Issue 8 – Saturday, February 6, 2010 • An Official Publication of the Canadian Curling Association.
A ‘Jones’ for glory
Team Canada, with Jennifer Jones at the helm, put the boots to Prince Edward Island 8-5 in Friday night’s Page 1-2 playoff meeting at the Essar Centre.
’Peg quartet just one win from a Scotties three-peat after punting P.E.I. ■ Straight thru to Sunday Page 2
■ Team Bernard pays a visit Page 11
■ Ontario crew tops ’Tobans Page 16
Sponsor of the day
Page 2
HeartChart
Straight through to Sunday! Jones gang wins Page 1-2 playoff game for the first time since 2005 Larry Wood HeartChart Editor
I
t was The Champ and The Kid on Friday night at the Essar Centre, and the champ prevailed. Defending champion Jennifer Jones of Winnipeg moved to within one victory of a three-peat at the Scotties Tournament Of Hearts by defeating Kathy O’Rourke’s Prince Edward Islanders 8-5 in the Page One-Two playoff battle. The win avenged a Wednesday-night loss
Playoff Schedule Today 1 p.m. — Page ThreeFour Playoff: B.C. vs. Ontario 7 p.m. — Championship semifinal: P.E.I. (Page One-Two loser) vs. Page Three-Four winner
Sunday 2:30 p.m. — Championship final: Canada (Page One-Two winner) vs. semifinal winner
handed to Jones and her team of Cathy OvertonClapham, Jill Officer and Dawn Askin by an Island outfit that features 21-yearolds Erin Carmody and Geri-Lynn Ramsay delivering the fourth and third stones respectively. This time, last-rocker Carmody failed to have the necessary touch. She was scored at 60 per cent and missed last shots that cost the P.E.I. team four points in three ends. Jones advances to Sunday’s championship final for the third straight year and the fifth time in the last six Scotties renewals. That showdown goes at 2:30 p.m. ET on Sunday. The challenger will be one of O’Rourke, who dropped to Saturday’s semifinal with the loss, former champion Kelly Scott of Kelowna, B.C., or Ontario champion Krista McCarville of Thunder Bay. McCarville and Scott
square off in the suddendeath Page Three-Four playoff at 1 p.m. ET today, with the winner advancing to the semi. “It feels good to be in the final,” said Jones. “It’s exciting. You win one and you never know if you’re going to get back. Now we’ve won three and having a chance at four is quite something.” Jones said she felt her team could be sharper. “But I thought we made a lot of shots and I thought we controlled the game. I hope we can carry that into Sunday.” There was some argument to suggest the Islanders gave the game away on lastrock miscues. Carmody had an opportunity to derrick the Islanders in front by three points in the second end with an open hit, but threw the out-turn inside and wrecked on a guard that wasn’t providing cover for the target. P.E.I. settled for a single.
See SUNDAY, Page 12
P.E.I. last-rock tosser Erin Carmody, above, missed a couple of chances for three-enders Friday. Canada’s Dawn Askin, left, recovered from the challenging moments to help her team to victory. P.E.I. skip Kathy O’Rourke, above left, curled at 84 per cent Friday.
Saturday, February 6, 2010
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COAST TO COAST: TSN’S Brian Mudryk gets the scoop during in-game interviews with Ontario’s Krista McCarville, left, and P.E.I.’s Kathy O’Rourke, top, as playoff action began Friday at the Essar Centre.
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Page 4
HeartChart
Loyalists help to ‘fan’ that competitive fire
JIM CRONIN
HeartChart Columnist
C
urling fans come in all shapes, sizes, and age and noise levels. Some prefer to sit quietly in their seats, intently watching the end-to-end action, while others are a bit more flamboyant, painting their faces, wearing funny wigs and energetically ringing giant cowbells or hand clappers. However, the one thing all curling fans have in common is undying loyalty to their team, particularly when it’s a national curling championship like the 2010 Scotties Tournament of Hearts here in Sault Ste. Marie. Throughout the week, looking around the Essar Centre, it’s been easy
to spot the individual fan clubs with their provincial flags draped over the seats, their provincial team colour jackets and hats, and their spontaneous eruption of cheering and clapping when their team made a particular good shot. It would be hard to hand out an award for the most boisterous fans over the past week, although Nova Scotia, Newfoundland/ Labrador, Saskatchewan, P.E.I. and Manitoba would certainly be among the leaders. And let’s not forget about the fans from La Belle Province, particularly the Quebec gentleman with the full cover pig’s ■ Fans mask, and in focus the Team Page 6 Canada supporters with the huge cowbell that could be heard from one end of the Essar Centre to the other. And, of course, there’s the partisan hometown crowd cheering loudly for Team Ontario during each draw. Some of the curling teams also had some special guests
on hand. Rex Goudie, a finalist in the Canadian Idol competition, was a strong supporter of the Newfoundland/Labrador team during the week. Goudie lives in Burlington, Nfld., and is continuing his music career. For some of those in the crowd like Bob and Gloria King from the London, Ont., area, it’s their first major curling event, even though they’ve travelled the world watching sports events including figure skating. “We thought we would have a look and see what the curling was like in real life,” says Bob. The Kings were cheering for Ontario on Thursday, but they also say they are proud of Jennifer Jones’ Canada rink. Meanwhile on the other side of the arena, you could say Shea Westcott is full of bull, or more specifically, buffalo. Decked out in her bison headgear, Shea has two very important reasons for cheering loudly for Team Manitoba.
