Thomas Scoffin is not letting his rink’s dreams of gold get out of reach.

The University of Alberta Golden Bears skip improved to 3-2 yesterday at the 2017 U Sports/ Curling Canada University Championships in Thunder Bay, Ont.

The team, which is comprised of third Karsten Sturmay, second Tristan Steinke, lead Caleb Boorse, alternate Christopher Kennedy and coach Rob Krepps, now sits in third place.

If they can stay in the top four at the end of today, they will advance to the playoff round, with semifinals taking place Wednesday and finals scheduled for Thursday.

The Golden Bears enter today’s first draw on a two-game winning streak, dispatching the University of Regina 5-3 and host Lakehead University 7-4 yesterday.

Their final two round-robin games are against defending champions Wilfrid Laurier University and Prince Edward Island.

Scoffin last won the national championship in 2015 and would like to do so again in his final year playing in the U Sports arena.

Chasing first wins

Yukon’s representatives at the 2017 Everest Senior National Championships in Fredericton, N.B are trying to earn their first wins of the competition.

Whitehorse Curling Club’s Team Gammel – lead Frances Taylor, second Maureen Birckel, third Valerie Boxall and skip Darlene Gammel – sit at the bottom of Pool A this morning with an 0-2 record.

They have three more games to post in the win column, including matches against British Columbia, New Brunswick and Ontario.

The men’s rink, Team Pawlwaski – lead Don McPhee, second George Hilderman, third Terry Miller and skip Pat Pawslawki – also of the Whitehorse Curling Club, are also looking for their first wins. They are 0-2 after dropping games to Ontario and Quebec.

The senior championships continue until Saturday. They began at Willie O’Ree Place and Capital Winter Club on Monday.