KAMLOOPS, B.C. – At this point it’s hard to picture a scenario that would rattle Team Kerri Einarson at the Scotties Tournament of Hearts.
The three-time defending Canadian women’s curling champions will play in the semi-final Sunday afternoon after controlling Nova Scotia’s Team Christina Black, 9-4, in the 3 vs. 4 page playoff on Saturday at the Sandman Centre in Kamloops.
“We never slipped behind the tee-line and let them off the hook,” said Einarson. “They were making a lot of draws in previous games, so that was our game plan going in, just not to leave those freezes for them.”
Canada will take on Northern Ontario’s Team Krista McCarville in the semi-final after they dropped Saturday’s 1 vs. 2-game to Manitoba’s Team Jennifer Jones.
Einarson shot a game-high 96 per cent on Saturday with her team, featuring third Val Sweeting, second Shannon Birchard and lead Briane Harris, shooting a collective 88 per cent.
“We never let up and we never give up,” Einarson said after the win. “We’re just going to keep grinding it out and playing like we know that we can. I think this was the best that we’ve played yet.”
The crew out of the Gimli Curling Club in Manitoba is looking to become the first team since Colleen Jones’ famous Halifax rink to win four consecutive Scotties titles.
When you’ve been in this position so many times – Team Einarson have a combined 48 Scotties playoff games – dealing with the stresses and pressure of the moment is a far easier task.
“It’s nerve wracking in the playoffs for sure, especially if it’s one of your first times in the playoffs,” said Birchard. “It’s definitely good to have that experience under our belts just to know that we’ve got what it takes to get through this game, get through the semi and all the way to the final and win the whole thing.”
Team Black reached the first round of the Scotties playoffs last year while Black and third Jennifer Baxter also made the semifinals of the 2018 Tournament of Hearts with Mary-Anne Arsenault.
“They’re an incredible team and they gave us a few chances and we didn’t capitalize,” said Black, who shot 69 per cent on Saturday after a very strong week of curling. “If they give you a little bit of a chance you better capitalize because they don’t give you very many chances.”
“She is a champ. Holy smokes. She’s got a little one in her and it’s motivating her to just push through,” Einarson said of her lead, who shot 93 per cent against Nova Scotia. “It’s been pretty amazing to see that and I know I don’t think I could do it.”
This year’s run has been a mirror image of their 2022 Canadian championship in Thunder Bay.
After recording a perfect 8-0 round robin, Team Einarson lost to New Brunswick’s Team Andrea Kelly in the page seeding game which meant they needed to win the page playoff 3 vs. 4 game against Wild Card’s Team Tracy Fleury, New Brunswick in the semi-final and Northern Ontario’s Team McCarville in the gold-medal game.
It marked the first time in Scotties’ history that a team in the third playoff position ended up winning the Hearts title.
In Kamloops, the defending champions went unbeaten in pool play once again before dropping their first game of the week to Manitoba’s Team Jones in the page seeding round on Friday.
“This team doesn’t seem to do anything the easy way,” explained Einarson. “We never, ever have. Right from day one. If you can be on the ice a little more, learn it more than the others then that’s perfect.”
The difference in the 8-6 loss to Manitoba was a four-spot given up in the second end.
“We allowed ourselves to get mad and frustrated and just parked it and knew that today was new day,” said Birchard.
The 28-year-old second, who is looking to win her fifth career national championship, says they just have to keep a clear head the rest of the way.
“We just need to keep level heads out there. Not get too up or too down,” said Birchard. “We’ve been in this position before as have all the teams that are remaining. I think we just need to put the pedal to the metal and just keep pushing forward and get some momentum started tomorrow.”
Replicating what they were able to do against the Bluenosers will help too, says their skip.
“If we play like that, we should be okay,” said Einarson. “Just weight control and getting that draw weight. It’s really fast out there and utilizing our sweepers. I got amazing sweepers. They can hold a rock and can definitely make one curl too.”
The semi-final goes Sunday afternoon at 3 p.m. ET/12 p.m. PT on TSN1 and streaming on TSN.ca and the TSN App.