Please see CRONIN, Page 14
Healthy and Vibrant Communities We are pleased to support the 2010 Scotties Tournament of Hearts in promoting sports and recreational opportunities in Sault Ste. Marie. Call us to discuss ideas for your community. Des communautés saines et dynamiques Nous sommes heureux d'appuyer le Tournoi des Coeurs Scotties de 2010 qui participera à la promotion des activités de sports et loisirs à Sault Ste. Marie. Appelez-nous pour discuter de vos idées au sujet de votre communauté.
1.800.263.2887 www.trilliumfoundation.org
Saturday, February 6, 2010
Page 5
Another totally subjective Top 10 list ing Top 10 Scotties. Dissenters may line up to the right . . . in orderly fashion.
2009 Victoria
LARRY WOOD HeartChart Editor
T
he problem, of course, is choosing the criteria when assigned to select the Top 10 Scotties tournaments in history. Do you go for the top-10 spectacular last-rock shots to win? Or the top-10 most attended affairs? Or the top10 most competitive jousts? Or the top-10 warm-weather venues? Or the top-10 party-centrals? Or a mixture of all of them? Whatever the case, the HeartChart has burrowed deep into the memory banks of its editors and assorted spies to produce the follow-
Jennifer Jones of Winnipeg became the sixth skip to claim back-to-back championships . . . Again, the Jones team was forced to battle from the brink of elimination with four losses in order to emerge victorious . . . Won what amounted to five straight sudden-death matches to claim the title . . . Fantastic weather . . ■ Robin . So balmy Wilson’s the media Top 10 wretches Scotties suggested that each Page 7 and every Scotties should be played at the Save-On Foods Memorial Centre with headquarters in the Fairmont Empress . . . Waterfront location where veteran Vancouver news photog Chuck Stoody was able to tie up his luxury
trawler . . . B.C.’s Marla Mallett had a great week and a less-than-great final . . . Key Jones victory transpired in a post-preliminary tiebreaker when the defending champ stole points in the 10th and 11th ends to beat Rebecca Jean MacPhee of P.E.I. 6-5. Last-rocker Robyn MacPhee was faced with tough but makeable shots for a win in both ends after Jones had drawn to bite the button behind centre guards. In both cases, MacPhee’s rocks made contact with the target stones but spun off just far enough to give Jones the points she needed . . .
2003 KitchenerWaterloo The year of the so-called Atlantic Storm with three eastern teams qualifying for playoffs . . . Colleen Jones and Co., won their third straight Scotties.
Please see WOOD, Page 15
Sault Ste. Marie O N TA R I O
Tourism SSM and the City of SSM proudly welcome all athletes, family and fans to the 2010 Scotties Tournament of Hearts.
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Page 6
HeartChart
Local women’s hockey teams show some colour. A love affair with Jennifer Jones’ defending champions.
salute
Fan fave Scotties’ Little Softie, a.k.a. Paul Strandlund.
fans
to the
Top, Nova Scotia skip Nancy McConnery gets some down-home Bluenoser support. Middle, New Brunswick coneheads out in force. Above, green is the colour! The Team Canada rink makes fast friends with a young autograph seeker at the Essar Centre.
Saturday, February 6, 2010
Page 7
Friends from coast to coast to coast the congregation). Our first accident on the ice (a broken arm). Guest speaker at the Victory Banquet who sat next to the church minister used the “F” word (and it wasn’t “faith”) throughout his speech. Mayor fell asleep at the head table. Outstanding warm northern hospitality.
Robin Wilson rates her top 10 Scotties tourneys Robin Wilson For the HeartChart
T
he Scotties Tournament Of Hearts has been an incredible ride providing memories to last a lifetime. Most important are the friendships made over the last 29 years! We’ve come a long way since our first tournament in 1982. And I’m extremely proud to have been a part of the growth of women’s curling in Canada.
raise the bar and each year we’d exceed it so that the Scotties just kept getting better and better. To my many friends in cities and towns right across Canada, my pals on the 29 media benches, the guys and gals at CBC and TSN who have always been so incredibly supportive, the CCA team that I’ve been privileged to be part of, the awesome curlers who were at one point my peers and are now the age (or younger) of my kids; the always warm and friendly host committee volunteers, a huge thank-you from the bottom of my heart! My top 10:
2009 Victoria Who can beat this location? The hotel. The shopping. The arena. The weather. The shopping! Great curling with close games and an exciting finish. Old-English charm. Horse-drawn buggies in the middle of winter. Robin Wilson has presided over 29 Scotties Tournaments. Choosing my top 10 virtually is impossible because every event was special in it own way. Each year we’d
1998 Regina Sandra Schmirler wins gold at Nagano and returns on the day before the opening to play in the Scotties
1996 Thunder Bay Cold. Cold. Cold. Four teams lost in 10-foot-high snow banks. The championship trophy went missing. It was Vic Rauter’s first time covering curling. Firstever male host-committee chair. First time for male team drivers. Wonderful gifts from local artists. A spectator’s view of the 2010 Scotties at the Essar Centre. Each Canadian women’s championship is unique and special, writes Robin Wilson. and defend her title as Team Canada. The opening ceremonies were outstanding and, as the teams marched into the arena, the standing ovation went on for 10 minutes. Total attendance outdrew the Brier that year. And the record still stands!
