Van Amsterdam second qualifier for Alberta Boston Pizza Cup playoff round

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Evan Van Amsterdam is the second rink to qualify for the playoff round of the 2025 Alberta Boston Pizza Cup, presented by Best Western.

The Saville Curling Centre team held off fellow Edmonton squad Jacob Libbus, of the Ellerslie Curling Club, in Friday night’s 7-6 B-side final of the triple-knockout provincials spiel at the Stettler Recreation Centre.

That vaults Amsterdam into the playoffs, joining A-event winner Kevin Koe of Calgary’s Glencoe Club.

Two more teams will join Koe and Van Amsterdam, who is joined by third Jason Ginter, second Sterling Middleton and lead Parker Konschuh, when the C event is completed Saturday in the search for the next Alberta tankard champion.

Van Amsterdam made the B final after scoring an afternoon victory — 7-4 — over Sherwood Park CC’s Johnson Tao.

Libbus toppled Calgary’s Cole Adams, of the Garrison Curling Club, 8-2, in the other B semi Friday.

Other evening games saw C-side action continue with Calgary CC’s Jamie King edge Adams 8-7, Sexsmith CC’s Daylan Vavrek top Tao 7-4 and Saville CC’s Zachary Davies defeat Ellerslie CC’s Ryan Jacques 8-2.

Those losses by Adams, Tao and Jacques eliminated them from the Alberta provincials.

Early Friday, Sherwood Park CC’s Benjamin Kiist was ousted after losing 10-5 to Davies, Lacombe CC’s Daniel Humbke was bounced 10-8 by Jacques and Irricana CC’s Rob Johnson was ejected 8-2 by King.

So that leaves two games in C-side action Saturday afternoon with Libbus facing Davies and King versus Vavrek.

The victors will earn the final two qualifying spots for the playoff round, which begins with Page playoff games — Koe vs. Amsterdam in the 1-v-2 seeding game, and the winners of those C qualifiers in the 3-v-4 elimination game — late Saturday (6:30 p.m., YouTube’s Curling Alberta channel).

Sunday features the semifinal (10 a.m.) and championship draws (3 p.m.), with the winner crowned Alberta king and given the right to represent of the province at the 2025 Brier, slated for Feb. 28-March 9 in Kelowna, B.C.