2010 STOH HeartChart Feb4

Issue 6 – Thursday, February 4, 2010 • An Official Publication of the Canadian Curling Association.

Making their moves

Ontario third Tara George reflects on her team’s pair of costly defeats on Wednesday to Manitoba and the Territories.

■ O’Rourke’s Islanders still afloat!

Page 2

■ A ‘timely’ problem on the ice Page 5

■ Curling’s a family thing for Cormiers

P.E.I. soars, Ontario falters and Manitoba surges on ‘moving day’ at the Scotties

Page 10

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Page 2

HeartChart

O’Rourke’s buoyant Islanders rise to the top Assured of playoffs after dramatic win Larry Wood HeartChart Editor

W

ill this be the pattern of the future when it comes to forming curling teams?

The one where the veteran skip plays second and the young hotshots toss the last four bricks?

Like it worked for Brad Gushue and Mark Nichols with Russ Howard calling traffic at the Torino Olympics, so it is working for Prince Edward Island at the Scotties Tournament of Hearts at the Essar Centre.

The Islanders, with 45-year-old Kathy O’Rourke skipping and tossing second rocks, 39-year-old Tricia Affleck playing lead and 21-yearolds Eric Carmody and Geri-Lynn Ramsay handling fourth and third stones respectively, climbed to the top of the Scotties heap on Wednesday night with an unexpected 9-5 victory over defending champion Jennifer Jones of Winnipeg.

It left the Islanders at 7-and-2 and assured of some sort of playoff match subsequent to the comple-

Above, Colette Lemon and Stephanie LeDrew of Newfoundland apply the brushes. Right, Quebec’s Brenda Nicholls calls out instructions while Dawn Askin of Canada watches intently. Below, at right, Manitoba’s Jill Thurston tracks one of her stones. tion of the round robin preliminary draw today.

One game behind heading into today’s last two rounds, Jones, Ontario champion Krista McCarville and Manitoba champion Jill Thurston had 6-and-3 records.

Another game back were Amber Holland of Saskatchewan and two-time Scotties champion Kelly Scott of Kelowna at 5-and-4.

Jones controlled Wednesday’s pivotal match until Ramsay executed a great hit-and-roll in the ninth end that set up a stolen go-ahead deuce for the Islanders.

O’Rourke and Co. then played an immaculate last end and wound up stealing a

meaningless pair when Jones was forced to attempt a triple takeout with her last stone.

“Sure, I may be a little surprised that we’re leading,” said O’Rourke, “but I always knew this team could come out here and be competitive.

“We feel pretty terrific.

We had a team meeting this morning after last night’s loss. We analyzed the situation and decided to simply go out and shoot one rock at a time and not worry about anything else. When you do that it’s amazing what happens.

“We’re trying not to look at results, we’re just trying to look at making shots.”

Jones was philosophical about her team’s third loss.

The last two years, she has won the title while absorbing four defeats in each.

“Obviously, they did play very well and we just had the bad finish to the game and that’s not characteristic of our team at all,” she said.

“Their whole team’s playing well. They’re in first place for a reason. They’ve only got two losses and they’re obviously making the right shots when they have to. They did and we didn’t today.”

She was more than disconcerted about losing control in the late going.

“It was a bad ninth end. I wish we could play it over again but we can’t so we’ll have to come out with better efforts tomorrow,” Jones said.

“I know we’re still in it. I just don’t like to lose games like that. We were up playing eight and didn’t play well at the end of the game and we don’t like to do that.”

Please see BUOYANT, Page 12

Thursday, February 4, 2010

Page 3

EYES ON THE ACTION: Top left, Ontario’s Kari MacLean and Saskatchewan’s Kim Schneider track their rocks’ progress. Above, New Brunswick’s Andrea Kelly delivers a rock into the hands of her sweepers.

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Page 4

HeartChart

Junior Stars join provincial teams as special guests

JIM CRONIN

HeartChart Columnist

W

hen local curler Larry Pallot learned that his son had been chosen to take part in team ceremonies for the 2010 Scotties Tournament of Hearts, he knew right away what would be the perfect gift for the team hosting his son.

Larry’s 15-year-old son Jebidiah, who is a bantam curler, had applied on-line to the Canadian Curling Association (CCA) to be part of the Junior Stars program. The program selects young curlers, who are given the opportunity to meet Canada’s top curling teams and be honourary members of the teams during the national championships. Jebidiah was

among 24 local junior curlers selected to be part of the 2010 Scotties ceremonies in Sault Ste. Marie and was assigned to Team Newfoundland/Labrador.

As a gesture of thanks, the young curlers, including Jebidiah, were asked to provide their host team members with a special memento, or “good luck charm” . . . and that’s where his father Larry’s unique hobby came into play. Several years ago Larry began creating special figurines out of small stones collected along the shore of Lake Superior, north of Sault Ste. Marie. “Over the years I have made a hundred of these figurines. Everything from a voyageur in a canoe to a baseball player, with most them coming upon request,” he says.

Some of Larry’s unique figurines have also been used as prizes at local curling bonspiels. The figures are designed similar to “inukshuks,” which are traditional stone markers originally used for navigation in the far North. Inuksuks are usually in the form of a person and are made from

Jebidiah Pallot, with special gift figurine for Team Newfoundland. stones piled on top of each other. They are a familiar site along highways across northern Ontario.

Larry decided to create special stone figures in the shape of curlers within a special presentation box to commemorate the Scotties and, in particular, his son’s involvement.

