World Financial Group

The 2009-10 Grand Slam of Curling season came to an end last week with the Player’s Championship held in Dawson Creek, BC.  Among the competitors were the World Financial Group-sponsored Ferbey 4, consisting of Randy Ferbey, David Nedohin, Scott Pfeifer and Marcel Rocque.  Here’s how the last tournament of the season played out.

Things began slowly for the team.  Their first opponent in this triple-knockout tournament was Dale Matchett’s rink out of Bradford, ON on Tuesday, April 13.  While the Ferbey rink had the hammer and scored two rocks in the first end, those were the only two rocks they’d score as Dale’s rink won this one 5-2 in seven ends.  Later that evening, the four men in the WFG logo curling shirts took on Martin Ferland out of Quebec.  Despite Ferland having the hammer, the Ferbey 4 took eight ends to win the game 8-6.  Five of those eight rocks were scored in the second end.

Our WFG-sponsored curling rink returned to “the house” on April 14 to take on Glenn Howard’s rink out of Coldwater, ON.  Glenn’s rink had the hammer and used it to win 8-4 in six ends.

That loss provided a day off four the Ferbey 4, but they returned on Friday, April 16 to take on the Edmonton rink of Ted Applemam.  The day off proved to be fruitful for the Ferbey 4, as the rested team needed only needed six ends to win 9-4.

The very next morning saw the WFG-sponsored Ferbey rink up against Reid Carruther’s rink from Winnipeg, MB.  But the match didn’t last long as Randy and the team had and used the hammer to win 7-1 in four ends.  David and Marcel tied for highest accuracy with 94%.  The win qualified the Ferbey 4 for the quarterfinals.

Unfortunately, the quarterfinals would be the furthest the Ferbey team would get in the Player’s Championship.  Their opponent in the game, Brad Gushue’s rink out of St. John’s, NF, had the hammer and used it to knock our guys out of the tournament by a score of 8-3.  Among the team, Marcel had the best accuracy with 97%.

Keep reading wfgsports.com for the latest sporting action!

On March 25, the World Financial Group-sponsored curling team, the Ferbey 4, returned to action at the Victoria Curling Classic held at Bear Mountain Arena in Victoria, BC. Let’s recap how Randy, Scott, David and Marcel tossed the rock.

In their first match on Thursday, the Ferbey 4, wearing their WFG curling shirts, faced the tough hometown rink of Mike Wood.  Despite our team having the hammer and an early lead, Wood’s rink emerged victorious by a 7-4 score after seven ends.  However, the team had better luck in their second match against the rink of Tyrel Griffith, from of Kelowna, BC, by winning in 5 ends with a score of 10-3.

There was only one match for the WFG-sponsored Ferbey 4 on Friday, March 26.  The game, opposite the Japanese national team based out of Nagano, went to a ninth end with Randy and the team losing the match 5-4.

The last match in the Victoria Curling Classic for the Ferbey 4 was on Saturday.  The team faced the fellow Edmonton rink of Ted Applemen, and only needed three ends to win 6-1.  Unfortunately, their play did not qualify them for the final rounds of the VCC.

Keep reading wfgsports.com for the latest news on the Ferbey 4 and WFG’s other sport sponsorships.

The World Financial Group-sponsored Ferbey 4, the “Kings of Canadian Curling”, traveled to Olds, AB to participate in the 2010 Alberta Boston Pizza Cup.  The winner would determine who would represent Alberta in the 2010 Tim Horton’s Brier.  And Randy, David, Scott and Marcel were all raring to go to represent for this great honor.

The Ferbey 4’s first match was Wednesday, February 2, opposite Rob Armitage’s rink out of Red Deer.  Our rink had the hammer and used it to win 9-2 in six ends.  The next morning, the men in the WFG curling shirts faced off against the rink of James Pahl out of Sherwood Park.  This match was so evenly played, it went to eleven ends.  However, David’s final rock was good enough to earn the Ferbey 4 an 8-7 win. 

