2024 Boxing Day Bonspiel
The Elmvale Curling Club hosted the 2024 Boxing Day Bonspiel the day after Christmas. Eight teams battled for the Morley Lyons Memorial Trophy, annual presented to the winning team.
Team Turner, for the second consecutive year, were a perfect 3-0 to win the big prize plus steaks for the BBQ. Team Turner included Paul Agar, Trent Turner, Tyler Turner and Terry Archer.
Team Madore came second and also were rewarded with steaks. This annual event started as a family day back in the 1960’s and has been one of the Curling Club’s biggest success stories over 60 years! Thanks to all the teams and visitors who supported the Club on December 26th.
Elmvale Curling Tuesday Women’s Winners
By Sue Henry. Jan. 5, 2025
Women’s Tuesday Afternoon curling at the Elmvale Curling Club is off to a great start! The first session wrapped up just before Christmas, and Team Diane Kenney (Skip: Diane Kenney, Vice: Sue Henry, Second: Carol McMann, Lead: Cindy Van Casterenwon) earned first place in the standings.
Congratulations ladies!
Elmvale Curling Club Sunday Mixed Winner
By Sue Henry, Dec. 30, 2024
Christmas was made extra special for Team Bryan Pullen with the capturing of the Lou “Dad” Turner Memorial Trophy (in the photo Left to Right: Second Deb White, Vice Bonnie Locke, Skip Bryan Pullen, Lead Carol McMann).
This trophy is awarded to the winners of the first session of Sunday Mixed curling and honours a very special, long time ECC curler, and accomplished athlete and community supporter, Lou Turner.
Second in the points standings was Bryan’s wife Holly’s team (Skip Holly Pullen, Vice Case Bouius, Second Frances Stevenson, Lead Steve Adams).
Congratulations to the winners!
Penetang Kings Return to Action with Two Wins in Three Outings
Submitted by Jamie Robillard
The Penetang Kings returned to action after the Holiday Break with two wins in three games and continued to hold down fourth place in the Carruthers Division of the Provincial Junior Hockey League in games played between January 3rd and 11th.
On Friday January 3rd the Kings lost a one-sided affair to the Orillia Terriers by a 7-2 margin. Orillia controlled the game from the outset, building a quick 3-0 lead before the 7:31 mark of the first period. Orillia led 4-0 after the first period and 6-1 after two. Scoring for the Kings were Carter Wilson and Matthew Laframboise. Kings’ goaltenders Landon Simec made 10 saves while Kevin Pearson stopped 22 shots. Penetang managed just 23 shots on Orillia netminder Aidan Jerry. Laframboise was named the Kings player of the game.
The Kings game scheduled for Saturday January 4th against the Alliston Hornets in Penetang was cancelled due to inclement weather and has been rescheduled for Saturday January 18th at 8:00 pm.
Penetang bounced back on Friday January 10th, doubling the score on the Innisfil Spartan 8-4 as Tanner Thayer scored four goals and Wyndam Brownlee added two to pace the offence. Carter Wilson and Lars Derstroff each added single markers for Penetang. The line of Wilson, Thayer and Brownlee collected 14 points in the contest. Thayer was selected as the Kings player of the game. Penetang outshot Innisfil 34-31.
On Saturday January 11th the Kings travelled to Bracebridge and shut out the Muskoka Bears by a score of 5-0. Jesse Bain led the attack with two goals for Penetang with Thayer, Ashton Kirwin and Noah Saye added one goal each. Simec turned aside all 36 shots he faced to record the shut out and collect player of the game honours. Penetang also had 36 shots on the Muskoka net.
The Kings’ return to action on Thursday January 16th when they travel to Stayner to face the Siskins and then Friday January 17th they are in Huntsville to meet the Otters before their January 18th home contest against Alliston at the Penetanguishene Memorial Community Centre. Penetang then plays four more road games before meeting Orillia at home on Friday February 7th.
Notes: The Kings made a four-player trade with the Midland Flyers just before the Friday January 10th roster freeze. The Kings acquired forward Bennett Mackey and goaltender Owen Moreau with goalie Kevin Pearson and defenseman Ethan Boyes going to the Flyers.
The Kings Program and Yearbook have been mailed out to Penetanguishene residents. Programs can also be picked up at Kings home games.
The standings after the games played on January 11th have the Alliston Hornets leading the division with 57 points followed by Orillia with 47 points, Stayner with 42 points and Penetang with 32 points in 30 games. Huntsville is fifth with 26 followed by Innisfil with 23 Midland 15 and Muskoka 7 points respectively.