Please see CRONIN, Page 10

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Thursday, February 4, 2010

Page 5

Howard rings alarm bell on stopwatches LARRY WOOD HeartChart Editor

T

here are times when it appears that competitive curlers insist on trying to transform a simple game into one that’s far more difficult.

If you’ve been casting an eagle eye at the activity on the Essar Centre ice lanes this week you’ll notice that Scotties teams often seem to be confused going on bewildered by the playing conditions.

Some figure it’s the ice that’s wonky. Others just can’t adjust to the necessary weight control. Still others suspect funny rocks.

In many cases, it’s just a matter of teams with a lack of experience playing on arena ice.

But TSN commentator Russ Howard, who has skipped more games in Briers than any living human being, zeroes in on those little stopwatches you see clutched in the paws of skips or dangling from the waists of practically every other player on the premises.

“The stopwatch,” he says, “was brought into curling to give you a rough idea of where the rock was going to go. It’s just a prediction. You time a constant distance from the back line to the hogline and you can ‘guesstimate’ where it’s going. Right? Well, think about that!

“You can only ‘guesstimate’ the other 80 per cent of the distance if the conditions are identical everywhere on the sheet — if all the rocks are the same speed, if all the curlers’ slides are at the same speed, if all the deliveries are the same. All those variables

distort your prediction.

“If there was one rock in curling and there was one curler, and you were practising by yourself, throwing the same shot roughly down the same area of the ice, it works. But as we all know there are different spots on the sheet, straighter spots where the rocks will glide a little farther, spots where it’s going to slow down later in the week.

“Reading ice isn’t easy but you have to know the variables. And it’s the responsibility of front-end sweepers to know those paths.”

Howard recalls the expert ice- and weight-reading work of Neil Harrison in that regard.

“He was the best frontender I ever curled with,” he says. “And he knew, as I was letting it go, 99 times out of 100, where it was going to go. He didn’t need a stopwatch. With Neil it was all feel.”

Please see WOOD, Page 7

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C A N A D A

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HeartChart

GETTING TO KNOW YOU

British Columbia: Skip: Kelly Scott Nickname: Kell, Cupcake.

Home: West Kelowna, B.C. Began curling at age: 11 Delivery: Right Occupation/title: Accountant Employer: Nutri-Lawn Ecology-Friendly Lawn Care DOB: June 1, 1977 Place of birth: Winnipeg Marital status: Married Spouse/partner: Chad Scott Children: Nash 1.

First vehicle: Tracker Current vehicle: Ford Escape Favourite food: Perogies are a treat Favourite drink: Pina coladas, preferably near a beach Celebrity dream man: Unfortunately, all have aged Most annoying celebrity: Ben Mulroney All-time favourite movie: Seabiscuit, The Notebook Last movie she loved: Still trying to see The Hangover Last movie she hated: Maybe Star Wars. Not a science-fiction fan Tattooed? Yes, two Never leaves home without: Kissing my Nash’s chubby cheeks Competed in: 1991, 1995 Junior Nationals, 1995 World Junior, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008 Scotties, 2006, 2007 World Women’s, 2005 Olympic trials.

Third: Jeanna Schraeder Home: Kelowna.

Began curing at age: 10 Delivery: Right.

Occupation/title: Data warehouse architect Employer: B.C. Interior

Perogies, pina coladas, really cool vans, credit card power, and Snickers the pug Health DOB: September 21, 1976 Place of birth: Kelowna.

Marital status: Married Spouse/partner: Jeremy Schraeder Children: Luke 4, Dion 2 First vehicle: Toyota Tercel Current vehicle: Honda Civic Favourite food: Sushi, ribs, butter chicken Favourite drink: Mojito Most annoying celebrity: Paris Hilton e movie: All-time favourite Undecided oved: Last movie she loved: Finding Nemo (all the movies she sees these vies) days are kids’ movies) Last movie she hated: Groundhog Day ne Tattooed? Yes, one me withNever leave home oys hugs out: Giving my boys and kisses 91, 1994, Competed in: 1991, onals, 1996 Junior Nationals, 2006, 2007, 2008 Scotties, d Wom2006, 2007 World ic trials. en’s, 2005 Olympic

Second: d: Sasha Carter rter Nickname: Sash Home: Kelowna Began curling att age: 10 Delivery: Right Occupation/title: Business manager Employer: Peacock ock Sheridan Group DOB: July 20, 1974 74 Place of birth: Ashern, shern, Man. Marital status: Married arried Spouse/partner: Greg Carter Children: No children, dren, just a pug named Snickers ckers

First vehicle: Chrysler Cordoba Current vehicle: Mazda CX-9 Favourite food: Lobster Favourite drink: American Misto (pre-noon), honey lager (mid-afternoon), spiced rum and coke (pre-dinner), red wine (dinner)!

Celebrity dream man: George Clooney, the late John F. Kennedy Jr. Most annoying celebrity: Janice Dickenson All-time favourite movie: The Goonies.

Last movie she loved: Ice Age 3 Tattooed? Yes, two.

Never leave home without: Credit cards

— never know when you might find the next pair of perfect shoes which are mandatory for your closet!

Competed in: 1995 Junior Nationals, 1995 World Junior, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008 Scotties, 2006, 2007 World Women’s, 2005 Olympic trials.

Lead: Jacquie Armstrong Home: Surrey, B.C. Began curling at age: 12 Delivery: Right Occupation/ title: Software

development manager Employer: IP Applications DOB: March 19, 1976 Place of birth: Penticton, B.C. Marital status: Married Spouse/partner: Paul Armstrong Children: Jeffrey 6, Megan 4.

