They害羞草研究所檙e in a league of their own.

A young Langley-based curling team 害羞草研究所� headed up by skip Tyler Tardi and vice-skip Sterling Middleton 害羞草研究所� has etched its name in the record book today.

The duo won their third New Holland Canadian Junior title in a row 害羞草研究所� a feat never before accomplished.

害羞草研究所淚t害羞草研究所檚 unreal the fact that this has only been done twice before and how this is such a rare feat,害羞草研究所� Tardi said of his accomplishment with Middleton. 害羞草研究所淚t害羞草研究所檚 an incredible feeling and to be doing it with one of my best friends is extra special.害羞草研究所�

The British Columbia team is made up of Tardi (a Cloverdale skip who plays out of the Langley Curling Centre), Middleton (the third who hails from Fort. St. John, and curls out of New Westminster), Matthew Hall (second, who lives in Cloverdale but also plays out of the Langley rink), and Alex Horvath (the lead who plays out of Victoria). The coach is Tyler害羞草研究所檚 father, Paul.

Manitoba was the only team, who in the week leading up to the finals, was actually able to beat British Columbia. But Manitoba couldn害羞草研究所檛 do it a second time.

When it came to the gold-medal round today (Sunday) at the Art Hauser Centre in Prince Albert, Sask., Tardi and his team triumphed over J.T. Ryan害羞草研究所檚 Manitoba team by the score of 7-5.

Team BC opened the scoring in the second end with an angle raise takeout for three.

But Manitoba害羞草研究所檚 Ryan took control of the middle portion of the game. Ryan, vice-skip Jacques Gauthier (Tardi害羞草研究所檚 cousin), second Jordan Peters, lead Cole Chandler and coach John Lund scored two in the fourth and followed it with a steal of two in the fifth to lead by one point heading into the fifth-end break.

害羞草研究所淲e害羞草研究所檙e no stranger to giving up threes early. If you害羞草研究所檙e going to give up a three you want to give it up in the second end. We know we害羞草研究所檝e been resilient all week and we knew if we could string some shots together we could battle back and that害羞草研究所檚 what we did,害羞草研究所� Ryan said.

But British Columbia took control in the latter part of the game with a deuce in the eighth and a steal of one in the ninth end to lead 6-5. Manitoba had hammer in the final end, but over-swept its final attempt, causing the stone clip off another and give up a steal of one.

害羞草研究所淭hey played unreal and we played one of our best games I害羞草研究所檇 say we ever played together too. It just wasn害羞草研究所檛 enough. It was an inch here or there,害羞草研究所� Ryan said.

With today害羞草研究所檚 win, Tardi and Middleton surpass the likes of John Morris, Craig Savill and Brent Laing 害羞草研究所� among others 害羞草研究所� who have all won back-to-back titles, but never a third.

Tardi and Middleton won their first New Holland Canadian Juniors title in 2017 in Victoria against their current second Hall, who was representing Ontario at the time.

害羞草研究所淚t was very emotional to see him kind of go crazy there,害羞草研究所� Middleton said of his second害羞草研究所檚 reaction to winning the national title. 害羞草研究所淭hat害羞草研究所檚 how we all felt on our first one and I害羞草研究所檓 really excited he was on the right side of that one this time, because there害羞草研究所檚 no worse feeling than losing a big game like that.害羞草研究所�

The pair returned as part of the British Columbia team in Shawinigan, Que., in 2018 and defeated Northern Ontario害羞草研究所檚 Tanner Horgan in the final. While all three victories were sweet, Tardi believes they all hold a part in his memory for distinct reasons.

害羞草研究所淚t害羞草研究所檚 hard to pinpoint one that害羞草研究所檚 most special,害羞草研究所� he said.

害羞草研究所淭he first is unreal just because it害羞草研究所檚 the first time. Second we got to tie the record with some of the great junior curlers like John Morris and now to pass them is just an unbelievable feeling.害羞草研究所�

The team will represent Canada at the 2019 World Junior Curling Championships in Liverpool, N.S. from Feb. 16 to 23.

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