Curling For A Cause

Gary Scherle shows off the tournament trophy.

It’s winter, so that means there are two things that the citizens of Regina can be sure of. There are some side streets in need of serious ploughing and the curling season is just starting to get interesting. With playdowns for many clubs coming up right around the corner, and practice sheet time at a premium, it is nice to see there are some people in the curling community who can take time out of their busy schedules for a greater good. One such member of that community is Gary Scherle, who is currently getting things ready for the annual Mighty Geese Charity Classic.

Putting on this bonspiel is no easy feat, and not something that Scherle can do all by himself. “It is a lot of work, it takes a lot of help from friends and family to put it on” said Scherle. Finding a club that’s able to provide the number of sheets needed for this tournament is also an issue this time of the year.

Enter Scott Comfort. Comfort, manager of the Tartan Curling Club, was able to provide a home for the bonspiel this year, but it did take some work. “We’re booked solid for every Saturday night...so for a big event like this it was kind of hard to squeeze it in” said Comfort. It didn’t hurt that Comfort was already aware that the tournament had been running for a few years prior. He was the manager at the Callie Curling Club last year, where the tournament was held. “I’ve heard nothing but good things about the event,” he said.

The reason the event is so well received is because it’s a project that’s close to Scherle’s heart, so there is extra effort put into it. Scherle says the motivation behind starting the tournament and wanting it to be the best experience possible for all is because his mother, Darlene Scherle, suffers from MS.

“We’ve been participating in the MS walk every year, and we just thought it would be a creative way to raise money” said Scherle.

When it comes to supporting charities such as the MS Society, Comfort also believes that it’s an important thing to be a part of.

“We always try to do whatever we can for charity...and it’s nice to have someone else showing some initiative” said Comfort.

After the first tournament was completed in 2006, Scherle knew that he had started something special. “It was something that we knew was going to continue on for many years”, he said.

To date the bonspiel has raised over $6,000 for the MS Society; this year Scherle expects to raise at least $2,500. As the years pass, and the bonspiel continues to grow—as is hoped—this will certainly mean more money headed to the MS Society.

This bonspiel is definitely a one-of-a-kind experience. With each game comprised of just three ends, players from all skill levels are encouraged to enter. It doesn’t matter if you’re Al Schick or Al Bundy, everyone is welcome. Teams are required to come up with a team name and the more outlandish the better. Teams are also encouraged to wear costumes; creativity is appreciated.

The fourth annual Mighty Geese Charity Classic will take place on Feb. 28, 2009. The format consists of an A, B, and C side. The first draw commences at 6:30 p.m. sharp and the tournament concludes when the last rock is thrown in the A-side final.

Cost per team is $120, or $30 per player for a four-player team. All teams are guaranteed three games. There are door prizes, a raffle, a silent auction, and a 50/50 draw with all prizes provided by local Regina businesses.

The top prize this year is an official NHL hockey stick signed by Calgary Flames all-star Robyn Regehr. For more information contact Gary Scherle at 529-2765 and gdscherle@hotmail.com.

Cougar Chemistry Is Key

Coach Taylor & Asst. Coach Burrows talk to the team prior to their game against Alberta

As the end of the season draws near, the University of Regina’s Cougar women’s basketball team find themselves in a very favorable position. Win the next two games and they will be able to claim the third seed in the national Canadian Interuniversity Sport tournament.

Before the start of week 13 in the CIS the Cougars had a record of 11 wins and three losses and were in fifth place nationally; but you would never know it by looking at the national statistical leaders. The representation of Cougar players in the CIS stat categories is minimal, to say the least. With only three players in the top 20 in two out of 10 statistical categories, one would not expect to see the Cougars in the position they currently find themselves.

One of the biggest factors as to why the Cougars are such a strong team is because of the chemistry among the players. “We’re just really balanced, so there’s no one that’s going to be a leading scorer game in and game out...so that is just a testament to how deep we are as a team, as opposed to relying on one or two stars” said coach Dave Taylor.

Chelsea Cassano, fifth year starting post, agrees. “We’re a pretty close team, we all get along, we’re pretty tight.”

For the 421 people in attendance at the Friday night game against the Albert Golden Bears, the Cougars demonstrated the kind of team chemistry that Cassano and coach Taylor were talking about. The first half of the game was a back and forth affair that saw the Cougars get into a bit of foul trouble. But they managed to pull off a 12-point lead heading into halftime. In the third quarter the Cougars came out and turned it on, outscoring Alberta by ten points. They managed to keep their foul situation in check and surge forward en route to a 77-58 victory.

Unfortunately the Cougars were unable to perform as well against their rival, the University of Saskatchewan Huskies, the following day. The first half saw the Cougars being outscored 32-26. After the halftime break the Huskies came back out and finished the job they started in the first half, scoring 26 third quarter points to the Cougars’ 13. The final result was a 76-48 loss for the Cougars.

The weekend split of the two games leaves Cougars sitting in fourth place in the CIS. This means the Cougars should enter the national tournament in the middle of the pack--barring any catastrophic breakdowns.

However, the team has not lost sight of the remaining games ahead, “We still don’t focus on (the tournament) lots, other than to talk about having to play well. We’re really trying to avoid (talking about it), to be honest,” said Taylor.

Cassano said the players are “very excited” about the tournament, and adds, “Having it at home is definitely an advantage... but the games aren’t going to be any different because we are at home We’re still going to have to play as good as we can.”

The CIS national women’s basketball tournament takes place March 6-8. The Cougars will play their first game of the tournament on Friday, March 6, with a scheduled tip-off time of 6 p.m. To purchase your tournament tickets contact 306-585-4371.

Stacy Walker takes a three point shot over Alberta's Nicole Clarke

Chelsea Cassano looks for an offensive rebound opportunity.

First Post - Intro

Well hello there!

I have created this blog for my Journalism 305 (Print II) class. On this blog I will be posting articles I have written, opinions on topics that interest me, and what ever else I can find that is of interest.

So, I guess I'll start with a little information about myself. My name is Sean and I am currently a fourth year student in the Journalism school at the University of Regina. This is my second semester at the J-school and I am enjoying it very much--so far. I have pulled the sports beat for our publication, Ink, which is why you will mainly see sports and sport related stories on this blog. I have been involved and interested in sport since I was around 12 years old, so I am hoping that this beat will be an enjoyable one.
Oh, by the way, I'm a sarcastic person by nature so if you read something that makes you say 'Oh my god, what did he just write?', then it is most likely written sarcastically.

That's all for now folks!
Stay tuned for upcoming stories.