1999 Charlottetown 1999 Charlottetown A packed arena. Incredible 50/50 draws. A HeartStop that never stopped. Wonderful food. A lobster starter at the Victory. Banquet that
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was a meal in itself. Historic Charlottetown rolled out the red carpet.
1987 Lethbridge A cavalcade through downtown. A Chinook blew in with 70-degree-plus temperatures. Ice melting to Shorty Jenkins’s chagrin. A dance with Shorty at the Lethbridge Curling Club.
2002 Sudbury The 20th anniversary. Bill, the Tim Horton’s driver, wanted to know “how fast
this sucker can go” (he was talking about his bus) as John McPherson (Jack of Hearts) and I raced back for the seating plans for the Victory Banquet. Freezing rain. Ice storms. Delayed flights. Shannon England had the house in tears talking about Sandra and introducing the new Sandra Schmirler Foundation.
1983 Prince George Church parade — sermon on circumcision. (Obviously forgetting who was in
2005 St. John’s George Street. Hospitality unparalleled. Good crowds. “Atta boy girl.” The scenery. The people. The food. The entertainment. Premier Danny Williams saying: “It takes a lot to get you here but once you’re here you always come back.” And every one us will be.
2006 London The 25th anniversary. Randy Bachman in concert. Return of the old guard.
Please see WILSON, Page 15
The Party Line • Your guide to what’s goin’ on
Page 8
your guide to what’s goin’ on
It’s Your Turn to Be a Rock Star!
Picture Perfect Hit Us With Your Best Shots!
Tonight… performing live, onstage… at 10 pm… in the HeartStop Lounge… it’s you! Picture yourself singing Karaoke backed by a live band and you have Rockstar Live.
Picture Perfect is the “fan’s eye” view from the Soo. When you’re capturing your favourite memories from the Scotties, send them in… they may just show up in The Party Line.
Just like Karaoke, you’ll have the lyrics right in front of you. The difference is, you’ll feel the power of the music from the professional rockers in “your” band!
Email pictures to: partylinepics@curling.ca
Rockstar Live gives you the chance to share the stage with musicians who have toured and recorded with the likes of Moist, David Usher, Helix and Killer Dwarfs.
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Take a
Free Ride
(Please note: Cameraphone images may not be of suitable quality to reproduce.)
Shuttle service is available daily between the Essar Centre and HeartStop Lounge at the Soo Curlers Association. The service is provided by Tim Hortons and the City of Sault Ste. Marie. Shuttles will depart every half hour to both venues. Departure points are the main parking lot near the front entrance of the Essar Centre and front door of the Soo Curlers Association.
Full schedules are posted at both departure points and online at seasonofchampions.ca
Saturday, February 6, 2010
Page 9
It’s Simply Meet the Sweet Sixteen The Cool Curling playdowns get underway today at 4:30 pm in the HeartStop Lounge. The field of 16 will be pared down to the final four who move on to play on Sunday for cash prizes. The qualifiers for today’s championship action are: Mie Bradley Brooke Kennedy Margo Kells Tom Kuuskman Jerry Dubenville Lance Lalonde Trevor Leveille Kathy Godfrey Al Offidani Kim Gignac Martin Buzora B. Westcott M. Sabourin Stephanie Cormier Joe Dinelle Nancy Wissell
HeartStop Lounge Menu HeartStop Lounge MC Stuart Brown and Roger Powell, Manager of Talent and Production test the table in preparation for the Cool Curling playdowns.
Amarula Cream liqueur is proud and honoured to be the Official Spirit of Championship Curling and Diamond Sponsor of the Scotties Tournament of Hearts. Amarula Cream is a carefully
crafted, cream liqueur based on spirit derived from the African Marula fruit. Amarula Cream is the world’s second largest selling cream liqueur. It is fresh and smooth, with a creamy consistency complemented with tones of vanilla and caramel. Amarula Cream is best enjoyed over ice or as the perfect complement to coffee or hot chocolate and in a wide range of cocktails. We wish all competitors the best of luck and all patrons an enjoyable week! Good Curling!!