First vehicle: 1976 VW Super-beetle Current vehicle: Ford Escape Favourite food: Grilled steaks and garlic mash Favourite drink: Coffee with Bailey’s Bailey Celebrity dream man: Connery (the Sean Con of younger version, v course) Most annoying celebrity: ann Perez Hilton Hilto favourite movie: All-time fa Brides For Seven Seven Bri Brothers she loved: Last movie mo Twilight Twiligh she Last movie m hated: hated Barbie and the Diamond Castle Diamo Tattooed? None Tattoo Never leave home without: A key to get without back in (made ( that mistake only once) Competed in: 2003 ScotCompete ties (fifth)

Fifth Shannon Fifth: A Aleksic Home Abbotsford.

Home: B.C. Began curling at Bega age: 5 Deliv Delivery: Right From left, Jacquie Armstrong, Kelly Scott and Jeanna Schraeder.

Occupation/title: Office manager Employer: Kinder Sidhu & Associates, Chartered Accountants Date of birth: Sept. 28, 1976 Place of birth: Wawota, Sask.

Marital status: Single Spouse/partner: Boyfriend, Dean Joanisse Children: Brooklyn Aleksic (5) First-ever vehicle: Oldsmobile Current vehicle: Nissan Quest . . . yes, it’s a van but it’s a cool van!! ☺ Favourite food: Sushi, chocolate Favourite drink: Wine Celebrity dream man: Jeff Schroeder , Big Brother 11 cast member (hottie) Most annoying celebrity: Pee Wee Herman All-time favourite movie: Bridget Jones’ Diary, Pretty Woman, Dirty Dancing Last movie you loved: New Moon (Twilight fan) Last movie you hated: None Tattooed? None.

Never leaves home without: Cellphone, wallet, keys Competed in: 99, 07 Scotties

Coach: Gerry Richard Home: Kelowna Occupation/title: Firefighter (captain) Employer: City of Kelowna Date of birth: Feb. 26, 1956 Place of birth: Kelowna Coached/played: 2005, 06, 07, 08 Scotties, 06, 07 Worlds women’s/1974 Junior Nationals, 1993, 1994, 1995, 2002 (fifth) Brier, 2004 Worlds.

Thursday, February 4, 2010 Timing opposition stones often can totally confound a curler, Howard contends.

“I played in a bonspiel in the early ’80s and I used a stopwatch,” he recalls. “It’s the only time I ever used one. I timed from back line to button and I was getting times of 28 seconds — I feel you should time the whole distance instead of part of the distance.

“So it was 28, 28, 28, 28 28, and the skip I was playing against had a come-around draw with his last one and I timed it so I’d be ready for mine, and it was 27 seconds.

I got in the hack and whipped it down there heavy. And I turned to Glenn and I said, ‘Never again, never again will I use the watch!’ I mean, maybe he had a slower rock, maybe he didn’t slide out as quick as I did. You know?

Maybe I didn’t time it right.

Maybe my rock wasn’t in quite the same spot. Maybe it had more rotation than his.

There’s no way of knowing.

“I proved it to (Brad) Gushue. Had a practice. Got rid of the clocks..

“A game comes to mind in the (2005) Trials. We had to play a draw to the pin, no

Page 7

backing, against Jay Peachey.

Without the clocks they put it right on the spot. Gushue’s team doesn’t use clocks now.

“I just think the women rely on them far too much.

I’d urge them to give it a try without one.

“The rock comes over the hogline,” Howard says, “you look at your time, you put it back down, and from that point on you’re judging it, anyway. So why not judge it three seconds earlier out of the guy’s hand?

“I was at a clinic once where they threw a rock with one of those speed-trap things. And they had two curlers doing the split times. Over the course of an hour there was as much as two/tenths of a second difference between the lead and the second. So what is it — 3.5 or is it 3.7? Because two-tenths of a second relates to, maybe, 10 feet!

“We’re all better than that! I can go out there right now at age 54 and beat that. So is it helping you? I don’t think so.

I think it throws you off.

“It’s one of those new ideas that came along that, somebody saw it on TV, and the team that won the game used the stopwatches, and all of a sudden the rest of the world thought it was great.

“Well, maybe I’m Russ old-school Howard but I’m positive that on good ice — and it’s always good in the arena — that I’m better off without a watch.”

And Howard suggests it’s a big part of the confusion he’s

From Page 5

WOOD: ‘I’m better off without a watch’ seeing at the Essar this week.

“I’ll give you a good example,” he says. “We’ve just returned from the Olympics, I’m watching Glenn at the Brier, and I’m getting reports on my daughter who’s in a sudden-death game to go to the Canada Games. And it turns out she’s two down coming home and she has a draw for three to win the game. She had to touch the eight-foot. She missed it.

“I’m talking to her on the phone, and I ask, ‘What happened to your draw for three’? And she says, ‘I threw the split, 3.7 was what we were looking for because that’s what it was all game, so I threw the split’. I say, ‘You came up light, didn’t you?’

She says, ‘Yeah, how did you know’? I say, ‘You threw it down the middle, didn’t you’? She says, ‘Yeah’. And you and I know why. It slows down later in the game. She was still throwing the weight you needed in the sixth end not the 10th. So what happened was, she throws the 3.7, and the sweepers think, ‘I don’t have to sweep it, it’s perfect’. It gets to the far hog line, and it’s like oh-oh. And it’s into the slush. You have to be able to judge that!

“It bothers me,” says Howard. “And that situation in the fifth end (Wednesday morn-

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ing) with Krista (McCarville) was a terrific opportunity to bring it up (on TV). She as all confused about times on the clock.”