Later that day, our rink faced their cross town competitors Kevin Koe to determine the first finalist for the cup.  Again, eleven ends were needed to determine the outcome.  However, Kevin would take this one by a score of 10-8.

With one qualifier determined, Randy and the guys took the house again Friday afternoon opposite Rob Armitage’s rink.  This match also went to eleven ends.  Thanks to the hammer, the Ferbey 4 won 8-7.  Later that day, our WFG curling rink became the second finalist by winning opposite Lloydminster’s Warren Hassall by a score of 9-5.  Warren’s rink had the hammer, but the Ferbey 4 only needed nine ends to win this one.

In the first match of the semifinals held on Saturday night, Randy and the team faced Kevin Koe again to determine who would go to the final game.  The loser would play an additional game opposite the winner of the semifinal “play-in” game.  Although giving a great effort, Randy lost to Kevin by a score of 10-6 in nine ends.  But in the second semifinal game, the Ferbey 4 faced the fellow Edmonton rink of Ted Appleman.  And, thanks to the hammer, our WFG curling team took this contest 6-4 in ten ends.

After the round robin and the elimination rounds, the Ferbey 4 faced Kevin Koe for the third time this tournament.  And the winner would represent Alberta in the 2010 Brier in Halifax.  However, Koe’s rink proved too strong for our WFG curling team and won the 2010 Alberta Boston Pizza Cup by a score of 7-5 in nine ends.

Randy, David, Scott and Marcel will return to competition March 25 to in the Bear Mountain Classic.  Keep reading here for the latest on World Financial Group’s own “Kings of Canadian Curling”. 

A little more than two weeks have passed since the World Financial Group-sponsored Ferbey 4 took second place at the Casino Rama Skins Game without fourth thrower David Nedohin. Last weekend, however, David returned with his team as they competed at the BDO Canadian Open, another match in the “Grand Slam of Curling”.  Unfortunately, team skip Randy Ferbey had to sit out this tournament with a knee injury, so Paul Fleming of Halifax, NS, threw third for our curling rink as David took over the skipper role for the Open. 

On the first day of competition, Fri., Jan. 22, our “Kings of Canadian Curling” faced three teams.  First was the fellow Edmonton rink of Kevin Koe.  The Ferbey 4 had the hammer and used it to throw to a 7-3 victory in seven ends, and it was Paul Flemming who had the best accuracy during the match with 90%. 

Immediately after this win, our team took on Jason Gunnlaugson of Beausejour, MB.  And the guys in the WFG curling shirts used the hammer to score four rocks in the first end and won the second match 7-4 in seven ends.  Scott Pfeifer led all shooting with 92% accuracy.

The Ferbey 4’s third opponent was the rink of Thomas Ulsrud of Oslo, Norway.  While our rink had the hammer, Ulsrud’s rink ended victorious in eight ends by a 6-4 score.  But lead thrower Marcel Rocque, of the Ferbey 4, had the best accuracy among both teams with 84%.

The next day’s Round Robin started opposite the Edmonton rink of Ted Appelman.  Ted had the hammer and used it to win 10-7, but the Ferbey 4 did take the match to extra ends thanks to Marcel’s 91% throwing accuracy.  The Round Robin ended for our WFG-sponsored team with a game against Kerry Burtnyk from Winnipeg, in which David led the team to a 7-4 win, despite Kerry having the hammer.  Scott’s 85% accuracy was the best of this match.

The 3-2 record at the end of the Round Robin helped land the Ferbey 4 in the quarterfinals.  Their opponent was Thomas Ulsrud and although our guys gave the Oslo rink a run for its money, Ulsrud had the hammer and used it to win 6-5 in eight ends.  However, this match boasted another top accuracy rating from Scott with 89%.

