VICTORIA, February 28, 2009 (CCA) — Jennifer Jones is headed back to the final at the Scotties Tournament of Hearts Canadian women’s curling championship.
The two-time national champion, and reigning world champ, defeated Quebec’s Marie-France Larouche 12-8 Saturday night at the Save-on-Foods Memorial Centre in the semifinal.
With the victory, Jones, third Cathy Overton-Clapham, second Jill Officer and lead Dawn Askin move on to Sunday’s championship final against B.C.’s Marla Mallett. The game is scheduled for 9 p.m. Atlantic on TSN.
“We’re going to have to play well; we’re playing a team that’s played well all week,” said Jones. “But this is what we work all year for, to play in the final game. And we just love being out there together and enjoying the moment together.”
Team Canada, which turned back Stefanie Lawton of Saskatchewan 8-6 earlier Saturday in the Page playoff three-four game, looked to be having an easy time with Quebec in the semi. Canada scored one in the first end, then stole four in the second end when Larouche came up light on her draw for a single point.
But Quebec fought back to tie it, scoring two in the third end, then stealing three in the fourth when Jones raised a Quebec rock into the rings on her own attempt to draw for one.
“It was curling a bit more, and both teams didn’t catch onto it early enough and you were questioning yourself,” said Jones. “But the back half, it was normal ice, which is exactly what we wanted.”
The teams then exchanged deuces before Canada put two more on the board in the seventh, then held Quebec to a crucial single in the eighth when Larouche was just heavy on an attempted angle double raise to the four-foot.
And in the ninth, Larouche’s last shot crashed on a guard, giving Jones a draw to score three.
A year ago, in Regina Team Canada won eight straight loser-out games to take the Canadian title, and the team has gotten on a similar roll in Victoria.
“A little bit. I feel like we’ve stepped it up a little bit in the playoffs, which is nice,” said Jones. “Obviously we had a couple bad ends there when the ice changed a little bit on us. But I feel like this is the best we’ve played as a team all week, so it’s a good feeling going into tomorrow.”
The winner of Sunday’s final advances to the world women’s championship, set for March 21 to 29 in Gangneung, South Korea.