So how to help with the bewilderment? How about a pre-event clinic for all the teams, dealing with the vagaries of arena ice and rocks and weight control?

“Valid point,” says Howard.

“I’m sitting here watching this all day and I’m saying to myself, ‘you have to be joking’. My producer and I are watching SaskatchewanNew Brunswick (Tuesday night). Saskatchewan’s losing.

The ice crew comes out at the break and they shammy the ice. When you shammy the ice after five, it’s a known fact the first couple of rocks thrown in the sixth end will glide farther. But the stopwatch doesn’t tell you that.

“So I say to my producer, ‘watch this, this will be heavy’. The first call is for the top 12-foot, the rock goes to the back 12. ‘How did you know that?’ he asks. Because they shammied the ice. Now, I say, ‘Watch this.’ New Brunswick needs a corner guard. I say, ‘I’ll bet you lunch she puts it in the rings’.

Goes right to the teeline. But the stopwatch says 3.6.

“If you take 3.7 here it won’t feel like 3.7 in a curling

club. You need a constant push to get out to the hogline in a curling club. Here you barely have to kick. Your body keeps going. I do a practice slide at a club I might get halfway down the ice. Here?

I can get to the far hogline. So the clock might say 3.7, but the rocks glide farther, you glide farther.

“It doesn’t look good because they’re missing too many easy shots out here,” Howard says. “They’re making some good ones but they’re missing easy ones. It’s not that they’re bad curlers.

They just need some help.

“My brother’s favourite line on draw weight is, you have to smell it. You also have to feel it. Richard Hart, who

B.C.’s Kelly Scott, above, and Shelly Bradley, far left, of P.E.I. are shown using stopwatches at the Scotties this week. plays for Glenn, is all feel.

He’s not always splitting the broom. But he throws the right weight on every shot.

You ask for hack he gives you hack. You ask for backline, he gives you back-line.

There’s none of this 3.6 stuff.

“I’ve argued with my

daughter for four years. I think I’ve finally got her convinced to get rid of the watch.

All the young people are trained that way now. But not by me. ‘You gotta use your split times and you gotta do this and do that’. Forget it.

“I’ll give you one more example. We’re on incredibly fast ice at one of the Grand Slam events. I’m playing with this young guy, Kenny McDermott. There’s Peter Corner and Glenn and I but Ken’s the rookie. And he’s timing every shot on his clock. This was back when watches were first being used. And we’re playing Rob Ewing from Saskatchewan.

He has to draw the fourfoot to win. And according to Kenny McDermott, 3.7 is what you need. So he times Robbie’s last shot. It’s 4.03 so it’s going to be way light, right? Like 15 feet light.

Kenny says, ‘We have a good chance, he’s way light,’ and I’m looking at it and saying, ‘He’s perfect.’ Kenny says, ‘Nah, won’t get anywhere near the rings.’ I say, ‘It’s perfect.’ They sweep it, off, on, off, on, right to the button.

Kenny can’t figure it out.

But Rob has a stainless steel slider, he’s up on his toe, he just slides forever. He doesn’t lose speed like I would. So if Kenny McDermott saw that shot and saw 4.03 he’d have been sweeping his guts out until halfway down and then he’d realize, wait a minute, this is going through the four-foot.

So clocks are detrimental, in my opinion, and you’ll never convince me otherwise,” says Russ Howard.

“If everybody was a machine, clocks would make sense. But everybody isn’t.”

The Party Line • Your guide to what’s goin’ on

Page 8

your guide to what’s goin’ on

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The round robin wraps up today in the Cool Curling challenge… completing the field for Saturday’s 16-team playdown.

With the last four spots on the line, the pressure is mounting. It’s the last shot for players to make a run for the cash prizes.

Make sure you’re there to take it all in!

Shuttle service is available daily between the Essar Centre and HeartStop Lounge at the Soo Curlers Association. The service is provided by Tim Hortons and the City of Sault Ste. Marie. Shuttles will depart every half hour to both venues. Departure points are the main parking lot near the front entrance of the Essar Centre and front door of the Soo Curlers Association.

Full schedules are posted at both departure points and online at seasonofchampions.ca

Thursday, February 4, 2010

Page 9

It’s Simply up close

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But, she bounced right back the same year to win the right to represent the province at the Scotties Tournament of Hearts. The team returned in 2009 and this year they’re here at the Soo.

Twenty-four young curlers - representing clubs in Sault Ste. Marie and surrounding communities - were selected as Junior Stars through a random draw of applicants. The lucky Stars receive: a hat, event pin, jacket, photo with their assigned team, a tour of the TSN mobile and event tickets to their team’s draw for themselves and two chaperones.

Come and meet your favourite curlers!

Today and tomorrow teams will be featured in the HeartStop Lounge.

Today

Thursday 7:30 pm feature Stars:

– Eve Belisle

NL – Shelley Nichols 6:30 pm NWT/Y – Sharon Cormier

2:00 pm QB

Team Quebec

Kaitlyn Triskle Brandon Desrosiers

Team Saskatchewan

Jennifer Pearson Erin Sherwood

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Page 10

HeartChart

Family ties bolster Territories quartet Larry Wood HeartChart Editor

Y

ellowknife’s Sharon Cormier had to urge and cajole her 20-year-old daughter into joining her on this season’s Yellowknife team that eventually earned a representative berth in the Scotties at the Essar Centre.

“It’s beyond words, the way I feel about being able to play with her at an event like this,” says Mother Cormier of skipping her 20-year-old offspring, Megan.