Sponsor of the Day
Homestyle Cooking Available Daily 11 am – 8 pm Provided by Rico’s Catering
Daily Menu Pasta and Meatballs $6.00 Soup and Sandwich $6.00 Salads (Garden, Caesar or Greek) $4.00
Today’s Specials Served 6 pm - 8 pm
Dinner Feature
Ravioli Dinner Served with Garden Salad
$10.00
Vegetarian Option
Vegetarian Pizza
$2.50/slice
Nightly Menu
Available Daily 8 pm – 1 am Provided by Soo Curlers Restaurant Nacho Chips Chili & Bread Sticks Jumbo Hot Dog Chili Jumbo Dog Sausage On A Bun Hamburger Lemon Pepper Chicken Hoagie Roast Beef On A Bun Bbq Beef & Mozzarella On A Bun Mrs. B’s Pizza By The Slice Chicken Wings (8)
$5.00 $5.50 $4.00 $4.75 $5.00 $5.00 $5.00 $5.50 $5.50 $2.25 $8.00
Photos contributed by: Neil MacEwan
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HeartChart
Hearts are trump this week, thanks to Soo’s volunteer spirit Jim Cronin HeartChart Columnist
S
andra Randa, the local chair of the 2010 Scotties Tournament of Hearts, has no plans to put her feet up after the closing ceremonies on Sunday. As a matter of fact, Randa, who has been working day and night for the past two years on this event, will be among the volunteers at the Soo Curlers club bright and early Monday morning helping with the heavy lifting as the HeartStop Lounge is dismantled and the building is returned to a curling rink. As she looks back over the last two years of the Scotties project, she credits the 450 volunteers who put in thousands of hours with the success of the event. “Many of those volunteers, maybe 30 per cent, are curlers, but wanted to be involved in supporting this national event,” she says. And many of those volunteers took time off their regular jobs to devote themselves to making the Scotties a success.
Sandra Randa, left and above with Ian McMillan, says as many as 30 per cent of the Scotties’ 450 volunteers are curlers themselves.
Randa also gives credit to the Canadian Curling Association officials who have been working hand in hand with the local organizing committee providing valuable advice and guidance through the entire Scotties process. As far attendance at the Scotties, Randa would have loved to have filled the arena for each and every draw of the nine-day event, but was happy with the fan turnout later in the week as
the excitement built towards the final draw. Thursday evening’s final round-robin draw, featuring a showdown between host Ontario and Team Canada, drew 3,507 fans, the week’s largest crowd to date, bringing attendance to just over 34,000 for the first 17 draws of the Scotties. “Early in the week, attendance was disappointing but gathered momentum through the week,” says
Randa, who’s predicting a sold-out crowd of just over 3,968 for Sunday’s final game at the Essar Centre. Meanwhile, city officials believe the success of the 2010 Scotties Tournament of Hearts in Sault Ste. Marie will be of huge benefit in attracting other national and international events to this community. Ian McMillan, the executive director of Tourism Sault Ste. Marie, has been
working with the local Scotties committee going back to when the group was preparing to bid on the 2010 event two years ago. He said that in addition to the direct economic dollars-and-cents impact of the Scotties on the city, the national exposure of Sault Ste. Marie through the TSN television coverage is boost to tourism. “It gives us exposure on a national level that we could never afford to purchase,” says the city official. McMillan also points
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out that word of mouth is a powerful marketing tool and when you have thousands of out-of-town visitors leaving with a good feeling about the Sault, it can’t but help boost tourism. “We don’t have to take a backseat to anybody in terms of our hospitality,” he says. “When people come and visit our community, especially for events like this, they always leave feeling they have made friends for life and have had a warm welcoming experience in our community.” Randa agrees: “People from out of town were happy, the teams were happy and got a taste of great northern hospitality.” Now as the national championship nears an end, McMillan is looking on building on the momentum creating by the Scotties: “It’s another feather in the cap of this city and continues on with a strong legacy of hosting aid national and international events in our city.”
Saturday, February 6, 2010
Page 11
Bernard quartet preps for five-ring fever Todd Kimberley HeartChart Associate Editor
T
hey’ll be sliding out of the hack on home soil, less than 700 kilometers from their Calgary headquarters. But in another respect, Cheryl Bernard, Susan O’Connor, Carolyn Darbyshire and Cori Bartel are heading into the great unknown. Such is life wearing the Maple Leaf and going for gold at the 2010 Vancouver Olympic Games. “We had some conversations (with Edmonton’s Kevin Martin, who’ll be representing Canada at his third Olympics), and even he said: ‘It’s at home. It’s in Canada.’ He doesn’t even know what to expect,” said Bernard on Friday afternoon. “You don’t really know what you’re going to get, with this event being in Canada,” added O’Connor. “It’s going to be different. It’s the great unknown, and we’ll just enjoy it when we get there.” Skip Bernard, third O’Connor, second Darbyshire and lead Bartel swept their way into the spotlight’s glare on Dec. 12 at Edmonton’s Rexall Place, when they edged 2006
Torino Olympian Shannon Kleibrink and her outfit 7-6 in an all-Calgary women’s final at the Olympic Trials. Bernard’s final shot, a draw to the eight-foot ring for the win, was heavy on the drama — and appeared to be heavy out of the hack. But it bit just in time at the back of the eight, and the Bernard foursome was able to book its tickets to Vancouver. The Calgary Winter Club foursome leaves for the West Coast on Feb. 10, and opens its roundrobin schedule Feb. 16 with games against Switzerland’s Mirjam Ott and Germany’s Andrea Schopp. The gold-medal hopefuls made a special appearance
Above, from left, skip Cheryl Bernard, third Susan O’Connor, second Carolyn Darbyshire and lead Cori Bartel pose for a photo Friday at the Essar Centre. At right, Bernard calls a shot during a quick test vs. Shelley Nichols’ rink from the Rock. at the 2010 Scotties Tournament of Hearts on Thursday and Friday. The Bernard quartet took in Thursday evening’s draw at the Essar Centre, which featured a showdown between host Ontario and Jennifer Jones’ two-time defending Team Canada. During the noon hour on Friday, they played a quick, private six-end game against Shelley Nichols’ Newfoundlanders on Essar Centre ice before fielding questions from the local and national
media. And the Stampede City gals also made a special visit to the HeartStop Lounge on Friday evening, with an Up Close and Personal Q&A opportunity and autograph session. It’s all part of becoming an overnight celebrity, something the Bernard rink has learned since midDecember. “You know, it’s funny. It takes a while to get through the grocery store now. It used to be so quick,” laughed Bernard. “That’s the biggest thing I’ve noticed. And just that people will say, ‘Hey, Cheryl!’ I always think it’s someone I know, and it’s an absolute stranger. “And I bet there were close to 500 e-mails after we won” at Edmonton,” added Bernard. “I’m still not through it all. That was a bit overwhelming, because Darbyshire, left, and Bernard bask in victory on Dec. 12 at Edmonton.
