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www.oakvillebeaver.com · OAKVILLE BEAVER Friday, March 26, 2010 · 54 Voyageurs tie up American curler feels at home in Oakville final with OT win Erika Brown skipping U.S. rink Fans are getting their money's worth in the Ontario Junior A Hockey League final. The Kingston Voyageurs defeated the Oakville Blades 3-2 in overtime Wednesday at Joshua's Creek Arenas to square the best-of-seven championship series at 2-2. Game 5 was slated for last night (Thursday) in Kingston, with the sixth game back in Oakville Saturday (a 7:30 p.m. start at Joshua's Creek). Wednesday's contest was the third straight game to require extra time. The Blades won Game 2 in double overtime and Game 3 in the first OT session. Mike Ingoldsby and Ryan Murphy scored Wednesday for the Blades. Kingston's Tyler Melancon was credited with the winner 5:29 into overtime, when his shot appeared to glance off a Blades defenceman and beat Oakville netminder Mike Morissette. Olympic snowboarder Jeff Batchelor, an Oakville resident who attends Queen's University in Kingston, conducted the ceremonial faceoff before Wednesday's contest. at worlds in Saskatchewan By Tim Gall SPECIAL TO THE BEAVER Catch the Excitement! We've got the best football in Halton for boys ands girls. Register now. Practices for Summer Stampeders begin April 6 and Spring Flag season opener is May 8 In-Person Registration Dates: Saturday, March 27th - 1pm-4pm BURLINGTON FOOTBALL A world championship curler is looking forward to returning home to Oakville next week to get back out on the local bicycle trails with her family. Erika Brown is an American who moved to Oakville six years ago, but still gets the opportunity to represent her country at international events. She is skipping the U.S. team at the World Curling Championships in Saskatchewan this week. "Biking, being outside, being by the water" are the types of things her family enjoys in Oakville in spring and summer. "We also get to go up to North Bay and cottage with family," says Brown. Brown moved to Oakville to be with three-time men's Canadian and world champion Ian Tetley after they met at a fun spiel in Ontario. The pair married five years ago. She has two young children -- Nathan and Cole -- and a teenaged stepson named Nicklaus. "We did a lot of bicycling last year on all the great paths around Oakville and we discovered all kinds of stuff with our kids on the backs of our bikes... the great trails down by the river," she said. "We had our eyes opened last summer. It was great. (We found) lots of new places, and I'm ready to get movin' and get back out where it's warm." Oakville is a great place to have a family, she added. "I love to take my kids down to Bronte Harbour... we look at boats and play on their big playground." Being able to play and practice her winter sport in Ontario but still represent the United States is a bonus, Brown said. She practices at Oakville Curling Club and plays in Toronto Women's Super League at the Mississauga Golf and Country Club. Her team made it to the championships finals in that league before losing to Cathy Auld this season. "It's great to have the Oakville Curling Club nearby and I get to play in a lot of OCT (Ontario Curling Tour) events," she said. "It's great competition, and I still get to represent my home land. I get to play with some great Ontario curlers and I've made a lot of friends that way. It's been a really great opportunity for me. It works out wonderfully. "(The best thing about curling) is all the people you meet," she added. "They're my best friends and they have been for years. That's the joy of moving to a new place. As long as there's curling nearby, you're going to make friends and that's MICHAEL BURNS / CANADIAN CURLING ASSOCIATION LOCAL AT WORLDS: American skip Erika Brown shouts out instructions at this week's World Curling Championships in Saskatchewan. Brown has lived in Oakville for the past five years but still represents the U.S. at international events. what I've been able to do in Oakville. The people are great." Brown is a physician assistant and just began working in Hamilton at the Stonechurch Family Health Centre on a pilot project introducing her profession. "I've been commuting to Buffalo for five years, and I just started working in Ontario, so I'm thrilled about that," she said. Not many people outside the curling community know about her curling exploits. "But a lot of the Oakville Curling Club and my good friends from the GTA who are curlers have been great supporters. I'm not sure beyond that how many people are aware that there's an American curler (in their area playing in the world championships)." Brown's U.S. team -- which represents her original hometown of Madison, Wisconsin -- had a shot at being one of the four teams to make the playoffs this weekend at the Worlds, but needed to defeat defending champion China in the team's final round-robin game Thursday, which took place after deadline. Local curlers have provided great support. "We've received lots of text messages and emails," Brown said. "It's great. They're all behind us." 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