TORONTO – Reigning PWHL MVP and scoring champ Natalie Spooner will miss the start of the regular season for the Toronto Sceptres, general manager Gina Kingsbury announced Tuesday on the first day of training camp.
The 33-year-old Spooner had knee surgery on her left anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) after she was checked into the boards by Minnesota’s Grace Zumwinkle in Game 3 of their best-of-five semifinal series on May 13.
She had a goal and an assist in three playoff games but did not finish the series. Toronto was up 2-1 in the semifinal at that time and eventually fell 3-2 in the series.
Spooner led the PWHL with 27 points in 24 games. Her 20 goals, including five game-winners, were nine more than the closest skater.
Kingsbury said there is no timeline, as the team wants the Toronto native at 100 per cent, but added that “she is doing really well” in her recovery.
The Sceptres open the PWHL season on Nov. 30 when they host the Boston Fleet.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Nov. 12, 2024.
LAHORE, Pakistan (AP) — A top official of the Pakistan Cricket Board declined Friday to confirm media reports that India has decided against playing any games in host Pakistan during next year’s Champions Trophy.
“My view is if there’s any problems, they (India) should tell us in writing,” PCB chairman Mohsin Naqvi told reporters in Lahore. “I’ll share that with the media as well as with the government as soon as I get such a letter.”
Indian media reported Friday that the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has communicated its concerns to all the Champions Trophy stakeholders, including the PCB, over the Feb. 19-March 9 tournament and would not play in arch-rival Pakistan.
The Times of India said that “Dubai is a strong candidate to host the fixtures involving the Men in Blue” for the 50-over tournament.
Such a solution would see Pakistan having to travel to a neutral venue to play India in a group match, with another potential meeting later in the tournament if both teams advanced from their group. The final is scheduled for March 9 in Pakistan with the specific venue not yet decided.
“Our stance is clear,” Naqvi said. “They need to give us in writing any objections they may have. Until now, no discussion of the hybrid model has happened, nor are we prepared to accept one.”
Political tensions have stopped bilateral cricket between the two nations since 2008 and they have competed in only multi-nation tournaments, including ICC World Cups.
“Cricket should be free of politics,” Naqvi said. “Any sport should not be entangled with politics. Our preparations for the Champions Trophy will continue unabated, and this will be a successful event.”
The PCB has already spent millions of dollars on the upgrade of stadiums in Karachi, Lahore and Rawalpindi which are due to host 15 Champions Trophy games. Naqvi hoped all the three stadiums will be ready over the next two months.
“Almost every country wants the Champions Trophy to be played here (in Pakistan),” Naqvi said. “I don’t think anyone should make this a political matter, and I don’t expect they will. I expect the tournament will be held at the home of the official hosts.”
Eight countries – Pakistan, India, Bangladesh, England, Australia, South Africa, New Zealand and Afghanistan – are due to compete in the tournament, the schedule of which is yet to be announced by the International Cricket Council.
“Normally the ICC announces the schedule of any major tournament 100 days before the event, and I hope they will announce it very soon,” Naqvi said.
RIYADH, Saudi Arabia – Ottawa‘s Gabriela Dabrowski and Erin Routliffe of New Zealand are through to the doubles final at the WTA Finals after a 7-6 (7), 6-1 victory over Nicole Melichar-Martinez of the United States and Australia’s Ellen Perez in semifinal action Friday.
Dabrowski and Routliffe won a hard-fought first set against serve when Routliffe’s quick reaction at the net to defend a Perez shot gave the duo set point, causing Perez to throw down her racket in frustration.
The second seeds then cruised through the second set, winning match point on serve when Melichar-Martinez couldn’t handle Routliffe’s shot.
The showdown was a rematch of last year’s semifinal, which Melichar-Martinez and Perez won in a super tiebreak.
Dabrowski and Routliffe will face the winner of a match between Katerina Siniakova and Taylor Townsend, and Hao-Ching Chan and Veronika Kudermetova in the final on Saturday.
Dabrowski is aiming to become the first Canadian to win a WTA Finals title.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Nov. 8, 2024.
