Cathy O gone, JJ still kicking

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This article was published 29/01/2012 (5241 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

PORTAGE LA PRAIRIE — There will be a new Manitoba women’s curling champion in 2012.

Defending provincial champion Cathy Overton-Clapham was eliminated 5-4 by 14th seed Lisa DeRiviere of Miami in a tiebreaker game Saturday evening, ending Overton-Clapham’s reign as Manitoba champion.

It was just the third loss of the week for Overton-Clapham, but second to a DeRiviere foursome that clearly had Overton-Clapham’s number. DeRiviere also beat Overton-Clapham 7-6 on the opening draw of the round-robin on Wednesday.

Saturday’s loss came in a playoff tiebreaker game and sent Overton-Clapham home, while vaulting the unheralded DeRiviere rink into Saturday night’s 2 vs. 2 Page playoff game, where she was eliminated 8-5 loss by four-time Canadian champion Jennifer Jones, who advances to this morning’s semifinal against three-time champion Barb Spencer. Jones advanced to the 2 vs. 2 game with an impressive 8-5 win over 2010 Manitoba champion Jill Thurston in Saturday’s other tiebreaker game.

Bittersweet

It was a bittersweet ending for DeRiviere, a Cinderella story from whom little was expected. “We had a blast out there,” DeRiviere said afterwards. “There was a lot of pressure on us but we didn’t feel it. We just tried to stay in the game as much as we can. We tried to shoot the lights out and just stay tight…

“It was absolutely, definitely mentally exhausting.”

It was the same story for Jones, who had to beat Thurston in back-to-back games on Saturday just to advance to the DeRiviere game. But by night’s end, it was starting to feel like a familiar movie for a Jones team who have so many times over the years found their greatest success when their backs were to the wall.

“I don’t know if it favours us,” said Jones, “but even coming into the day, we knew what we had to do.”

And then Jones did precisely what was required, unlike Overton-Clapham, who simply was not up to the task on a day she needed to be her best.

“Things just didn’t go our way out there and they played well,” Overton-Clapham said after the loss to DeRiviere. “I don’t know — what do you do? Regroup.”

Overton-Clapham had a strong cashspiel season with what was a brand-new team this year that included lead Breanne Meakin, second Ashley Howard and third Jenna Loder.

The foursome is second in earnings on the World Curling Tour money list and still have one more event to play in The Players Championship. They are also within striking distance of Ontario’s Sherry Middaugh for the berth in the 2013 Canadian Curling Trials that goes to the top female team on the Canadian Team Ranking System standings this winter.

Jones leads those standings right now, but has already qualified for the Trials with her win in December’s Canada Cup. Middaugh is in second place, followed by Overton-Clapham, who trails her by seven points.

Overton-Clapham said she expects her team to return intact next season for what she described last week as her final attempt to get to the Winter Olympics.

“Obviously, it’s disappointing,” said Overton-Clapham. “We came here to win this thing… But it is what it is. There’s no re-dos.”

paul.wiecek@freepress.mb.ca