An impressive recovery from an early deficit saw the GB Students men’s team register their first win on their second day of action at the FISU Winter World University Games, with an 8-6 victory over Ukraine in Torino.
Having lost their opening match against Korea, Arran Thomson, Ross Craik, Kaleb Johnson and Rory MacNair looked to be up against it again when they conceded a two at the second end, then a steal of three at the third to fall 5-2 behind.
After claiming a two at the fourth end to narrow the gap at the midway break, they fell further behind when their opponents scored again at the sixth end after the fifth had been blanked.
However, the match turned at the seventh with a three for the British quartet taking them in front for the first time since the opening end and a steal at the last secured the result.
“It was great to get the first win, a good confidence boost especially in the way we won that game,” said skip Thomson. 
“It was a good set up in the seventh end where we controlled the four foot the whole end and put them under pressure to make a lot of shots, then down the last we kept it clean and managed to get a miss out of them.
“We knew we had some work to do after we got down in the game, but we kept our heads up and stuck to our processes and managed to get back into the game.
“It was a great feeling and very encouraging knowing that if we stick with it we can still win a game.”
They now head into the third day’s play in the round-robin qualifying stage right back in the mix for the play-offs as they prepare to take on Norway, who have won both their matches and China, who have lost both of theirs.
“We know quite a bit about Norway,” said Thomson.
“We played them at the (Perth) Masters and beat them and the other guys have played against them quite a bit, but we know very little about China so that will be exciting to play a new team.”
It was a first day of action for the women’s team of Laura Watt, Amy Mitchell, Holly Wilkie-Milne and Lisa Davie, as they lost both their matches to Korea, going down 6-3 and in particularly cruel fashion to China when they looked to have the upper hand, playing the final end two shots up with lost stone advantage, but were unable to capitalise as they conceded a steal of three to lose 8-7.
“We had a tough day but there are lots of positives to take away from it,” said skip Watt.
“We are confident with the ice and have been playing a lot of good shots out there, but just got on the wrong side of a couple that cost us and that’s curling at the end of the day.
“We’ve built from the games today that we can take into tomorrow.
“We’ll keep improving and come out fighting.”
Their first match on day three sees them face Canada, who have won both their matches, before they take on Norway, who have won one and lost one.
GB Students Women’s Team
Laura Watt (University of Highlands and Islands - Perth College UHI)
Amy Mitchell (University of Stirling)
Holly Wilkie-Milne (University of Stirling)
Lisa Davie (The Open University)
Cara Davidson (Edinburgh Napier University)
GB Students Men’s Team
Arran Thomson (The Open University)
Ross Craik (University of Abertay)
Kaleb Johnson (University of Stirling)
Rory MacNair (Edinburgh Napier University)
Fraser Swanston (SRUC)
Head Coach – Nancy Smith
Women’s Coach – Luke Carson
Men’s Coach – Niall Ryder
Schedule:
Wednesday 15 January
GB Men
GB – Korea 3-5
Thursday 16 January
GB Women
GB – Korea 3-6
GB Men
GB – Ukraine 8-6
GB Women
GB – China 7-8
Friday 17 January
GB Men - 0700
GB –China
GB Women – 1100
GB – Canada
GB Men – 1500
GB – Norway
GB Women – 1900
GB – Norway
Saturday 18 January
GB Men – 0800
GB – Sweden
GB Women – 1300
GB – Japan
GB Men – 1800
GB – Italy
Sunday 19 January
GB Women – 0700
GB – USA
GB Men - 1100
GB – Switzerland
GB Women – 1500
GB – Poland
GB Men - 1900
GB – USA
Monday 20 January
GB Women 0800
GB – Italy
GB Men - 1300
GB – Canada
GB Women - 1800
GB – Sweden
Tuesday 21 January
Men Semi Final 1 - 0700
Men Semi Final 2 - 1100
Women Semi Final 1 - 1500
Women Semi Final 2 - 1900
Wednesday 22 January
Women Bronze Medal Game - 1300
Men Bronze Medal Game - 1800
Thursday 23 January
Women Gold Medal Game - 0900
Men Gold Medal Game - 1300
Please click here for results. 