Canadian junior curling teams outside playoffs midway through world championships

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This article was published 17/05/2022 (1600 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

JÖNKÖPING, Sweden – Canada’s men’s team split its games Tuesday at the world junior curling championship, while the women’s squad fell to undefeated Norway.

Owen Purcell’s squad from Halifax opened 10-2 win against William Becker of New Zealand.

Leading 3-2 to start the second half of the game, Canada went on a 7-0 run. Purcell scored two in the sixth end, stole single points in the seventh and eighth and wrapped up the game with another steal of three in the ninth.

Canada lost a close 7-5 game to Switzerland’s Kim Schwaller in the evening draw. Up by one point and with the hammer in the last end, the Swiss scored one to fend off a Canadian comeback attempt.

In women’s competition, Isabelle Ladouceur of Sudbury, Ont., fell 11-5 to Norwegian skip Eirin Mesloe.

Canada made a draw for three in the eighth end following a missed double attempt by Norway to cut the lead to 7-5.

But Mesloe — who won bronze at the 2019 world mixed championship as lead — put together a four-point ninth end, prompting Ladouceur to concede.

Purcell (2-3) was sixth in the men’s standings and Ladouceur (1-3) is tied for seventh in the women’s halfway through the competition.

The top four teams of each competition advance to the playoffs.

“We’re putting together some really great ends,” said Lauren Rajala, second on Ladouceur’s squad. “I think it’s just a matter of stringing great end after end together and making those key shots when we need them.”

Purcell takes on two-time world junior bronze-medallist James Craik of Scotland (5-0) on Wednesday.

Ladouceur faces Sweden’s Moa Dryburgh (2-2) and Karolina Jensen of Denmark (0-4).

This report by The Canadian Press was first published May 17, 2022.