Moncton stars get back in action
Published Thursday November 26th, 2009
The boys are back and feeling just swell.
Perhaps it's only in curling where great friends and good teams can disband, go in different directions, and then one day eventually re-unite to try to relight and relive those special moments.
The boys in this case are Marc Lecocq, Rick Perron and Grant Odishaw, all of Moncton, and Jeff Lacey of Saint John.
All are still competitive players and all have been outstanding players in our picture province for nearly two decades now.
Lecocq, Perron and Odishaw were fantastic friends and New Brunswick champions together way back in 1996 when they joined skip Mike Kennedy and captured the New Brunswick Labatt Tankard.
Since then all have remained very successful at the sport, all have played on different occasions with Canada's greatest skip, Russ Howard, and all have won New Brunswick titles and enjoyed numerous national Brier experiences.
Truth is, Lecocq, Perron, Lacey and Odishaw are the only four New Brunswick players to have reached the finals of the Ford Hot-Shots competition at the Tim Hortons Brier.
And, Lecocq, Perron and Lacey all came home with a brand new car.
All totalled, Odishaw has been to the Brier seven times, Lecocq five, and Perron and Lacey four each.
It was at some point during the last curling season when Lecocq, Perron and Odishaw decided to reunite for this winter and Lacey came on board during the summer.
All were in total agreement with the game plan of slow down on the Atlantic circuit but go all out for the Tankard and try for another trip to the Brier.
"We're getting older and we all have other commitments," offered Lecocq, 43, who will skip the team.
"There's no question we all wanted to remain competitive but sort of go about it in a little different way."
They've played in one event this season and reached the playoffs but what impressed Lecocq most was a special attitude.
"Our ton of experience was so clear, both to feel and see," he said.
"In that one event I think we all realized we can make this work. We were calm and laid back but serious, too. I was quite impressed."
Their second big test will come at home next week (Dec. 1-3) when the Hub City Shootout, an Atlantic Curling Tour stop, is played at the Beaver Curling Club here.
It's the first of two big Atlantic Tour events slated for Beaver over the next month.
The tour's championship will also be contested there Jan. 1-3.
The Hub City Shootout features the cream of Atlantic curling.
Heck, here's the lineup for the first two draws next Thursday at 9 p.m. and Friday at 9 a.m.
Thursday (9 p.m.) -- Russ Howard, Moncton vs. Paul Dobson, Saint John. (Both skips have played in the Brier and we all know Russ's resume with two Brier wins, two world championships and the 2006 Olympic gold medal).
Scott Jones, Moncton vs. Jim Sullivan, Saint John. (Both skips have competed at the Brier and Jim is the 1988 world junior champion).
Mark Kehoe, Nova Scotia vs. Ted MacFayden, P.E.I. (Kehoe skipped at the 2007 Brier and MacFayden has skipped in several previous Briers).
Ryan Sherrard, Saint John vs. Dan Crouse, Moncton. (Sherrard is the 2004 Canadian Junior champion).
Friday (9 a.m.) -- Rod MacDonald, P.E.I. vs. Robert MacDiarmid, Moncton. (Rod has played in multiple Briers and Robert has skipped at the Canadian seniors).
Mark Lecocq, Moncton vs. Mark Dacey, Nova Scotia. (Both teams have players with multiple Brier appearances and Mark Dacey won the 2004 Brier and 2002 and 2009 Canadian mixed).
Terry Odishaw, Moncton vs. Derek Ellard, Fredericton. (Terry has skipped at previous Brier and he also won the 2007 Canadian mixed).
Robert Campbell, P.E.I. vs. Eddie MacKenzie, P.E.I. (Both skips have played in the Brier and Robert won the 1989 Canadian mixed).
NOTES -- Tickets for the Hub City Shootout are $3 for a draw, $5 for a day or $10 for an total event pass ... While Lecocq, Odishaw and Perron played on Kennedy's championship rink in 1996, Perron and Odishaw were the first of the trio to gain Brier experience while playing with Gary Mitchell back in 1991 ... A big-talk fact is the Lecocq vs Dacey game on Friday morning will feature eight players that collectively have 38 Purple Hearts, meaning 38 appearances at the Brier (20 on Team Lecocq and 18 on Team Dacey).