“It’s so exciting. We laugh every day. And we’re having really good times. It’s fun being here together.

“It took me a long time to convince her to curl. She was going to play Juniors because she had one more year left. But she couldn’t find a team. A lot of kids her age up in Yellowknife go away to school. She tried to

From Page 4

CRONIN The figures were then presented to Team Newfoundland/Labrador by his son Jebidiah as a thank-you for allowing him to be part of their on ice ceremonies.

He said they were very appreciative of the unique gifts. “The skip said these

convince a couple of girls to come back and curl but . . . money, you know?”

So Megan finally agreed to play second for mom.

“She kept saying, I’ll be your fifth, I’ll be your fifth,” says Cormier, the skip.

“Her grandpa (five-time Brier competitor Al Delmage) gave her the bug,” says Sharon. “And her mother. She didn’t have much choice. The curling club up there is like the babysitting place. She has watched us curl for a long time while she’s been growing up and just naturally took up the game. And she’s great little curler, too.”

Cormier Jr., isn’t turning in fantastic percentage numbers on the statistics sheet.

But her team already has knocked off both defending champion Jennifer Jones of Winnipeg and tournament co-favourite Krista McCarville of Thunder Bay. The Cormier combo is the fourth such mother-daughter were among the nicest gifts they had received,” says the young curler.

In turn, Team Newfoundland/Labrador presented Jebidiah with gifts that included a stuffed puffin toy and a curling broom that had been used by the team while in Norway.

The young curler was also allowed to sit in on the team’s pre-game meeting and joined the coach in

pair in the history of the Canadian women’s curling championship that was launched a half-century ago.

Edmonton’s Hazel

Jamieson is the ultimate curling mom. She played with daughters Gale Lee and June Coyle on a 1966 Canadian champion team

at Vancouver that won nine straight games without a loss. Then, she skipped a 1968 Canadian champion team at Winnipeg that

included three daughters — Lee, Coyle and Jackie Spencer — and won eight of 10 assignments.

Two Manitoba motherdaughter combos round out the lineup.

In 1985, skip Merline Darbyshire of Portage la Prairie had daughter Carolyn at second. That team wound up 5-5 at the Scotties in Winnipeg.

By coincidence, Carolyn Darbyshire is still excelling at the game, playing second for Calgary’s Cheryl Bernard on the squad that will represent Canada at the upcoming Winter Olympic Games.

Brandon’s Lois Fowler played third and daughter Rhonda was the lead on a Manitoba team in 1993 skipped by Maureen Bonar that lost to Regina’s Sandra Schmirler in a memorable Scotties final match at Brandon’s Keystone Centre.

That team wound up with a 9-4 record.

standing behind the house as the team members took their practice throws. He then joined the team as they marched out onto the ice for the start of the draw.

Jebidiah also had an opportunity to tour the TSN mobile broadcast unit and watch the on-air broadcast team providing live daily television coverage of the Scotties.

Another highlight of the

junior curler’s trip to the Scotties was the opportunity to actually throw some rocks on the curling sheets before the start of the competition.

“It was awesome! What a great experience. It was the best ice I have ever curled on . . . so smooth and fast,” he says.

All 24 junior curlers from the local region will be able to share the same

experience of a lifetime as Jebidiah before the Scotties ends on Sunday.

Meanwhile, both the Pallots have enjoyed the Scotties action as spectators in the Essar Centre and on television at home, and both agree that there are some “select” teams in this year’s Scotties, including Team Ontario with its Sault Ste. Marie connection through third Tara George, a local product.

Larry, a well-known competitive curler, also has his mind on a major curling event coming up in a few weeks. He will be leading his senior men’s team from Soo Curlers to the provincial playdowns in Blind River east of the Sault later this month, with an eye to representing Northern Ontario at the Canadian championship in Ottawa in March.

Sharon Cormier, centre, and her daughter Megan, right: “Really good times.”

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Page 11

GETTING TO KNOW YOU

Manitoba: Skip: Jill Thurston Home: Winnipeg Began curling at age: 11 Delivery: Right Occupation/title: Pharmacy technician Employer: Saint Boniface oniface General Hospital Date of birth: Dec 2, 1971 Place of birth: Winnipeg nnipeg Marital status: Married rried Spouse/partner: Dwayne Thurston Children: None First vehicle: Pontiac iac Grand-Am Current vehicle: Honda onda Civic Favourite food: Steak eak Favourite drink: Coke oke or beer Celebrity dream man: Michael Buble (so sad he just got engaged) lebrity: Most annoying celebrity: Paris Hilton All-time favourite movie: Pulp Fiction ved: Last movie she loved: The Hangover ated: Last movie she hated: d Revolutionary Road Tattooed? None e withNever leaves home out: Lypsyl Competed in: 91 National 6 ScotJuniors, 00 (fifth), 06 ties

Third: Kristen ten Phillips Home: Roseland, Man. Began curling at age: 7 (competitively at 12) Delivery: Right Occupation/title: Farm production advisor Employer: Manitoba Agriculture Food and Rural Initiatives Date of birth: Sept, 14, 1981 Place of birth: Brandon Marital status: Married Spouse/partner: Garret Phillips Children: None

First vehicle: Ford Topaz Current vehicle: VW Jetta Favourite food: Steak, baked potato and broccoli Favourite drink: Rye and Coke Celebrity dream man: More into the outdoors than actors Most annoying

celebrity: Ditto rite All-time favourite movie: Field of Dreams e loved: Last movie she The Hangover e hated: Last movie she uch; Doesn’t hate much; me doing spends more time activities than watching movies Tattooed? No Never leaves home owboy without: Her cowboy boots Competed in: 02 s, 02, Junior Nationals, ationals, 04 University Nationals,

Chocolate, beer, Michael Buble dreams, spicy Caesars, and Tyra Banks bashing

03, 06 Mixed Nationals, 07 Scotties (fifth)

Second: Leslie Wilson Home: Pinawa, Man. Began curling at age: 12 Delivery: Right Occupation/title: Environmental specialist Employer: Atomic Energy of Canada Ltd.