I’m a person who likes my inbox cleaned out. “But you know what? It’s great. I’ve never complained . . . I’ll just have to leave more time for groceries.”
“People will say, ‘Hey, Cheryl!’ I always think it’s someone I know, and it’s an absolute stranger” Cheryl Bernard, on adjusting to sudden fame as a Canadian Olympian
Noted O’Connor with a chuckle: “Cheryl’s the face of the team, so I think she gets it a little more than the rest of us do. She tried to leave the (Essar Centre) last night, and was stuck for 45 minutes. Somebody grabs you, somebody else wants to talk to you, and it’s all wonderful.”
Still, the Bernard rink has done its best to keep focus and perspective. “I still go home and have to make lunches for my kids before they go off to school,” grinned Darbyshire. “We’d be exhausted by the time the Olympics come, if we were to stay at that intensity level for weeks and weeks,” added O’Connor. “We’re trying to stay steady and prepare the best we can.” Bernard’s rink, which had participated in two of the past three Scotties tournaments, was sorely tempted to squeeze in Alberta playdowns and a possible berth in the Canadian women’s championship between Olympic Trials and the Olympics. “You want to be greedy. You want to play in everything,” laughed Bartel. In the end, though, logic prevailed. “The Scotties is such a wonderful event, and you definitely know what you’re missing,” said O’Connor. “It’s hard to watch. This is what you love to play in — the arena, the feeling,” added Bernard. “We could have (gone for it). We talked about it. But to get up for two big competitions like this, it was advised that we should reconsider. And that was tough for us.”
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HeartChart
SCOTTIES SCHEDULE AND RESULTS Playoff Schedule
Friday’s Page 1-2 Playoff 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 0 1 0 1 0 2 0 0 0 2 0 2 0 2 Lead Second Third 84 84 76 73 86 80
P.E.I.* Canada %age P.E.I. Canada
8 9 10 T 0 1 0 5 1 0 1 8 Skip Team 60 76 78 79
Friday’s Tiebreaker Ontario* Manitoba %age Ontario Manitoba
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 0 3 0 2 0 3 2 0 0 2 0 1 0 0 Lead Second Third 82 93 86 96 91 59
In the third end, Carmody wrecked on a guard, leaving Jones a draw for a deuce. Carmody saved the Islanders from tumbling into an early grave in the fourth, when she drew to the fourfoot looking at five Team Canada counters. But in the fifth, Carmody again wrecked with her last stone, leaving Jones a fourfoot draw with backing for another deuce. The Islanders missed another opportunity for three in the sixth end when Carmody rolled out on a takeout. It left P.E.I. with two and a squared account. Jones came right back in the seventh with another deuce, and Carmody was a hair heavy on a four-foot draw in the eighth, yielding a stolen single. The Islanders then were forced to settle for a single in the ninth, leaving Jones with a two-spot and the hammer. She was left with an easy double to wrap it up
8 9 10 T x x x 10 x x x 3 Skip Team 79 85 68 79
From Page 2
SUNDAY in the final exchange. “We felt those misses,” admitted O’Rourke, who throws second rocks, afterward. “Erin was doing the best she could. If we’d had the three in the second end, it would have been a whole different game. But we have to put that behind us. I thought we still created a lot of scoring opportunities which goes to show us we can compete out here and it wasn’t just a fluke we were in this game.” Still, there were sufficient scoring opportunities to give the Islanders the game. “Erin struggled on a couple of out-turns on which she didn’t quite get out to me,” said O’Rourke. “For sure, if she’d have cracked the one in the second end she would have had a much better feel for the rest of the
Today 1 p.m. — Page ThreeFour Playoff: B.C. vs. Ontario 7 p.m. — Championship semifinal: P.E.I. (Page One-Two loser) vs. Page Three-Four winner
Sunday 2:30 p.m. — Championship final: Canada (Page One-Two winner) vs. semifinal winner
game. It is a game of confidence. Sometimes when you miss an easy one like that, it isn’t easy to get your head back in it.” Jones admitted the game might have been a different story had P.E.I. not “rubbed a couple . . . but I think we made the tough shots for deuces, too.” Jones doubted the suggestion that experience was a major factor in the match. “I don’t think experience hurts,” she said. “But I don’t think you need experience, either. You have to win your first one at some point.” Jones noted one change ahead for her team. “The way we usually win is with our choice of rocks, no hammer, nothing,” she said. “It will be a pleasant change on Sunday.” O’Rourke was philosophical in defeat: “I told the girls, we had so much fun out here tonight we’re going to come back tomorrow and hopefully again on Sunday.”
