(by Larry Wood). Experience took a step forward at the Scotties Tournament Of Hearts on Sunday night. Defending champion Amber Holland of Kronau, Sask., faced a must out-turn double-kill with her last rock against Alberta’s Heather Nedohin at the Enmax Centrium and was right on the money to slip away with a 6-5 victory and a share of the lead in the 12-team national championship.
Joining Holland at 3-and-0 was two-time champion Kelly Scott of Kelowna, who drew for three with last rock to defeat Ontario rookie Tracy Horgan of Sudbury 9-8 after Horgan had appeared to take control of the issue.
The 25-year-old Horgan, who is playing like a far more experienced veteran, dropped to 2-and-1 along with four-time champion Jennifer Jones of Winnipeg and seven-time Saskatchewan champion Michelle Englot of Regina.
In other evening matches, Newfoundland’s Heather Strong of St. John’s won her first in four starts, thumping inconsistent Kerry Galusha of the Territories 8-3 while Quebec’s Marie-France Larouche scored with the hammer in the 10th end for a 5-4 duke, handing Spud Island’s Kim Dolan her third loss.
CCA photo by Andrew Klaver: Team PEI fifth Michala Robison sees some action during the fifth draw at The 2012 Scotties Tournament of Hearts
Quebec had control early against the Islanders but lost it when Dolan stole ahead in the seventh end. A deuce in the next exchange enabled Larouche to finagle a position in which she had the last rock on the last end.
“I hope the momentum will stay with us,” said the skip from St-Romuald. “We played very well tonight. We are not too stressed. We are learning game by game and I think we will be better and better.”
The Territories and Quebec were 2-2 at day’s end while Alberta and New Brunswick were 1-2, Newfoundland and P.E.I. were 1-3, and Nova Scotia’s Heather Smith-Dacey were 0-3.