Mcdonald facing adversity… again

By: Paul Wiecek Posted: 3:00 AM CST Friday, Jan. 23, 2015

WINKLER -- If it was easy, it wouldn't be Kristy Mcdonald at the Scotties Tournament of Hearts.

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WINKLER -- If it was easy, it wouldn't be Kristy Mcdonald at the Scotties Tournament of Hearts.

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This article was published 23/01/2015 (4125 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

WINKLER — If it was easy, it wouldn’t be Kristy Mcdonald at the Scotties Tournament of Hearts.

And so why would anyone expect it to be any different this year for a curler who is better known for the four Manitoba women’s curling finals she lost over the years than the one — last year — that she finally and mercifully won?

Mcdonald didn’t even finish her first game here this week before her team was already facing adversity — this time in the form of a knee injury to second Leslie Wilson-Westcott.

BORIS MINKEVICH / WINNIPEG FREE PRESS files
Skip Kristy Mcdonald is 3-1 heading into today's action. — BORIS MINKEVICH / WINNIPEG FREE PRESS files Skip Kristy Mcdonald is 3-1 heading into today's action.

Wilson-Westcott slipped during her team’s first game on Wednesday. She finished that game but has yet to return, replaced in Mcdonald’s lineup the last three games by fifth Lisa Blixhavn.

The Mcdonald foursome split their games Thursday — losing 7-3 to Joelle Brown but defeating Tiffany McLean 12-1 — to head into this morning second in the Red Group at 3-1, tied with Jill Thurston and Brown and a game behind Kerri Einarson, who is still undefeated at 4-0.

While adversity for her team at this event is nothing new, Mcdonald says what is new this time is that she is at peace with whatever happens this year, thanks to last year’s breakthrough victory as third for Chelsea Carey.

“I made it already so I’m OK with what happens,” said Mcdonald. “I have this (Scotties) ring on my finger and every time I go to make a shot I see this ring on my finger and know I made it.

“So really all we want here this week is to be there at the end and give ourselves a chance.”

Mcdonald has work to do if that’s going to happen. Only the top two teams in each eight-team pool advance to the playoff round, which begins Saturday evening.

The good news is Mcdonald controls her own destiny, with games against Thurston and Einarson still in front of her.

The Thurston squad comes into this event as the top Manitoba women’s team not named Jennifer Jones on the World Curling Tour money list this season. The $26,100 Thurston earned put them 11th on the WCT list, one spot ahead of Mcdonald, who earned $24,250.

“We’ve had a great year actually,” said Thurston. “We built some confidence and we’ve been playing well all year.”

In the eight-team Red Group, Jennifer Jones, Barb Spencer and Michelle Montford are tied at 4-0 heading into Day 3, followed close behind by Darcy Robertson at 3-1.

While Jones — the reigning Olympic gold medallist — has been making short work of opponents as expected this week, both Spencer and Montford have yet to give up any ground.

Spencer — who is curling this year with daughters Holly and Katie — is attempting what would be a remarkable accomplishment this week: winning her fourth Manitoba women’s title 29 years after her first, which came way back in 1986.

Montford offers a striking contrast: Widely considered one of the province’s top young women’s teams, she is attempting to qualify for the playoffs for the first time this week in what is her fifth appearance.

paul.wiecek@freepress.mb.ca Twitter: @PaulWiecek