team. It came down to the final rock of the last end. Curling can be cruel and Lyall’s team lost for the second time in a row.

Coach Mike Millward rallied the team for the final day of competition on Saturday and they won both games to finish in second place with five wins and two losses.

The support for this young team was overwhelming; even Lyall’s oma and uncle came up from Barrie. The club was packed for the final two days, and the Midland Curling Club held an excellent event.

Lyall has been asked to be a part of the junior girls team in Coldwater for next season, and she will be able to continue to play with her mixed teammate Abby Millward.

Thanks to coach Mike Millward, second Danny Dow, vice Abby Millward and skip Scott Brandon, the bond and friendships made will last forever, which is really what this type of competition should always be about.

Lyall and her family are grateful for the support of the curlers she played with in this area and her coaches both in Port Carling, Lynn McBride and Bill Ferguson, and at South Muskoka Dave Demerling.