The third time proved the charm for Sean Geall at Parksville Curling Club Sunday evening, Feb. 4.

Geall, skipping a rink from Kelowna Curling Club, used an in-off shot on his final rock in the 11th end of play to topple defending champion Jim Cotter, 9-7, in the 2018 belairdirect B.C. MenB次元官网网址檚 Curling Championship final.

Geall returns to the Tim HortonB次元官网网址檚 Brier menB次元官网网址檚 national championship, to be held in Regina, SK, March 3-11, for the first time since winning the B.C. title in 2009. With his win, he also scissored a four-year provincial winning streak by Cotter, who curls out of Vernon Curling Club.

Cotter had previously beaten Geall twice in the tournament while rolling undefeated into SundayB次元官网网址檚 final.

B次元官网网址淚n some ways itB次元官网网址檚 a bit of a relief to get back to doing this again,B次元官网网址� said Geall, who lives in Maple Ridge. B次元官网网址淚tB次元官网网址檚 been awhile, and you start to wonder if that time is going to happen again. This is a big one.B次元官网网址�

GeallB次元官网网址檚 third, Jeffrey Richard, previously won his own B.C. MenB次元官网网址檚 title out of Kelowna, in 2010.

B次元官网网址淛effB次元官网网址檚 been there but Dave (Harper, team lead) hasnB次元官网网址檛 been there and neither has Andrew (Nerpin, the teamB次元官网网址檚 second), so this is their first heart,B次元官网网址� said Geall, whose victory was watched by his wife, his three small children and extended family.

B次元官网网址淵ou canB次元官网网址檛 beat this. My oldest son is old enought heB次元官网网址檒l maybe remember, but when we get (to Regina) it will be the thrill of a lifetime for B次元官网网址榚m.B次元官网网址�

Cotter, who had forced the extra end by scoring a point with the hammer in the 10th end to make it 7-7, gave himself a chance at a steal by cozying his final rock into shot position on the button while nearly freezing it to GeallB次元官网网址檚 rock at the edge of the four-foot circle.

Without a draw path due to a pair of high guards, Geall instead shot for a stone heB次元官网网址檇 left just off the T-line in the 12-foot circle to the right side. His final stone caromed perfectly off the outlier and rolled across the button to remove CotterB次元官网网址檚 shot rock as Richard and his sweeper whooped and embranced in a group hug.

B次元官网网址淚 knew it was going to be used,B次元官网网址� Geall said of the outlying rock. B次元官网网址淚 didnB次元官网网址檛 know if it was going to be (Cotter) or going to be us. Turns out, it was us.B次元官网网址�

Earlier in the day, Geall outdueled VictoriaB次元官网网址檚 Jason Montgomery in the page playoff semifinal to earn a 4 p.m. rematch with defending champion Jim Cotter in the 2018 belairdirect B.C. MenB次元官网网址檚 Curling Championship at Parksville Curling Club Feb. 4.

Cotter need only four games to reach the final, sweeping to a win in the A Event and downing Geall 6-2 in the Page 1-2 playoff on Saturday.

B次元官网网址淲eB次元官网网址檝e been playing against each other for 30 years,B次元官网网址� Geall said of facing Cotter in the final. B次元官网网址淲eB次元官网网址檝e just have to get off to a better start. The last two games that weB次元官网网址檝e played them we had a rough start, and trying to claw back the rest of the game is tough to do.

B次元官网网址淪o hopefully we have a better start, and we give B次元官网网址榚m a game that way.B次元官网网址�

Montgomery had won five straight elimination games, including a 7-4 win over Dean Joanisse of Golden Ears Winter Club in Saturday eveningB次元官网网址檚 Page 3-4 game. But with SundayB次元官网网址檚 semifinal tied 4-4 in the eighth end, he opted to bypass a relatively safe, one-point nose tap in favour of a high-risk shot that might have netted two or three points.

But the elaborate, multi-rock takeout attempt was a shade off the mark, and gave Geall a two-point steal that proved the difference.

B次元官网网址淚 suppose I could have taken the safe shot,B次元官网网址� said Montgomery, whose squad discussed the option at some length. B次元官网网址淏ut if I make that shot there it probably wins us the game. Of course, I didnB次元官网网址檛 make it, and it probably won them the game.B次元官网网址�

Ironically, the winning skip had popped out to the arena lobby and did not see the shot that probably decided the game.

B次元官网网址淭o be honest, I was inside on the final shot (in the eighth), so I donB次元官网网址檛 even know what he did,B次元官网网址� said Geall. B次元官网网址淭he boys told me we stole two when I got back out there.B次元官网网址�

In the ninth, solid shot-making by Geall and his teammates left him counting four and forced Montgomery to draw to the four-foot circle with his final skipB次元官网网址檚 stone just to salvage a point and close to 6-5.

With the hammer and a one-point lead in the 10th, Geall simply kept the ice free of stones until taking out MontgomeryB次元官网网址檚 final rock to blank the end.

Geall opened the game with a blank in the first end to retain the hammer. It paid off as he picked up two points in the second to grab the early advantage. But Montgomery promptly scored a three-point end in the third to jump in front.

The game then settled into a tight, strategic battle, with the skippers trading one-point ends through the seventh, when the teams sat tied at 4-4 to set up the crucial eighth end.

Montgomery and rinkmates Cameron de Jong, Miles Craig and Will Duggan were awarded plaques for their third-place finish following the game.

The 12-team tournament began Wednesday, Jan. 31. It has run with the help of roughly 200 volunteers, mostly members of Parksville Curling Club.

This is the eighth provincial championship hosted by the club, located in a converted hockey arena in ParksvilleB次元官网网址檚 Community Park. Parksville Curling Club hosted back-to-back menB次元官网网址檚 championships in 2012-13.