Gold Bracket

With the five pod champions now facing off against each other, we are going to see some of the most competitive curling in club history, but which team will finish on top? A season after falling in the championship, Legion of Broom enters the gold bracket as the number one seed and had the highest point differential in group play. However, returning to the title game will not be easy. The Swifty Sweepers boast one of the more talented rosters in the league and are capable of a run for the gold. STOP! Hammer Time and the Canadian Cartel already have major upsets to their name and have a talented core of players. Finally, the Stone Ponies enter the gold bracket as the fifth and final seed, but they may be getting hot at the right time, after scoring nine the last time they stepped on the ice.

Seeds:

1. Legion of Broom
2. STOP! Hammer Time
3. Canadian Cartel
4. Swifty Sweepers
5. Stone Ponies

Keegan-Michael Key’s Predictions

Championship: Legion of Broom vs. Swifty Sweepers

Potential Dark Horse: STOP! Hammer Time

First Round Matchup to Watch: STOP! Hammer Time vs. Canadian Cartel

 

Silver Bracket

While not competing for the league title, the Silver Bracket may be the most interesting of the three. Sam’s Club is the defending champion, but their hopes of a repeat were dashed by a loss on opening night. Now they will have to face off against tough competition to even win a silver medal. Team Seven was a preseason favorite to win the Gold Bracket but was also upset on opening night. The two teams bring two of the top five most talented rosters into the bracket and look to be on a collision course in the silver medal match. While they are the favorites, neither team is the number one seed in the bracket. The Cleanup Crew has an experienced roster and was one point away from finding themselves in the Gold Bracket.  The Stoners’ roster is a combination of experienced veterans and talented newcomers, and they have the possibility of winning on any given night. Miracle on Ice is the biggest wild card of any team in the field, as they scored the highest number of points of any team in the silver bracket during pod play (10), but also gave up the most points of any team (10).

Seeds:

1. Cleanup Crew
2. Team Seven
3. Miracle on Ice
4. Stoners
5. Sam’s Club

The Nittany Lion’s Predictions

Silver Medal Match: Team Seven vs. Sam’s Club

Potential Dark Horse: The Cleanup Crew

First Round Matchup to Watch: Stoners vs. Sam’s Club

 

Bronze Bracket

While the Bronze Bracket does not contain the experienced rosters of the other two brackets, there is still the potential for some great matchups and major upsets. Game of Stones enters as the top seed after their point differential kept them out of a higher bracket. The Sweeping Beauties are a team full of newcomers but showed great progress in their second pod game. Flying Traces are another team of newcomers, but not having their full roster during their second game of pod play makes them a bit more of a wild card than other teams. Speaking of wild cards, The Broomshakalakas burst onto the curling scene, quickly becoming fan favorites. They’ve played two close games against two talented teams but haven’t been able to close out either contest. The Super Sweepers may enter the bracket as the bottom seed, but with solid veteran leadership, they have a chance to pick up a win or two.

 

1. Game of Stones
2. Broomshakalakas
3. Sweeping Beauties
4. Flying Traces
5. Super Sweepers

Willard Preachers’s Predictions

Bronze Medal Match: Broomshakalakas vs. Game of Stones

Potential Dark Horse: Sweeping Beauties

First Round Matchup to Watch: Broomshakalakas vs. Sweeping Beauties