Recap: Day 2 of the 2024 U SPORTS Curling Championships

Teams started to separate themselves from the pack on Day Two of the U SPORTS Curling Championship in Fredericton, NB.

On the women's side, the Alberta Pandas and Waterloo Warriors are the only remaining undefeated teams through the first two days of round-robin play. The defending champion Pandas had two convincing wins over Laurentian and Mount Allison, outscoring their opponents 22-7 on Day Two, while the Waterloo Warriors won a tight battle with the Dalhousie Tigers before securing a big win over the Victoria Vikes.

Meanwhile, on the men's side, the Dalhousie Tigers and Laurier Golden Hawks finished the day with perfect 3-0 records, placing them at the top of the standings through two days. Following opening day losses, the Regina Cougars and Alberta Golden Bears responded by going 2-0 on Day Two, propelling them ahead in the standings.

In the first draw of the day for the women, Victoria scored a crucial steal of three in the seventh end to defeat the host UNB REDS, 10-5. The Alberta Pandas capitalized on a strong start, securing a three-point steal in the second end on their way to a 10-5 victory over the Laurentian Voyageurs. The McMaster Marauders secured a deuce in the third end followed by back-to-back steals in the fourth and fifth ends to defeat the Mount Allison Mounties, 7-4. Finally, in the tightest match of the morning, Waterloo managed to hold on to defeat the Dalhousie Tigers, 9-8, thanks to a three-point end in the ninth.

In the afternoon draw, Alberta utilized a steal of four in the fourth end to cruise past Mount Allison, winning 12-2. After scoring a triple in the third end, McMaster capitalized with a steal of three in the sixth end, rolling over Laurentian with a score of 10-3. The UNB REDS, fueled by a strong second half with two triple ends in the sixth and ninth, captured their first win of the tournament over the Dalhousie Tigers, finishing with a score of 11-6. In the final game on the ice, Waterloo used back-to-back double ends in the fourth and fifth to defeat Victoria, 8-3.

On the men's side, the afternoon draw featured Alberta in a tight matchup with Guelph. The Golden Bears managed to score a double in the seventh end before stealing singles in the eighth and ninth, edging out the Gryphons 6-4. Dalhousie scored a triple in the second end and maintained their lead, ultimately defeating the Saint Mary's Huskies 10-3. The Regina Cougars capitalized on some missed shots from the host UNB REDS, stealing four ends, including a crucial steal of two in the seventh, securing a 9-2 victory. Laurier scored a double in the fifth end before taking a steal of three in the sixth to defeat Brock 9-4.

In the final draw of day two, Alberta put together a tremendous performance, stealing five consecutive ends against the UNB REDS, en route to an 11-1 victory. Dalhousie rode a four-point fifth end to an 11-5 win over Brock. Laurier jumped out to an early 6-1 lead and wouldn't look back, defeating Saint Mary's 10-5. Regina finished off a strong Day Two with a big win over the Guelph Gryphons, thanks to a triple score in the seventh and a steal of two in the eighth to win 8-5.

Action resumes tomorrow as all 16 teams will once again hit the ice for two games, starting with the women at 8:30 am.

WOMEN'S STANDINGS

1. Waterloo Warriors 3-0
2. Alberta Pandas 3-0
3. McMaster Marauders 2-1
4. Laurentian Voyageurs 1-2
5. Victoria Vikes 1-2
6. UNB REDS 1-2
7. Dalhousie Tigers 1-2
8. Mount Allison Mounties 0-3 

MEN'S STANDINGS

1. Laurier Golden Hawks 3-0
2. Dalhousie Tigers 3-0
3. Regina Cougars 2-1
4. Alberta Golden Bears 2-1
5. Guelph Gryphons 1-2
6. UNB REDS 1-2
7. Saint Mary's Huskies 0-3
8. Brock Badgers 0-3