WATERLOO, Ont. – After a slow start, the UOIT women's curling team can go into Day 3 of the OUA curling championship feeling positive about their play after a victory over the Trent Excalibur.
 
A trend for UOIT through their opening three matches of the tournament was being unable to grab more than a single with hammer, but after being held to one twice through the opening four ends against Trent, the Ridgebacks scored a deuce in five to open up a 4-1 lead. They followed with a steal of one in five before a blank in seven and eventual handshakes in their 5-1 win.
 
Earlier in the day they lost 11-5 to the Toronto Varsity Blues. Toronto's big end was a steal of five in the fourth end to go ahead 7-1. Despite two in the fifth and sixth, a four-point seventh end by the Varsity Blues led to handshakes.
 
On the men's side, in their first two-game day of the weekend, the Ridgebacks lost both.
 
In their 7-3 loss to Trent to start the day the Ridgebacks opened with one with hammer, but after a second end black gave up a four spot in the third. They rebounded with a deuce to narrow the Trent Excalibur lead to one heading into the fourth end break.  
 
Trent scored on with hammer before stealing two in the seventh end en route to their victory.
 
To wrap up the day the Laurentian Voyageurs handed UOIT a 7-2 loss.
 
The Ridgebacks again started with one with hammer, but gave up another big end in the second, this time a three-ender. The closed the gap with another single, but after Laurentian scored one in the fourth they followed it with three straight steals of one to hold UOIT to two.
 
UOIT's women are now 1-3 and face the 3-1 Carleton Ravens on Saturday morning at 8 a.m. At the same time the 0-3 Ridgeback men battle the Algoma Thunderbirds.