The Russ Howard vs. Paul Dobson match has 32 Purple Hearts (26 on Team Howard and six on Team Dobson).
* Only two points separate the first- and fifth-place teams after seven games have taken place in Draw 1 of the M&M Meat Shops Steaks Stakes at Moncton Curlers Association.
Six teams play 10 games in each draw. Two points are awarded for a win and one point for a tie. M&M steaks are awarded after each draw and at the end of the season.
Leading the standings are Horace Constable, Ed Curtis and Garnet Horsman, all with nine points, while Ray Brown, Linda Wong, Dave McGrath and Romeo LeBlanc all have eight.
Twelve players are grouped with seven points.
Off to a stunning slow start is Wilfred Knight with just four points.
Many are saying he hung around the golf course too long working on his special putting stroke when he should have slipped into the curling club for a little early season finish with his super smooth delivery.
* You sure can't say Eastern Canada is out in the cold when it comes to high-profile curling.
Last spring it was the Ford World men's championship being held here in Moncton and next March the Tim Hortons Brier
is scheduled for the Metro Centre in Halifax.
Then, in 2011, the Scotties Tournament of Hearts will return to Prince Edward Island for the third time in the event's history.
"It is a privilege to announce that we are returning to Charlottetown," said Greg Stremlaw, chief executive officer of the Canadian Curling Association last week.
"This community has a rich history in hosting successful sporting events and is known nationally and internationally for its warm hospitality and outstanding community spirit."
It was also announced that Kruger Products Limited and the Canadian Curling Association have reached a new sponsorship agreement.
The 2011 Scotties Tournament of Hearts (Feb. 19-27) will mark the 30th anniversary of Kruger's sponsorship of the Canadian women's championship.
Kim Dolan will chair the local host committee.
She has competed in nine national Scotties Tournament of Hearts and last year coached her provincial team at the Canadian championship.
* Andre Boudreau pulled off a hit-and stick for two in the eighth and final end to earn a 7-6 victory over Peter Henry in the championship of the Beausejour Mixed at Curling Beausejour Inc.
On Boudreau's rink was mate Shelley Somers, second Dan Ahlstrand and lead Diane Boudreau.
A total of 12 rinks took part in the event.
* Eleven men's and three women's teams will compete in the annual Beaver Senior Mixed beginning at Beaver tomorrow.
Top-ranked men's teams are Steve Ogden of Halifax Mayflower, Monctonian champ Barry Lewis and Robert MacDiarmid, both of Beaver, Randy McKim of Riverside and Brian Dobson of Saint John Thistle/St. Andrews.
Sharon Levesque of Fredericton Capital Winter, Diane Gallant of Fredericton Golf and Curling Club and Monique Taylor of Beaver are the women's entries.
* Laurie Donaher skipped her rink to the fall bonspiel championship, the first event of the season on the Business Ladies schedule at the Beaver Curling Club.
Donaher's rink included Carla LeBlanc as mate, Holly Saunders at second and Bonnie Hamilton as lead.
Karen Halcovitch was the skip of the runner-up rink.
Her roster included Anne Beaumont as mate, Judy Gracie as second and Bev Goguen at lead.
* Four Moncton teams will compete in the Sackville Masters Bonspiel, Dec. 9-10, at the Sackville Curling Club.
Rinks skipped by Ray Brown of MCA, George Caissie of Beausejour and Les Dryden and Bill Lutes of Beaver will play four games over the two days.
* After two weeks of play, Monique Taylor is leading the Beaver Day Ladies Geldart's Trophy bonspiel and Ruth Blacklock tops the standings in the Santa Spiel with 91 points.
Barb Curry, one of the Day Ladies, was one of the Olympic Games torch carriers in Moncton on Monday.
* Gerard McLaughlin is a retired Times & Transcript sports reporter. His column appears Thursday.
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