Alliston is no longer undefeated after dropping a 5-4 decision to the Muskoka Bears in a shoot-out in what must be considered the biggest upset of the PJHL season.
Elmvale U13 LL2 Wrap Up First Half of the Season
The 2024-2025 season is in full swing for the U13 LL2 Elmvale Coyotes team, sponsored by BC Roofing and Sheet Metal. Between the pipes this year is the formidable James (#1), who has been known to stand on his head when peppered with shots. Forwards Nicholas (#5), Shawn (#7), Russell (#10), Ivan (#11), Parker (#12), Jaxon (#14), Cohen (#15), and Nathan (#16) are skating hard, while working on their passing and shooting, as they find the back of the net. The defensive lines of Maks (#2) and Evan (#3), Giovanni (#4) and Noah (#6), and Wyatt (#8) and Porter (#9) are battling at the boards and applying pressure in the defensive zone.
The season started with a bang, with seven straight wins against Collingwood Blues 2, Elmvale Coyotes 1, Clearview Canucks 1, Clearview Canucks 2, and the Essa Eagles. This team met their match against Collingwood Blues 1, falling to this mighty team for both of their home-and-home games. A third loss for the team, this time against Clearview 2, forced the team to get their heads back in the game, allowing them to come back for two more wins to finish the first half of the season. The boys would like to send a very special shout out to Henry, the stowaway cat (who will never fall asleep in a hockey bag ever again) for being their special mascot in Essa; his surprise dressing room appearance had the boys in hiss-sterics and feline good, which we know helped in their 5-1 win.
In the middle of regular season play, this Elmvale team played in the Orr Lake Hat Trick Tournament at the end of November. They began by tying Penetang, followed by a 3-1 loss to New Hamburg, finishing round robin play with a win against Clearview. It was a tight pool, and they had to wait for another game to finish before it was determined that they did not move on. It was a great learning experience for the boys, as this was only their first tournament of the year.
While there are many players who are new to each other on this team, the boys are working hard and gelling well, on and off the ice. This team shows up and work hard for Head Coach Chris Jacobs, Assistant Coaches Evan Bates and Daniel Holden, and trainer Jeff Willett. Manager Jennifer Gilchrist rounds out this incredible crew with her behind-the-scenes work of keeping the team organized.
The Elmvale Coyotes LL2 team finished the first half of the season with a record of 9-3-0, and have been reseeded into Division A for the second half of the season. With three tournaments still to come, this team will work hard with the hopes of having continued growth and success. Keep working hard, boys!
Georgian College to launch women’s varsity rugby sevens team
Submitted by Georgian College, Jan. 9, 2024
Female student athletes will soon have a new varsity sport to play at Georgian College.
Recently approved by the Ontario Colleges Athletic Association (OCAA), the Georgian Grizzlies will add a women’s varsity rugby sevens team to its roster – complimenting its three-time gold medal-winning men’s varsity rugby team.
Student athlete recruitment will begin in February, with tryouts for an exhibition season in September. An official OCAA season will begin in September 2026.
“A women’s rugby sevens team is a thrilling addition to Georgian’s stellar lineup of award-winning varsity teams,” said Suzie Addison-Toor, Vice President, Student Success at Georgian. “It also aligns with our commitment to foster diversity, equity and inclusion within our athletic programming, and it’s one example of our continued investment in creating unrivaled student experiences.”
Rugby sevens is a rapidly growing Olympic sport that’s fast-paced and high-energy, with teams of seven players who play seven-minute halves, rather than the typical 15 players who play 40-minute halves.
Georgian’s new team will be the ninth women’s rugby sevens team in the OCAA varsity league. The J.C. Massie Field at the Barrie Campus will be the team’s home field.
The Georgian Bay Titans Rugby Club and the Barrie Rugby Football Club, both of which have a relationship with Georgian’s men’s varsity rugby team, supported Georgian’s application to OCAA to start a women’s rugby sevens team.
“With the growth of rugby in Canada, especially for girls and women, we feel that a women’s rugby program at the postsecondary level in our region would give girls the opportunity to continue to play beyond the high school and club level,” Kelly Zacny, President of the Georgian Bay Titans Rugby Club, wrote in a letter of support.
The local clubs have players from under six years old to age 18, with growing interest in the sport expanding the number of teams in recent years.
“Both Barrie and Georgian Bay have club members who attend Georgian College, and it would be great for the girls to have an opportunity to continue to play rugby close to home,” Zacny said.
Interested in studying at Georgian and playing women’s rugby sevens? Check out our 130+ programs and fill