(By Larry Wood). It was supposed to be the great rematch Monday night at the Enmax Centrium. A re-run of last year’s gut-clencher at Charlottetown where Amber Holland threw a monkey wrench into Jennifer Jones’s hopes for a record-tying fourth straight Scotties championship.
But the suspense started to seep out of this one on the sixth end when Manitoba second Jill Officer stumbled while sweeping Jones’s last takeout attempt against two Team Canada stones. Officer fouled the shooter and left the opposition with a vital steal of two.
Amber Holland reacts to a play at the 2012 Scotties Tournament of Hearts.
(Photo by: Andrew Klaver)
It was a definite game-turner. The issue was square at 1-1 at the time.
“That’s curling,” said Jones, “and there’s nobody else I’d want to have sweeping my rocks than Jill.”
Holland stole another single in the seventh, then after yielding two in the eighth, scored on a nose raise-takeout in the ninth to score three and settled the issue at 7-3 after Jones sailed her last rock harmlessly through the rings.
“It’s unfortunate,” said Holland of the burned rock. “I think Jen had the shot made but the rock was burned and that’s what happens.
“I think the biggest thing for us was that we put a really good game together.”