Thunder Bay, P.E.I. face off tonight in Scotties semi-finals

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This article was published 06/02/2010 (5902 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

SAULT STE. MARIE, Ont. — Cool-hand Krista and her posse from Thunder Bay are gunning for their first-ever Canadian title.

Ontario skip Krista McCarville was absolutely brilliant this afternoon in the 3 vs. 4 Page playoff game to ignite her team to a 6-4 victory over Kelly Scott of British Columbia at the Scotties Tournament of Hearts.

Scott, a two-time national champion, was eliminated from the 2010 Canadian women’s championship.

McCarville’s team of third Tara George, second Ashley Miharija and lead Kari MacLean will face Kathy O’Rourke’s Prince Edward Island foursome in the championship semifinal tonight.

The game is schedule for 6 p.m. (CST) and is on TSN.

"We’re excited but we’re not done yet," McCarville said, afterwards. "You’re always so happy and excited, but you realize you have to come down or else you’re never going to rest. So, we need to take a rest in between, have something good to eat and then get at ‘er against P.E.I."

Jennifer Jones’ Team Canada foursome from Winnipeg had the day off today, but practised late this afternoon in preparation for Sunday’s final, 1:30 p.m. (CST) at the Essar Centre in the Soo.

Jones defeated O’Rourke in the 1 vs. 2 game Friday night to qualify for its third straight Scotties final. The Jones team of third Cathy Overton-Clapham, second Jill Officer and lead Dawn Askin, won the 2008 and ’09 titles, and is attempting to become only the third team in history to pull off the three-peat.

Colleen Jones of Nova Scotia actually won four in a row (2001-04), while Saskatchewan’s Vera Pezer won three straight (1971-73).

This afternoon, the Ontario team combined to make 82 per cent of its shots, but it was the unflappable McCarville, at 88 per cent ,who really made the killer shots for the crowd favourites.

In particular, draws to the button for a deuces in both the seventh and ninth ends were pivotal. And a a picture-perfect double-takeout in the 10th end — with Scott in good shape to orchestrate a game-tying deuce — put a huge exclamation point on the win.

"In the 10th end, my last rock couldn’t have gone in a better place for her. She had a pretty big target there," said Scott, whose basically set up the easy double with her first shot to ruin any chance to tie the game.

"It’s disappointing, yes, that we didn’t play to our potential."

Meanwhile, there was a distinctly Manitoba flavour to the Scotties all-stars breakfast Saturday morning.

Six of the eight curlers singled out for exceptionally steady play at the championship have Manitoba roots.

The Scotties all-stars were selected based entirely on players’ round-robin percentages. And 100 per cent of Team Canada foursome was among those recognized

Cracking the first team were Askin, Officer and Cathy Overton-Clapham.

Askin curled 87 per cent through 11 round-robin games, a whopping five points better than Jacquie Armstrong of B.C and Saskatchewan’s Heather Kalenchuk. Officer was 81 per cent, while Overton-Clapham led all third at 81 per cent.

Jones was named to the second all-star team with a 76 shooting percentage.

Scott, born and raised in Winnipeg and now making her home in Kelowna, B.C., was named the first-team all-star skip. She shot 79 per cent this week.

Scott was also named the winner of the Marj Mitchell Award for sportsmanship voted entirely by the players. She was honoured in the same fashion in 2006.

B.C. second Sasha Carter, a product of Ashern, Man., was named to the second all-star team after shooting 80 per cent through the round-robin.

Rounding out the second-team all-stars was B.C. third Jeanna Schraeder, 77 per cent, and the lead on her team, Armstrong, who shot 82 per cent.

jason.bell@freepress.mb.ca