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Saturday, February 6, 2010
Page 13
Time out for trivia Larry Wood HeartChart Editor
QUESTION OF THE DAY: Only one previous Ford Hotshots champion is in the current Scott Tournament of Hearts field. Name her, her province and the year she won the Hot Shots. 2. Name the only two curlers who have skipped teams to victory in both the Canadian women’s and Canadian senior women’s championships. 3. Their home provinces? 4. How about the years they won each title? 5. Three other Canadian senior champion skips also won Canadian women’s titles but not in skipping roles. Name them and their
home provinces. 6. Name their skips in the Canadian women’s championship successes of each. 7. Name curlers who have skipped Ontario (or Northern Ontario) teams in both the Canadian women’s and senior women’s competitions. (Hint: Look for six of them). 8. Name the first skip in Canadian women’s curling championship history who was required to win 10 games in order to claim the title. 9. What year did she win and where was that championship played? 10. How many skips since then have won the Canadian title with less than 10 wins?
11. Name them and the years. 12. Name the first skip ever to win 11 games in the Canadian women’s championship, her home province and the year.
13. How about the first skip ever to win an even dozen? Oh yes, and her home province and the year. 14. One Canadian women’s champion was required to win less games in order to claim her title than any other in history. Name her, the year, the location and how many wins?
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QofD: Jill Officer (Manitoba) in 2008. 2. Emily Farnham, Pat Sanders. 3. Saskatchewan, B.C. 4. Farnham won the Canadian women’s in 1974 and the Canadian senior women’s in 1989. Sanders won the Canadian women’s in 1987 and the Canadian senior women’s in 2008. 5. Ada Calles, British
Columbia; Nancy Kerr, Saskatchewan; Sheila Rowan, Saskatchewan. 6. Ina Hansen (Calles), Marj Mitchell (Kerr), Vera Pezer (Rowan). 7. Anne Dunn, Fern Irwin, Jill Greenwood, Pat Reid, Sheila Ross, June Shaw. 8. Susan Seitz. 9. 1981 at St. John’s, Nfld. 10. Three skips since have won the championship
with less than 10 victories, one of them twice. 11. Colleen Jones (1982), Penny LaRocque (1983), Alison Goring (1990), Colleen Jones (2001). 12. Linda Moore, British Columbia, 1985. 13. Connie Laliberte, Manitoba, 1995. 14. Cathy (Pidzarko) Shaw, 1978, seven wins at Sault Ste. Marie.
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Her sister Raunora is lead for the team, and her father Ron is the coach. “It’s been so much fun. There’s so much energy in the crowd and it makes it easy for us to go a little wild sometimes,� says the Manitoba fan. And then there are Tom and Mary Coulterman from here in the Sault, who’ve been on the edge of their seats at the Scotties. Their daughter, Tara George, is the third for Team Ontario, and she has been playing in front of a supportive hometown crowd. Jan Wainright and Vic Freidin, from Toronto, have been across Canada many times following the trail of the Brier, the men’s national curling championship, and the Scotties. For them, the trip to Sault Ste. Marie for the 2010 event was a no-brainer. Jan is originally from the Sault and
wasn’t going to miss worldclass curling in her hometown. “‘We’re going’ were the first words out of my mouth. We just had to decide which of our friends in the Sault were going to be our hotel,� she says. Her husband Vic was also enthusiastic about coming here for the Scotties and the opportunity to renew friendships with former curling buddies here. He also has a special place in his heart for curling in the Sault.
Vic Freidin and Jan Wainwright of Toronto.
Manitoba fans Shea Westcott and brother Brandy.
From Page 4
CRONIN: Raising the roof
“My first date with Jan was at a Ministry of Natural Resources bonspiel here in the Sault,� he says, “and now she is my wife.� Although attendance at the 2010 Scotties was a little low during the first part of the championship, those in attendance at those early games still raised the noise level to the roof of the Essar Centre on several occasions. Fans arrived at this year’s Scotties in Sault Ste. Marie from as far away as Yellowknife in the Northwest Territories, and as close as a few blocks from the arena. But no matter where they call home, they all share a love of the cries of “Hurry! Hurry!,� the crash of granite on granite, and the proud knowledge that our country has some of the best curlers in the world.
Saturday, February 6, 2010
From Page 7
WILSON: Family Bob Stewart — still one of the greatest supporters of Canadian women’s curling. An outdoor curling rink. Celebrating Shannon Kleibrink’s return from the Olympics.
