MEDFORD CURLING - Girls start curling season in style, taking the broom from Portage

MEDFORD CURLING

The Medford girls curling team regained possession of the broom in the Nov. 22 Battle of the Brooms curling matchup with Portage.

Each year the two schools compete with the winner of the boys and girls varsity games taking possession of the broom.

Medford skip Caidyn Zenner led the girls to a 9-5 win over the Portage varsity girls in the afternoon session after another lopsided win over the Portage junior varsity team in the morning game.

Portage scored first with one in the first end, and another in the second before Medford got into their stride and answered back with a point each in the third and fourth ends. Portage capitalized on having hammer and scored three in the fifth end to bring the score to 5-2. Medford narrowed Portage’s lead in the sixth end with two points and had a huge 5point end in the seventh end to secure the win.

Coach Stuart Amundsen praised the girls efforts on bringing the broom home and starting their season on a high note, especially against the always-tough competition from Portage.

In addition to Zenner, a junior, the team sees the return of Erica Brandner, the program’s only senior this year, and sophomore Stacey Dassow. Amundson said they are working to get a fourth girl to fill out the team, but for now are playing threehanded.

“That could be a plus or a minus, depending on which way you look at it, but I think they’re ready to play,” Amundson said. “I think they’ll do pretty good this year.”

This will be the second year all three girls have played together and they are continuing to come together as a team and improve.

The girls narrowly missed advancing into the semifinals at last year’s state tournament and are looking to build off their past growth.

Starting the season 2-0 against Portage was a good first step for the teams.

On the boys side, this will be a rebuilding year with Jaeden Brandner, a junior, returning. He is joined by freshmen Atticus Winkler, Rylan Stockwell and Gavin Koplin. Freshman Sam Labahn is the fifth boy on the team and is serving as team manager.

Brandner is currently playing the skip position, but Amundson noted the order has not been set as they continue to see the strengths of each of the players to determine the best fit for the team’s success.

In the morning, the boys faced the Portage junior varsity team and found them evenly matched winning on skips rocks in the tie-breaker ninth end 6-5.

Medford scored two in the first end, but allowed Portage boys to score one point each in the second, third, fourth, fifth and sixth ends. Trailing 5-2 Medford came back in the seventh end with three points to make it a one-point game. Medford stole another point in the eighth end to tie it up and send the game into an extra end. With another game set for that afternoon, the decision was made to break the tie with each skip throwing a rock with the closest to the button taking the point and the game.

Things weren’t so rosy in the afternoon game against Portage’s varsity team. The Medford boys lost 16-3. They were fighting an uphill battle as Portage opened scoring six in the first end and another five in the second end. Medford was able to get on the scoreboard in the third end with two points and got another point in the fifth end.

Amundson said the boys faced a major challenge on the varsity game with a player on the Portage boys team also being on a national-level team. However, he was pleased with the turnout with the team getting a win in the morning game and overall with how the boys are coming together as a team.

For their season, Amundson is expecting the boys to continue to build. He said they were helped by having an opportunity to go to a camp together this summer in Rice Lake.

“They all loved it and came out with some good feelings from it,” Amundson said.

As far as the final roster, Amundson said they will play around with it, noting there is some good talent in all the positions.

Medford’s Jaeden Brandner, Gavin Koplin and Atticus Winkler sweep hard to try to get a few more inches of movement on a rock thrown by Rylan Stockwell during Friday’s boys game with Portage.

Erica Brandner, Caidyn Zenner and Stacey Dassow hold the traveling Broom trophy earned with Friday's 9-6 win over Portage.