Tiebreaker needed at Hearts
Written by on February 5th, 2010 in Latest News.
Kathy O’Rourke, second from right, and her P.E.I. rink exit the ice triumphant after sewing up a playoff berth on Thursday. (Nathan Denette/Canadian Press)
A spot in the final will be on the line Friday evening at the Tournament of Hearts in Sault Ste. Marie, Ont.
Team Canada’s Jennifer Jones scored one in the tenth end to beat Ontario’s Krista McCarville 6-5 on Thursday night and clinch a spot in Friday’s Page playoff.
Jones (8-3) will face off against Kathy O’Rourke’s P.E.I. rink (8-3) on Friday, with the winner moving onto the final.
“It wasn’t our best 10th end,” Jones said. “You really just want to have a shot to the four-foot and I knew, at the end of the day, I was going to have a draw to the button and I felt excellent with draw weight that game so that’s all you really want.”
O’Rourke’s rink clinched a playoff berth with a split earlier Thursday. After a 9-5 win over Shelley Nichols of Newfoundland and Labrador in the morning draw, P.E.I. sealed a spot in the playoff, despite a 10-5 loss to B.C.’s Kelly Scott in the afternoon.
“We were really emotionally tired out there [against B.C.],” said O’Rourke. “We just didn’t have the gas tonight. The last three games have been really scrappy, hard-fought games by us.”
B.C. (7-4) sits in third place after and 8-2 win over Newfoundland (4-7) in the evening draw.
Meanwhile, Manitoba’s Jill Thurston (7-4) beat Quebec’s Eve Belisle (5-6) 10-4 and will face McCarville (7-4) in a tie-breaker Friday.
B.C. advanced based on draws to the button held prior to each game.
The cumulative results were tallied and in favour of B.C. All three teams had identical won-loss records against each other in the round robin.
The winner of the tiebreaker game will face B.C. on Saturday afternoon.
“[Canada] played absolutely fabulous,” McCarville said. “I’m certainly not disappointed in our play.
“We picked up our game tonight. [Canada] just made absolutely everything. There’s nothing you can do.”
‘It’s a long week’
Off-season conditioning is vital for tournaments like the Hearts, which can comprise 15 games in an eight-day span.
“It’s a long week,” McCarville said. “But being a curler for so many years at this level, we work out in the summer.
“That’s what it’s all for. For these types of competitions, playing two games a day and hopefully getting into the playoffs and tie-breakers.”
For B.C., Scott was pleased with the way their final round robin day turned out.
“We had a real, real excellent day,” Scott said. “Team dynamics, chemistry and just solid play.
“I reckon we’re ramping it up at the perfect time. We’re thrilled to be playing another day out there.
“It’s an arena full of energy. Certainly, we’re excited to be playing and excited to be advancing through to the playoff round.”
In the other Draw 17 matchup, Saskatchewan’s Amber Holland defeated Alberta’s Valerie Sweeting 7-6.
