CORNER BROOK, N.L. — Daniel Bruce is a junior provincial curling champion for the third year in a row.
Bruce, 20, skipped his team to the 2020 U21 junior men’s provincial championship in Corner Brook Dec 19.
A final wasn’t necessary for Bruce’s rink, which swept through the round robin, winning all six of their games.
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According to the tournament rules, the title could be won without a final if a team wins every round robin game.
The closest Bruce came to defeat came on the final morning in his second-last game.
Skip Nathan Young’s team tied that match up at 5-5 after the seventh end. But Bruce pulled back ahead in the next end and never looked back, winning 9-5.
They won their final game 10-1.
Bruce credited his teammates for their performance, particularly their shot-making.
“I’m really proud of my teammates for the way that they played,” he told The Western Star. “They made a lot of shots, I didn’t have to make many shots, and they’re basically the reason why we won.”
It was the third consecutive year Bruce won the title, having also won it as a skip in 2018.
“Every time, it gets better,” he said.
The team, which is affiliated with the Re/Max Centre in St. John’s, is comprised of Bruce, lead Nathan King, second Joel Krats and third Ryan McNeil Lamswood. They are coached by Dennis Bruce, the skip's father.
Bruce and King hail from Corner Brook, McNeil Lamswood from Stephenville and Krats is from Mount Pearl.
They now advance to the nationals, where they will represent Newfoundland and Labrador in Langley, British Columbia from Jan. 18-26.
But first, they’ll be gunning for their first ever title at the Centennial Spiel in St. John’s from Jan 3-5.
“So, we’re going to build towards (the nationals) and see how we can finish,” said Bruce. “And build on what we did last year.”