Date of birth: Sept 1, 1979 Place of birth: Winnipeg Marital status: Relationship Spouse/partner: p p Brandyy Westcott Children: None First vehicle: Ford Taurus Current vehicle: Mazda 3 hatchback Favourite food: Greek salad Favourite drink: Rye and Coke Celebrity dream man: Bradley Cooper Most annoying celebrity: Tyra Banks All-time favourite movie: The Fugitive

Leslie Wilson, top, and Kristen Phillips, above.

Last movie she loved: Juno Last movie she hated: Sin City Tattooed? No Never leaves home without: Her house keys Competed in: 02 University Nationals

Lead: Raunora Westcott Home: Winnipeg Began curling at age: 12 Delivery: Right Occupation/title: Account manager, equipment leasing Employer: National Leasing Date of birth: May 1, 1976 Place of birth: Winnipeg Marital status: Relationship Spouse/partne er: Kurt Spouse/partner: Munt Children: N None First veh hicle: vehicle: Honda Civic C hatchbackk

Current vehicle: Mazda 3 Sport Favourite Favouri te food: P Pizza Favourite Favou Fa ou urite drink drink: Caesar, extra Caes spicy Celeb Celebrity dream man: Josh Holloway H Most annoying an celebrity: JJon and Kate Gosselin All-time favour favourite movie: Amelie Last movie she loved: The Departed Last movie she hated: The Love Guru Tattooed? Nope Nop Never leaves home h with-

out: Her ID Competed in: 96 Junior Nationals

Fifth: Kendra Georges Georg Home: Miami, M Man. Began curling at age: 9 Delivery: Right Occupation/title: Service Occupation/tit attendant Employer: VIA Rail Date of birth: M May 25, 1982 Place of birth: Saskatoon Marital status: Married Spouse/partne Spouse/partner: Mark Georges Children: None First vehicle: F Ford Tempo Current vehicle: vehicl VW Passat Favourite food food: Chocolate Favourite drin drink: Beer Celebrity dream drea man: Matthew McConaughey McCo Most annoying celebrity: Britney Speers Sp All-time favour favourite movie: The Notebook No Last movie sh she loved: The Hangover she Last movie mo hated hated: None Tatto Tattooed?

Yes, one Neve Never leaves home without: Cellphone Competed in: 02 Uniit N ti l 06, 09 versity Nationals, Mixed Nationals

Coach: Ron Westcott Home: Winnipeg Occupation/title: Retired Employer: None Date of birth: Nov. 11, 1944 Place of birth: Brandon Coached/played: 99 Senior Nationals, 02 World Seniors

Page 12

HeartChart Here’s how they’ll wind it up today: ■ Prince Edward Island (7-2) — 10:30 a.m.

Newfoundland/Lab. (4-5), 3 p.m. British Columbia (5-4).

■ Team Canada (6-3) — 3 p.m. Nova Scotia (1-8), 7:30 p.m. Ontario (6-3).

■ Ontario (6-3) — 10:30 a.m. Nova Scotia (1-8), 7:30 p.m. Team Canada (6-3).

■ Manitoba (6-3) — 3 p.m. — New Brunswick (4-5), 7:30 p.m. Quebec (4-5).

■ Saskatchewan (5-4) — 10:30 a.m. Territories (36). 7:30 p.m. Alberta (3-6).

■ British Columbia (5-4) — 3 p.m. P.E.I. (7-2), 7:30 p.m. Newfoundland/Labrador (4-5).

In other late games, Thurston won her third in a row and staunchly remaining in contention with an 8-6 win over Sharon Cormier’s Territories outfit while Scott led a charmed life in stealing the tying point in the 10th end and the 8-7 winner in an extra end. Nova Scotia’s Nancy McConnery missed double-kills with her last rocks in both.

Said Thurston: “Those were two big games that we obviously had to win. And now, with some people falling back, we’re in control of our own destiny again.”

Scott said she felt it was about time her B.C. team, which has been involved in a bunch of tight-fits, was afforded “a break.”

“Krista McCarville made a great shot against us to win that game, and our missed shot this morning

From Page 2

BUOYANT: ‘Like old pros’ against Amber Holland, you know, we thought we had that one too. Thank goodness we were fortunate enough to pull this one out.”

O’Rourke praised her young teammates for hanging in under pressure in such a major Scotties confrontation.

“I think the kids have been on TV two or three times this week. They’re handling this like old pros. I don’t have to tell these kids too much,” she said.

“But our job is far from finished here. We’re going to get a good rest and refocus again in the morning.”

Miraculously, this team is playing in its first arena competition this season.

P.E.I. last-rock tosser Erin Carmody curled at 84.5 per cent in her two matches Wednesday.

“The only way we get used to this is at Nationals but, for myself, I watch a lot of curling on TV, and I’ve been to the Brier I think nine times with my husband and I’m an avid fan of the game,” said O’Rourke.

“I watch a lot of rocks.

