Jones swept to victory

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This article was published 20/02/2011 (5535 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

CHARLOTTETOWN — Jennifer Jones did Saturday what Jennifer Jones has always done best — rise to the occasion under duress.

Jones, the three-time defending Canadian champion, began her quest for a record-tying fourth straight Canadian title with a last-rock 7-6 victory over Quebec’s Marie-France Larouche Saturday night on the opening day of the 2011 Canadian womens’ curling championship.

Jones needed to draw the button with the final rock of the game to rescue a victory that looked very much in doubt in a game in which Larouche gave the Team Canada juggernaut all they could handle — and then some as the two teams headed home for the 10th end tied 6-6 and Jones holding only the advantage of hammer.

“They played a perfect 10th end,” Jones said. “And we didn’t play a bad 10th end. All we wanted was a shot and we had a shot and the girls swept it perfect.

“We’re pretty happy with how we played. It was our first game after a long day with the Hot Shots (skills competition). And (third) Kaitlyn (Lawes) came out and made a few beauties. She’s just having so much fun and it’s so much fun to be a part of that.”

Indeed, the biggest question mark surrounding this Team Canada foursome went a long way to being answered after just the first day here yesterday as 22-year-old Lawes spent the morning shooting her way into second place in the skills competition and then the evening setting up critical ends in the Team Canada victory.

Lawes shot just 68 per cent thanks to a couple of errant throws that got her team in trouble, but she also made key shots to set up a Canada deuce in the fourth end and then a critical three-ender in the sixth. “She made some tremendous shots out there,” said Jones. “I couldn’t ask for anything more.”

Lawes was thrilled with the overall results of a memorable debut on the national womens curling scene. “Exciting. It was a long day actually,” said Lawes, “…But a great day, a great first day.

“I didn’t have any expectations. I didn’t want to go in expecting something to happen and then not have it happen. I just kind of went into it seeing what would happen and it’s blown me away. It’s exciting.

“I’ve been just waiting to get out there and play that first game to try and, not get it out of the way, but try and calm the nerves a little bit and just try and feel comfortable with the environment and the crowd and stuff.”

Canada plays twice today, taking on Kerry Galusha’s N.W.T. (0-2) this morning and then Saskatchewan’s Amber Holland (1-0) this afternoon.

paul.wiecek@freepress.mb.ca