(CCA) Stolen deuces in the first and fifth ends propelled Winnipeg’s Barb Spencer to an 8-5 win over Regina’s Amber Holland in the opening women’s draw at the Capital One Road to the Roar Pre-Trials, presented by Monsanto.
The Capital One Road to the Roar will decide the final two men’s and women’s entries into the Tim Hortons Roar of the Rings Canadian Curling Trials, presented by Monsanto, Dec. 1-8 at the MTS Centre in Winnipeg.
Photo (L-R): Crystal Webster, Cathy Overton-Clapham, Geri-Lynn Ramsay, Sam Preston
In other games, Krista McCarville of Thunder Bay, Ont., drew for a single in the 11th end for a dramatic 9-8 victory over Calgary’s Crystal Webster. The teams trade stunning three-enders in the ninth and 10th ends to set up the extra. [The Webster rink includes PEI native Geri-Lynn Ramsay].
Kelly Scott of Kelowna, B.C., took two in the 10th end for a 6-5 win over Cathy Auld of Mississauga, Ont. The Ontario team led 3-1 at the break after forcing back-to-back steals. A finesse tap by Scott for two points tied it up in the sixth, and a steal in seven brought her within one point. In the 10th, with the four-foot full of rocks, Scott was able to protect two shot stones for the 6-5 win.
In a close, see-saw match, two young teams with no Canadian Curling Trials experience – Edmonton’s Val Sweeting and Tracy Horgan of Sudbury, Ont. – kept lots of rocks in play. It was Horgan who made the most of them with an 8-3 win thanks largely to a stolen three in the eighth end when Sweeting’s final shot slid through the house.
The Capital One Road to the Roar continues this evening with men’s place at 8:30 p.m. (AST). [The Brad Gushue rink, which includes PEI natives Brett Gallant and Adam Casey, play the Jean-Michel Ménard rink from Quebec in their opener. First draw for the Laura Crocker rink, which includes PEI native Erin Carmody, is Wednesday at 10 a.m against Tracy Horgan. Webster plays Cathy Auld at the same time}
Playoff draws will be broadcast on Saturday and Sunday by TSN/RDS, the official broadcast partner of the Season of Champions.
Live scoring, statistics and updated draw brackets are available at http://www.curling.ca/scoreboard/