Joshua Bryden and his University of Regina curling crew split their games on the second day of competition at the FISU World University Winter Games in Torino, Italy.
In the early draw, Bryden was up against the host Italian squad. After missing out on the last rock advantage in the first end by less than two centimetres during the draw to the button, the two teams started out cautiously, not wanting to allow the other an opening.
After blanking the first end, the teams exchanged single points until the fifth end, when Bryden’s team put the first deuce up on the board to take a 3-2 lead. That lead was short when Italy responded with three points of its own in the sixth. In the seventh end, the Canadians pressed, but a small error allowed Italy to steal a pair of points. With a 7-3 lead, Italy ran Bryden out of rocks for the victory.
After a break, the Bryden’s 2-1 University of Regina Cougars returned to the ice to take on 1-2 Sweden.
The Canadians earned the last rock advantage to open the game and were content to blank the first end to learn the ice. The teams would then exchange points with the hammer in the second and third end before Bryden would seize momentum by scoring four points in the third for a 5-1 lead.
After a blank in four, Canada continued to pour on the pressure in the fifth end with a pair of perfect hit-and-roles behind cover. The Swedish skip found himself facing four of Bryden’s stones counting in the house when he set up in the hack for his final shot. Unfortunately for their Swedes, it would slip to the back of the house, handing Canada a steal of three and a commanding 8-1 lead through six ends.
Sweden would add a point with the hammer in the seventh before conceding the match to Bryden making the final 8-2.
The victory improves Bryden to 3-1 in round-robin play, which is tied for second overall. The Canadians are back on the ice tomorrow when they play Korea 2- 2 and the United States 3-1.
