Playoff implications were front and center at the 2021 Home Hardware Curling Pre Trials Presented by New Holland at the Queens Place Emera Centre in Liverpool, N.S. and that’s not just a reference to the sheet C designation of draw 14’s feature match up; streamed live to viewers at home on Curling Canada’s YouTube page.
While most teams generally want to stay ahead of the curve in competition and ensure they win the correct games to make the playoffs, the recipe for Corryn Brown (4-2; Kamloops, B.C.) on Thursday evening was simple: don’t lose.
No pressure, right? Easy to say but even more difficult to execute when you’re facing off against one of Canada’s best women’s teams in the likes of previously undefeated Team Krista McCarville (4-1; Thunder Bay, Ont.).
Brown came out strong and managed to leverage the hammer twice for scores of three, leading McCarville by a score of 7-3 after six ends. The McCarville rink, famously known for their skill, would begin to claw their way back by converting for two with the hammer in the seventh and follow up with back-to-back steals of one in the eighth and ninth ends.
Setting up for a showdown in the tenth end tied at 7-7, Brown would manage to get rocks in good positions and force McCarville to freeze to a stone in the four-foot in order to orchestrate a steal but saw the McCarville offering overcurl and grant Brown an 8-7 victory.
Liverpool NS.October 28, 2021.Queens Place Emera Centre.Home Hardware Canadian Curling Pre Trials. Skip Suzanne Birt, lead Michelle McQuaid, second Meaghan Hughes. Curling Canada/ Michael Burns Photo
In other draw 14 action, Team Jill Brothers (1-4; Halifax) needed an extra end to defeat Team Sherry Anderson (3-2; Martensville, Sask.) 9-8 to the delight of the hometown fans. Team Suzanne Birt (4-1; Montague/Cornwall, P.E.I.) vanquished Team Darcy Robertson (3-3; Winnipeg) by a score of 9-4. Team Mackenzie Zacharias (3-2; Altona, Man.) defeated Team Danielle Inglis (2-3; Mississauga, Ont.) 8-4 while Team Glenn Howard (3-1; Penetanguishene, Ont.) downed Team Pat Ferris (0-4; Grimsby, Ont.) by a score of 8-3.
The 2021 Home Hardware Pre-Trials will continue Friday with draws at 8 a.m., Noon, 4 p.m. and 8 p.m. (all times Atlantic).
Live scoring, standings and statistics for the 2021 Home Hardware Pre-Trials are available at www.curling.ca/scoreboard/
Round-robin games are being streamed on Curling Canada’s YouTube channel, while TSN/RDS2 will cover the closing weekend. CLICK HERE for the broadcast schedule.
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