Although our team lost the BDO, they are still in a good place to take the “Grand Slam of Curling”.  David tells us that “we are number two right now [in the “Grand Slam” standings] going into the final event, the Player’s Championship, in April.”  David also tells us that the Ferbey 4 is in a very good position and they are certainly in the running to win the title outright.  The next tournament our WFG-sponsored rink looks to win is the Alberta Provincial Championship being held February 3-7.  Keep reading here for all the latest on our favorite curling team!  

Last year, the World Financial Group-sponsored Ferbey 4, the “Kings of Canadian Curling”, played in and won the Casino Rama Skins game in Orilla, ON, and the team was invited back to defend their title.  However, this year featured a different lineup for our favorite curling rink as David Nedohin was sidelined with a back injury.  Filling in for David was Wayne Middaugh, the Victoria Harbour, ON skip - and he looked great in the WFG blue and yellow.

In a Skins Game, the teams compete for “skins” awarded with a victory in a particular end.  These skins were worth anywhere from $1,000 to $5,000 during an eight end game.  If nobody wins the particular end, the skin carries over.  This could be advantageous to the rinks as some skins are worth more money than others. 

The Ferbey 4’s first match of the tournament was opposite Ontario’s Glenn Howard.  No skins were won in the first two ends, although Howard jumped to an early lead.  Then, in the sixth end, the WFG curling team won a $3,000 skin.  The match went into a carry-over, making the last two skins worth $11,000, which the Ferbey 4 won both - totaling $14,000 - and a spot in the final.

The World Financial Group-sponsored curling rink, the Ferbey 4, participated in The Swiss Chalet National tournament this past weekend in Guleph, ON.  Randy, David, Scott and Marcel were more than ready to throw rocks in this tournament, considered a part of the “Grand Slam of Curling”, after the Roar of the Rings.

Their first opponent was Sean Geall’s rink out of New Westminster, BC.  Although Sean had the hammer, the Ferbey 4 only needed six ends to take this match 8-3.  Later that day, our guys in the WFG curling shirts took on Kerry Burtnyk’s rink from Winnipeg.  Kerry had the hammer and used it to slide to a 9-3 win over the Ferbey rink.

This wasn’t the end for our team, however.  The next day, the Ferbey 4 faced David Murdoch from Scotland.  Randy, David, Scott and Marcel had the hammer and used it to win by a score of 7-2 in five ends.  On a roll, our rink later that day faced Jason Gunnlaugson’s rink from Beausejour, MB.  Once again, the Ferbey team had the hammer and only needed six ends to win 6-1.

In their last match of the Round Robin, our WFG-sponsored curling rink faced Brad Gushue from St. John’s, Newfoundland.  This match needed all eight ends, but Randy and the guys eked out a 6-5 win which landed them in the quarterfinals.

Their quarterfinal opponent was Wayne Middaugh out of Toronto.  Wayne’s rink had the hammer, but the Ferbey 4 only needed seven ends to win 7-5.  In this match, David scored the best accuracy with 83% among both teams.

The semifinals featured the fellow Edmonton rink of Kevin Koe as the Ferbey 4’s opponent.  In a back and forth affair, Randy led his rink to a 7-5 victory despite Kevin having the hammer.  David and Marcel tied for best accuracy with an impressive 96%!

This led to a final match, broadcast on CBC, opposite their former opponent Brad Gushue.  The match was very evenly based, with Randy holding the hammer.  However, Brad’s rink scored two rocks in the eighth end to win The National by a score of 6-4.  Among the Ferbey 4, Marcel had the best accuracy with 88%.

Take heart, Ferbey fans, as the World Financial Group-sponsored “Kings of Canadian Curling” will play the Casino Rama Skins Game.  Last year, the Ferbey 4 won this match outright and they hope to repeat as champions.  Look for more coverage of our favorite curling rink right here at wfgsports.com.

The World Financial Group-sponsored Ferbey 4 entered the last day of the round robin of the 2009 Roar of the Rings with a 3-2 record.  Randy, David, Scott and Marcel had two opponents left to determine who would go to the semi-finals to represent Canada for Olympic Gold. 