1993 Brandon Western theme. Crazy games and costumes. Horses and riders storming the HeartStop Lounge. Host committee chair stepped aside to play for Team Manitoba. Incredible final — Schmirler vs. Bonar. Packed house. The wave. Prairie gourmet feast featuring Buffalo tenderloin, wild boar and walleye. A footnote . . . Actually, every championship was “the best ever.” Each one had its own distinguishing memories. Every one can make a top-10 list because each was unique and special. The common thread throughout are the volunteers who continue 29 years later to work so hard to showcase their cities and to welcome all of us — curlers, sponsors and fans — from across Canada with open arms and hearts. Friends from coast to coast-to-coast. Or as our beloved Cathy Stephenson would say, ”We are family!”
Page 15
It was also Jones’ fourth title in five years, thanks to a 9-7, extra-end win over Newfoundland’s Cathy Cunningham 9-7 . . . Jones completed the victory with an open out-turn hit after Cunningham wrecked on her draw attempt behind a corner guard . . . Newfoundland appeared to have it wrapped by setting up a winning split for a deuce in the 10th before third Peg Goss rolled out her shooter on a hit to maintain the split . . . Prince Edward Island’s youthful Suzanne Gaudet rolled through the round robin, winning 10 of 11 . . . Faded in the plasyoffs.
1995 Calgary Manitoba’s Connie Laliberte twice defeated defending champion Sandra (Schmirler) Peterson of Regina, who was looking for a three-peat, and conquered former national junior champion Cathy (King) Borst of Edmonton 6-5 in a tension-packed championship final . . . Laliberte won a whopping 12 of 13 games in all . . . Borst provided the only blemish to the Ice Queen’s week . . . The start of the Heart Chart, as we know it today . . .
2000 Prince George Kelley Law and her New Westminster team recorded one of the great rebounds in the history of the Scotties . . . Law faced not one, not two, not three, not four, not five, but six straight sudden-death matches in her quest and won all six . . . Defeated three-time Canadian champion Connie Laliberte, who’d lost the Page One-Two match 6-4 to
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Ontario’s Anne Merklinger — Laliberte cracked a three in the eighth for a 6-4 lead but Law and Co., finagled the tying deuce in the ninth and stole the winner in the 10th when Laliberte missed her last shot . . . Law stole a deuce in the fifth end of the final for first-time control, then added a crushing three in the seventh and ran away — 9-4, only the second loss of the entire tournament for Merklinger.
1982 Regina An unprecedented fiveteam first-place tie at 7-3 developed from the round robin . . . Youthful Colleen Jones of Halifax had blood in her eye, after losing the final two years previous despite a superior record . . . Arleen Day of Regina beat former champion Cathy (Pidzarko) Shaw of Edmonton 7-5 in a tiebreaker . . . Jones avenged a first-round loss in the semis . . . Day stormed in front 3-0, then Nova Scotia turned it on to win 11-4 . . . Jones hit for four in the first end of the final but Dorothy Rose of Manitoba scored three right back, then stole a tying single. The decisive manouevre for Jones was a one-point steal in the eighth which set up the eventual 8-7 win . . .
2001 Sudbury Colleen Jones of Halifax starred in this show, winning three at the outset, then suddenly losing four in a row and appearing out of it, then tossing up the the barricades and winning an unbelievable six straight . . . every one of them, sudden-death . . . Defending champ topped the round robin at 8-and-3, then lost the Page
From Page 5
WOOD One-Two to Jones . . . The most controversial finish in Scotties history . . . Law assumed a 5-2 lead after seven ends but Jones fashioned a tying three in the eighth, stole control in the ninth and forced Law to settle for a tying single in the 10th with a clutch shot through a narrow port. In the 11th, Team Canada placed two counters in the rings, both in the eight-foot, one hidden. Jones needed not only her patented out-turn hit on the open rock — the path out there in the frost — but a roll inward to reach shot-rock position. At the last second, the rock picked up swing and moved inward an inch or so off the hit while both second MaryAnne Waye and lead Nancy Delahunt, who called traffic for skip rocks in the rings, began sweeping. What followed was near-pandemonium. An official measure indicated the Nova Scotia rock was the winner (7-6). But there was the matter of two sweepers in the vicinity of the teeline or just behind it, a breach of the game’s rule that allows only one sweeper per team in that area. The fooferaw extended beyond 24 hours before the official result was upheld.
2005 St. John’s The winning shot, probably was Canadian women’s curling’s equivalent of Al Hackner’s Shot Of the Century at the 1986 Brier in Moncton . . . Manitoba’s Jennifer Jones, trailing Ontario’s Jenn Hanna by two points heading into the last end, won in dramatic style
by playing and executing a difficult angle double-takeout from a stone in the top corner of the 12-foot to a hidden Ontario shot rock on the button. Jones’s in-turn rock hit the outside stone at the perfect angle and caromed to the centre of the rings to pluck Hanna’s counter off the pin and score a four-ender to win 8-6 . . . The Ottawa team advanced to the final by knocking over (in order) Cathy King, Sandy Comeau, Stefanie Lawton and Kelly Scott . . . Comeau, in a tiebreaker, eliminating the champ of the last three years running. An emotional exit for Colleen Jones.