And you know once you watch one Brier game or Scott game or Slam game it’s pretty consistent so just watching it gives you an idea where to put the broom.

“I tell the girls, ‘look, you have to watch as much curling as you can’. Because we don’t get to play on this kind of ice. It’s a great way to learn the game.

Both O’Rourke and Jones earlier knocked coff Eve Belisle’s Quebec outfit, 7-3 and 9-4 respectively.

McCarville, the leader heading into the day. lost two straight — 10-5 to Manitoba’s Thurston and 7-5 to giant-killer Sharon Cormier of the Territories.

“We just didn’t have a good day,” said McCarville, understating the fact. “We have to put it aside and regroup for the last day. We’ll meet and talk about today and try to fix it.”

In other afternoon clashes, Saskatchewan’s Amber Holland remained in the hunt with her second win of the day, a 5-2 decision over McConnery while Shelley Nichols of St. John’s directed her Newfoundland/Labrador unit to a 9-7 win over Kelly’s New Brunswickers. Other sunrise shift results: Saskatchewan 5-4 over B.C., with a last-end steal on a Scott flash; Nichols 11-4 over fast-fading Alberta.

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Page 13

Time out for trivia Larry Wood HeartChart Editor

QUESTION OF THE DAY: Name seven Canadian junior women’s champion skips who have played third for Scott Tournament of Hearts champions.

2. Name the corresponding skips of each Hearts winner.

3. How about the year and home province of each Hearts win?

4. Three skips have directed a record four Ontario champions at the Canadian women’s curling championship (Scotties).

Name them and their hometowns.

5. Name the last Ontario skip to win the Scotties.

6. What year was it and where?

7. Of the current dozen skips (plus players throwing last rocks) at the Scott Tournament of Hearts, how many finished runnerup in their respective provincial championships a year ago?

8. Name(s) please.

9. Of the current dozen skips at the Scott Tournament of Hearts, how many, aside from Team Canada,

are repeating as provincial champs?

10. Name them, if any.

11. Of the competing players (excluding skips and fifth players) at the current Scott, how many have won a Canadian junior women’s championship?

12. Name them, if any.

13. What is distinctive about women’s curling teams from Sault Ste. Marie?

14. All other national championships admit teams from both Ontario and Northern Ontario, but not the Canadian women’s. Over the past 51 years, how many Ontario women’s champs have hailed from northern precincts and how many fron southern precincts?

Answers

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2. Cathy (Pidzarko) Shaw and Connie Laliberte, Colleen Jones, Julie (Sutton) Skinner, Connie Laliberte (again) and Jennifer Jones, Marilyn Bodogh, Cathy (Borst) King, Kelley Law.

3. Manitoba 1978 and Manitoba 1984; Nova Scotia 1982; British Columbia 1991; Manitoba 1995, 2005, 2008, Team Canada 2009; Ontario 1996; Alberta 1998; British Columbia 2000.

4. Anne Merklinger, Sherry Middaugh, Krista McCarville.

5. Marilyn Bodogh 6. 1996, Thunder Bay. 7. One runner-up.

8. Eve Belisle.

9. Three repeaters.

10. Ontario (McCarville), New Brunswick (Andrea Kelly), Nova Scotia (Nancy McConnery).

11. Six players are former junior champs.

12. Sasha Carter, Tara Naugler, Denise Nowlan, Jill Officer, Cathy OvertonClapham, Lianne Sobey.

13. Nary a one ever has represented Ontario at the Canadian women’s championship.

14. 16 northern champs, 35 southern champs.

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Page 14

HeartChart

SCOTTIES CUMULATIVE STATS Skips

Editor: Larry Wood

Associate Editor: Todd Kimberley

Photography: Andrew Klaver

Name Kelly Scott (B.C.) Jennifer Jones (Canada) Jill Thurston (Man.) Amber Holland (Sask.)

Krista McCarville (Ont.) Erin Carmody (P.E.I.) Valerie Sweeting (Alta.)

Sharon Cormier (NWT/YT) Eve Belisle (Que.) Nancy McConnery (N.S.) Andrea Kelly (N.B.) Shelley Nichols (N.L.)

Seconds % age 79 75 74 73 73 72 71 69 67 67 66 66

Name Jill Officer (Canada) Sasha Carter (B.C.) Leslie Wilson (Man.) Jillian Babin (N.B.) Ashley Miharija (Ont.) Tammy Schneider (Sask.)

Kathy O’Rourke (P.E.I.) Whitney More (Alta.)

Sheena Gilman (N.S.) Martine Comeau (Que.) Rhonda Rogers (N.L.) Megan Cormier (NWT/YT)

Thirds

% age 81 79 77 76 76 75 73 72 70 67 67 65

Leads

Name Cathy Overton-Clapham (Canada) Kristen Phillips (Man.) Jeanna Schraeder (B.C.) Stephanie LeDrew (N.L.) Tara George (Ont.) Brenda Nicholls (Que.) Jennifer Crouse (N.S.) Geri-Lynn Ramsay (P.E.I.) Denise Nowlan (N.B.) Megan Einarson (Alta.)

Kim Schneider (Sask.)

Tara Naugler (NWT/YT)

% age 80 78 76 75 74 74 74 73 71 71 70 70

Canada (Jones) British Columbia (Scott) Manitoba (Thurston) Ontario (McCarville) Saskatchewan (Holland) P.E.I. (O’Rourke)

% age 81 79 77 76 75 75

Name Dawn Askin (Canada) Jacquie Armstrong (B.C.) Tricia Affleck (P.E.I.) Heather Kalenchuk (Sask.)