Their first match of the day was opposite the Coldwater, ON rink of Glenn Howard, who had yet to be defeated during the tournament.  Randy and his team had the hammer and used it early to take a 2-0 lead.  The match went back and forth until the eighth end, when Mr. Howard scored two rocks to force extra ends.  This proved beneficial to Howard’s rink as they emerged victorious with a score of 8-6.  Among the Ferbeys, Marcel had the best shooting with 95% accuracy.

The loss meant the guys with the WFG curling shirts would have to win against the fellow Edmonton rink of Kevin Koe, who had the hammer.  Koe used it to slide to a four rock score after the second end and did not look back to take the match 9-4.  Unfortunately, this defeat meant the Ferbey rink was knocked out of the tournament.

But take heart, Ferbey fans, as we’ll be seeing the boys at the National Grand Slam in Guleph, ON January 6-10 with coverage on CBC.  Good luck to our “Kings of Canadian Curling”.

The World Financial Group-sponsored Ferbey 4 are on a tear (or is that a roar?) at the 2009 “Roar of the Rings” in their hometown of Edmonton, AB.  A 3-1 record currently has our guys in a three way tie for second place among two other Edmonton rinks.  How would day four fare for our “Kings of Canadian Curling”?

The only match this day for Randy, David, Scott and Marcel was the fellow Edmonton rink Kevin Martin.  The first end resulted in a no-starter for either team.  But Martin’s rink, which had the hammer, jumped to a 3-0 lead in the second end and never looked back.  Our guys in the WFG curling shirts put up a good fight, but ended up losing 9-5.  Marcel was the best shooter among both teams at 97% accuracy. 

The last day of the round robin portion of the Roar has the tied for third Ferbey 4 starting the morning opposite current first place holder Glenn Howard out of Coldwater, ON.  Later in the afternoon, Randy and the guys take on the fellow Edmonton rink of Kevin Koe.  Should tie-breakers need to be played, they will begin in the evening.  Let’s keep cheering on our team to Olympic Gold! 

The World Financial Group-sponsored Ferbey 4, the “Kings of Canadian Curling”, entered the third day of the 2009 Roar of the Rings with a 1-1 record.  With two matches on day three, how would the rocks slide?

Up first for Randy, David, Scott and Marcel was Pat Simmons’s rink out of Moose Jaw, SK.  The Ferbey 4 had the hammer and used it early to win 9-4 in nine ends.  Our men in the WFG curling shirts had two 3-rock ends in the match and Marcel threw an accuracy rating of 94%.

Later that afternoon, our curling rink took on the rink of Jason Gunnlaugson from Beausejour, MB.  Jason’s rink had the hammer and used it to jump out to a 3-0 lead after two ends.  The Ferbey 4, however, kept the match close until the ninth end, when they scored five rocks to take the match 9-4!  Our rink averaged 88% shooting accuracy.

Currently, our WFG-sponsored curling rink is in a three way tie for second place with a 3-1 record.  Today, our team faces fellow Edmonton rink Kevin Martin at 1 PM MT.  Take the house, guys!

The World Financial Group-sponsored Ferbey 4 faced Jeff Stoughton’s rink out of Winnipeg on day two of the “Roar of the Rings”.  Would the rocks be good for Randy, David, Scott and Marcel after a great first day?

Stoughton’s rink had the hammer and used it early to slide to a 2 rock score in the first end.  However, the men in the WFG curling shirts kept it close until the fifth end, when Stoughton scored three rocks and never looked back.  The Ferbey 4, who threw for 81% accuracy, lost this match by a score of 9-5. 

But our team is still in the Roar.  Up next for Randy and the team is the rink of Pat Simmons from Saskatchewan and then the Ferbey 4 slide opposite Jason Gunnlaugson’s rink out of Manitoba.  Let’s cheer on the Ferbey 4 as they look to take on the “house” and Olympic gold!