YORKTON - It was a big win for the Rylan Kleiter rink curling out of Saskatoon.
Kleiter and his squad -- third Joshua Mattern, second Matthew Hall and lead Trevor Johnson -- earned the Tier 2 men’s title after edging Norway’s Team Magnus Ramsfjell 6-5 in an extra end at the recent HearingLife Tour Challenge Tier 2 event held in Charlottetown.
The event saw Kleiter go through the A Event and finished with an unblemished 6-0 overall record.
“It was great. It gave us quite a few points,” Kleiter told Yorkton This Week, adding points are a focal point now. That win put us into the top 16 (in world rankings).”
Asked if the program was akin to relegation and promotion in European soccer, Kleiter said it is similar.
“It’s definitely getting there with these Tier 2 events,” he said.
In the case of Team Kleiter they were the biggest mover among the top teams, rising six spots to No. 16, after capturing the Tier 2 men’s title. Tier 2 events provides teams lower in the rankings the opportunity to play on arena ice and compete for invitations to the WFG Masters, Jan. 14-19, in Guelph, Ont.
Team Kleiter went 6-0 through the tournament including a 6-5 win over Norway’s Team Magnus Ramsfjell in an extra end during the final.
In addition to a ticket to the event in Guelph, Kleiter’s crew will be among teams headed to the Silent Ice Center in Nisku, Alberta, as the Grand Slam of Curling hits the ice for the Co-op Canadian Open, Nov. 5-10.
For Team Kleiter the tour events hold a dual importance, the world standings and getting to play in the big events, but also a way to sharpen skills in preparation for the Saskatchewan Tankard and the coveted green jackets as provincial champs.
“Obviously provincials are still a circled event on our calendars,” he said.
As it happens Team McEwen (Mike McEwen at the head) is off to a great start with a trio of major wins already. Does that inspire Kleiter to be better?
“It let’s us know where we’re at,” he said, and “it’s just great for the sport (in Saskatchewan) to have a few competitive teams travelling around.”
One advantage Kleiter’s team enjoys is familiarity, the core trio being teammates for 12 years, with Hall the newcomer joining in 2023.
The years together means a team very much in sync with one another on the ice, and a camaraderie off the sheets.
“We have a great time off the ice,” said Kleiter, adding in a sport where teams are increasingly living in hotels rooms for extended periods that is important.
Of course time on the road is just part of modern curling.
“To be at the top level takes a lot of sacrifice,” said Kleiter.
So what keeps Kleiter making the sacrifice of time and effort?
“It’s for the love of the game,” he said, adding he loves the strategy of the game. “. . . There’s always a different scenario or problem to solve.”
So is the team ready to wear a green jacket in the new year?
“I think were on the right track,” said Kleiter. “We’re gaining more experience. Now it’s just about performing . . . Just continuing to prepare and get ourselves ready.”
