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Curling back on ice

Rocks were tossed and swept on Sunday as curling made a return to the sheets for the first time this season at the Prince George Golf and Curling Club.

Rocks were tossed and swept on Sunday as curling made a return to the sheets for the first time this season at the Prince George Golf and Curling Club.

That was after a two-week registration drive in early December where the club's board determined there were sufficient numbers to go ahead with the season that began with Sunday's open recreation league and continues until the end of March.

"We have 390 curlers and that compares to last year's total of 450," said curling co-ordinator Ron Phillips. "Some people curl in multiple leagues so we have 540 curling positions filled and are paid in full. That equates loosely to last year."

Among the leagues that are full are: Monday men's (16 teams), Wednesday doubles (16) and Thursday seniors. Leagues that have the same numbers as last season include Sunday open recreational and Friday mixed with 14 teams.

Leagues that have seen a decrease from last season are Tuesday seniors, which has 26 teams (a decrease of four from last season) and the Thursday Curtis Elite commercial league, which saw a decrease of six teams, from 26 last season to 20 this year.

Twenty-five rookies have registered for Wednesday's beginner's league that follows the doubles action. Those curlers will be taught the game with the hope of them joining a league next year.

The abbreviated season is due to the chiller in the ice plant failing to fire up prior to the beginning of the 2014-15 campaign in September.

The club needed to have 450 curlers sign up to generate $60,000 of revenue in order to cover the cost of having 10 weeks of play.

After the registration drive in December, the club's board said there were sufficient numbers and revenue to deliver the season.

The club will host men's and women's curling at the 2015 Canada Winter Games from Feb. 14-28.

Up first though is the north central zone high school playdowns that get underway this weekend.

The field includes girls teams from College Heights and Kelly Road secondary, girls and boys teams from Fraser Lake and Correlieu (Quesnel), as well as a boys squad from Chetwynd.

The first game is 4:30 p.m. Friday, while Saturday's draws will be 9 a.m., 1 p.m. and 5 p.m. The final draw is tentatively scheduled for Sunday at 10 a.m.

The playdowns are a double knock-out format. The winners advance to the B.C. high school curling championships Feb. 19-21 in Creston.

Other bonspiels set to rock the house include the Pioneer (Jan. 24-25), Mixed (Feb. 7-8), Tri-Mill (March 6-8) and the combined Kelly Cup and Ladies on March 27-28

Alyssa Connell and her PGGCC rink of third Bailey Eberherr, second Jordan Henson and lead Erin Ross posted a 1-6 record at the B.C. junior women's championship last week in Parksville.

In her opening game, Connell almost upset eventual finalist Sarah Daniels (the 2014 B.C. junior champ) and her team from the Delta Thistle and Royal City Curling Clubs. Connell was up 6-4 with two ends to play, but Daniels stole singles in the ninth and 10th ends to tie the game and stole the winning point in the extra end.

Connell earned her win in Draw 3, a 9-5 decision against Kristen Zucchet from Chilliwack.

Corryn Brown and her 2013 Canadian championship team from Kamloops beat Daniels 8-2 in Saturday's championship final.