1998 Regina Edmonton’s Cathy (King) Borst surviving several near-coronary finishes en route to 12 wins in 13 games, including no less than three heart-stopping victories at the expense of Anne Merklinger of Ottawa, the key matches of the entire piece . . . Alberta stealing what proved to be the difference in the eighth end of a 5-4 opening-round conquest, stealing the duke again seven nights later, this time 7-6 in an extra-end Page One-Two playoff . . . In the final, climactic battle Borst stealing a key point in the third end, going up 5-2 after five and then withstanding a withering rally from Merklinger’s troops to win with the last rock of another extra end. Again, 7-6 . . . Triumphant homecoming from Olympic glory for defending champion Sandra Schmirler of Regina but script wasn’t one Reginans would have preferred . . . Schmirler’s three-time champs, battling Olympicinduced exhaustion and acute
jet lag as well as some tough opponents, losing four of 11 in the prelims and faring no better than a tertiary finish.
2008 Regina Winnipeg’s Jennifer Jones staged a miraculous comeback and won her second Scotties championship in four years, stealing the title from Alberta’s Shannon Kleibrink 6-4 in a thrilling final . . . Jones executed a cold bury with her last rock and Kleibrink narrowly missed a last-rock raise-takeout in which she needed to spill both Manitoba stones . . . Eight straight wins for Jones off a 3-4 record in her opening seven . . . Kleibrink romped through the round robin with a 10-1 record.
1993 Brandon Sandra (Schmirler) Peterson of Regina, always riding the edge but always possessing the shot when it was needed . . . An immense first success for Schmirler’s team considering she faced two strong host teams from Manitoba among a galaxy of others with abundant experience . . . Maureen Bonar of Brandon, 2-3 after five rounds, won her last six including clutch conquests of defender Connie Laliberte, Julie Sutton (Skinner) and Colleen Jones, then prevailed over Anne Merklinger of Ontario in the semi, setting up an edge-ofthe-seat final match that will be remembered with the best of them and probably the most thrilling in Scotties history — an extra-ender with Schmirler needing the hammer to win it 7-6.
Page 16
HeartChart
Ontario runs riot in rout of Manitobans Larry Wood HeartChart Editor
O
ne gutsy, early shot turned the tide in favour of Ontario at the Essar Centre on Friday afternoon. Provincial champion Krista McCarville skipped her Thunder Bay team to a 10-3 tiebreaker thrashing of Manitoba’s Jill Thurston, reducing the field in the Scotties Tournament Of Hearts championship chase to four teams. McCarville executed a spectacular last-rock runback, literally papering one of her own stones, and erasing an enemy counter to score three in the second end after a blank opener. The call was a calculating one for McCarville and deflating for Thurston’s forces who never recovered.
“We decided it was risk for reward, you miss, you only give up a steal of one but to make it meant a huge momentum shift,” said the Ontario skip. We figured if we didn’t make it or just chipped it out and scored a deuce, it was still early. “We were really pumped after that. My team just played so well, we just never let them back into it. We never got down and just kept firing.” Thurston agreed with the assessment. “She made a great shot, they definitely played great, we were not so good, so . . . that’s what happens in curling,” said the petite Manitoba skip. “I can see her call. It was a low-risk shot. We were only counting one. You might as well go for it. But it was a killer for us. We had opportunities to put rocks in the right places after that but we didn’t do that and they were right
on the money, they made everything.” McCarville and her team of Tara George, Ashley Miharija and Kari MacLean advanced to the suddendeath Page Three-Four playoff today at 1 p.m. ET against two-time champion Kelly Scott of Kelowna. That winner will advance to the semi-final at 7 p.m. ET. Thurston was left with an open hit for a deuce in the third but McCarville finagled those points back in the fourth. She missed a twin-kill in the fifth after Thurston has executed a double but, with a near-free draw, Thurston pulled the string on her last rock and settled for a single. McCarville came back ferociously in the sixth and hammered another three-count on the board, stole two more in the seventh when Thurston inadvertently knocked her
own counter out of the rings and the jig was up. “Step 1 is done but we have some more tough games starting tomorrow,” said McCarville. “We’re not satisfied here. We’ll be satisfied at the top. “We’ve been here and we know how tough the games are going to be. Emotionally and physically, it is tiring, but we know we can do it again. So we have to feed off that. We’re at that stage where we know that we’re good enough to be here and we have to continue believing in ourselves, that’s really key.” McCarville agreed a partisan Ontario crowd is beneficial. A total of 2,474 took in the contest. Thurston bemoaned too many “half-shots” in the game. “You can get away with those in cashspiels, but not up here,” she said If you don’t make all your shots all
Ontario’s Tara George, left, keeps an eye on the action in the house, as does Manitoba’s Raunora Westcott. the time here you’re going to lose and that’s what happened today. I mean, I miss that draw for two in the fifth, you can’t do that! You can’t draw, you can’t skip.”
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The Winnipeg skip said she was satisfied with the week but not the playoff match: “This wasn’t indicative of the way we played during the week.”