Fantastic Finish For Ferbey Four
21/04/2009 03:45
Edmonton rink completes near impossible mission to earn berth in Olympic Trials
Randy Ferbey doesn't know what's better -- having earned the fourth and final direct berth to the 2009 Canadian Olympic Trials or not having to answer to it anymore.
The relief in his eyes and smile on his worn face said it all Sunday afternoon after Ferbey defeated Glenn Howard 10-7 in the final of the Grey Power Players' Championship at the Crystal Centre.
The win gives Ferbey's team of last-rock thrower Dave Nedohin, second Scott Pfeifer and lead Marcel Rocque a berth in the Olympic trials -- dubbed the Roar of the Rings -- set for Rexall Place from Dec. 6-13.
"Whoever thought that after three years of trying to get to the Trials it would come down to the last shot of the last game of the year to secure that, that's unbelievable," said Ferbey, who joins fellow Edmonton-based skips Kevin Martin and Kevin Koe, and Howard, of Coldwater, Ont., as the first four teams in the Trials.
It's an incredible story, considering that Ferbey's team was almost left for dead two months ago and was likely going to have to attempt to qualify for Edmonton through the pre-Trials, scheduled for Nov. 10-14 in Prince George, B.C.
What ended up happening was a fairy-tale -- or Ferbey-tale, of sorts.
"What's impressive about it is, about a month ago, they were out of this thing and they came back with some great curling. Kudos to them," Howard said of the Ferbey Four.
"They had to win this and they came out and played like they used to. They're a phenomenal team and kudos to them." Ferbey's crew did it the hard way. They had to win the Capital One Grand Slam of Curling championship event and needed some help along the way. The team's route included must-wins against all three previous Olympic Trials qualifiers in Howard, Koe and Martin.
Ferbey actually beat Martin twice, once in the A Event qualifier and again in the semifinals. Both were 6-5 victories.
"He didn't have any free spaces on the bingo card," said Howard, who watched Nedohin deliver a last-shot takeout to score three in the eighth end on Sunday.
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SWIVEL HIPS SAYS:
One could say that the Ferbey Four got a little bit lucky over the weekend, but you have to give them credit – they had to beat Martin, Howard and Koe, the three teams already qualified for the Olympic trials, to do what they did. It should be one hell of an event in Edmonton this December.