(by Paul Friesen)
CHARLOTTETOWN, P.E.I. — If Cathy Overton-Clapham fails to make the playoffs at this year’s Scotties Tournament of Hearts, she’ll look back at Sunday, bloody Sunday.
Overton-Clapham started the day by dropping a 6-4 decision to B.C.’s Kelly Scott in a game that had victory written all over it, but instead resulted in the Manitoba champ’s second loss in three games.
“It’s only Sunday. You don’t want to have two losses on Sunday,” Overton-Clapham lamented.
It got worse before Day 2 was up.
Manitoba was pasted 9-3 by New Brunswick Sunday night, Overton-Clapham, who shot a paltry 48%, looking nothing like a five-time national women’s champ.
“That’s how you get killed out there,” she said of her play. “It’s not fun.”
Suddenly, at 1-3, it’s must-win time, every draw.
It didn’t have to be this way.
Overton-Clapham was in position to grab hold of the B.C. game, but let it slip away in the ninth end, when she missed a soft tap-back, usually an Overton-Clapham staple, handing Scott three points.
“I made a couple of probably wrong calls,” she said. “And I missed both my shots. It just was a comedy of errors.
“It’s disappointing because we really controlled the game. The girls played good. I didn’t play very well, and giving up that steal of three doesn’t help.”
Even Scott was surprised.
“We never expect to get that when Cathy’s got the last brick and has a soft weight shot,” Scott said. “It changed the complexion of the end really quickly on skip’s rocks.”