Jill Thomas (N.S.) Julie Rainville (Que.) Kari MacLean (Ont.) Colette Lemon (N.L.) Raunora Westcott (Man.) Lindsay Makichuk (Alta.)

Danielle Ellis (NWT/YT) Lianne Sobey (N.B.)

% age 88 82 82 80 80 79 78 78 77 77 76 72

Teams

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Alberta (Sweeting) Nova Scotia (McConnery) New Brunswick (Kelly) Quebec (Belisle) Newfoundland/Labrador (Nichols) Territories (Cormier)

% age 73 72 71 71 71 70

Thursday, February 4, 2010

Page 15

SCOTTIES SCHEDULE AND RESULTS

Standings

Today’s Games

Team P.E.I. Canada Manitoba Ontario Saskatchewan B.C. Quebec Nfld/Labrador New Brunswick Alberta Territories Nova Scotia

Draw 15 (10:30 a.m.)

Nova Scotia vs. Ontario Nfld/Labrador vs. P.E.I. N.B. vs. Quebec Saskatchewan vs. Territories Draw 16 (3 p.m.)

Territories vs. Alberta Manitoba vs. N.B. P.E.I. vs. B.C. Canada vs. Nova Scotia Draw 17 (7:30 p.m.)

Manitoba vs. Quebec Saskatchewan vs. Alberta Canada vs. Ontario Nfld/Labrador vs. B.C.

Draw 13 Results

Draw 12 Results

W 7 6 6 6 5 5 4 4 4 3 3 1

L 2 3 3 3 4 4 5 5 5 6 6 8

Draw 14 Results

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 0 0 2 0 0 1 0 0 1 0 1 1 0 1 Lead Second Third 94 69 74 85 85 80

8 9 10 T 1 0 1 5 0 0 0 4 Skip Team 76 78 70 80

New Brunswick* Nfld/Labrador %age New Brunswick Nfld/Labrador

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 0 0 0 3 0 2 1 1 2 1 0 2 0 0 Lead Second Third 70 70 54 86 51 61

8 9 10 T 0 1 0 7 1 0 2 9 Skip Team 48 60 63 66

Canada* P.E.I. %age Canada P.E.I.

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 0 1 0 2 0 1 1 0 0 1 0 2 0 0 Lead Second Third 91 89 76 96 74 71

8 9 10 T 0 0 0 5 2 2 2 9 Skip Team 71 82 80 80

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 0 2 0 0 1 1 0 4 0 1 2 0 0 1 Lead Second Third 77/100 63 86 88 89 75

8 9 10 T 0 x x 4 1 x x 9 Skip Team 77 76 91 86

Territories Ontario* %age Territories Ontario

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 0 2 1 0 1 0 1 2 0 0 0 0 1 0 Lead Second Third 75 54 74 74 83 63

8 9 10 T 0 2 x 7 2 0 x 5 Skip Team 81 71 63 71

Nova Scotia B.C.* %age Nova Scotia B.C.

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 2 0 1 0 1 0 1 2 0 0 0 2 0 2 0 0 Lead Second Third 79 76 82 77 64 78

9 10 11 T 0 0 0 7 2 1 1 8 Skip Team 70 77 73 73

Nfld/Labrador* Alberta %age Nfld/Labrador Alberta

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 3 0 2 0 4 1 1 0 2 0 2 0 0 0 Lead Second Third 64 57 82 79 57 68

8 9 10 T x x x 11 x x x 4 Skip Team 80 71 54 64

Nova Scotia Saskatchewan* %age Nova Scotia Saskatchewan

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 0 0 0 1 0 0 1 0 0 2 0 2 0 0 Lead Second Third 79 83 68 71 83 75

8 9 10 T 0 0 x 2 0 1 x 5 Skip Team 84 78 89 80

Manitoba* Territories %age Manitoba Territories

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 0 1 0 1 2 1 0 1 0 1 0 0 0 3 Lead Second Third 73 76 78 73 66 64

8 9 10 T 2 0 1 8 0 1 0 6 Skip Team 74 75 64 67

Ontario* Manitoba %age Ontario Manitoba

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 2 0 0 0 0 0 2 0 1 2 1 3 2 0 Lead Second Third 85/88 65 85 77 82 86

8 9 10 T 1 0 x 5 0 1 x 10 Skip Team 63 75 75 80

P.E.I. Quebec* %age P.E.I. Quebec

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 1 0 0 2 0 1 1 0 1 0 0 1 0 0 Lead Second Third 84 83 74 85 57 80

8 9 10 T 1 0 1 7 0 1 0 3 Skip Team 89 82 69 73

Alberta New Brunswick* %age Alberta New Brunswick

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 0 0 1 0 1 0 1 1 0 0 2 0 3 0 Lead Second Third 78 60 57 72 79 65

8 9 10 T 0 0 x 3 2 1 x 9 Skip Team 60 64 81 74

Saskatchewan B.C.* %age Saskatchewan B.C. Quebec Canada* %age Quebec Canada

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Page 16

HeartChart

ROAD TO THE SCOTTIES

Instant replay earns Jones another shot Larry Wood HeartChart Editor

J

ennifer Jones of Winnipeg became just the sixth skip to claim back-to-back championships at the 2009 Scotties Tournament of Hearts which earned her another Team Canada citation for this 2010 scuffle.

Jones’s Team Canada quartet — third Cathy Overton-Clapham, second Jill Officer, Dawn Askin — defeated B.C.’s Marla Mallett of Vancouver 8-5 in the championship final.

The Jones team joined Vera Pezer (Saskatoon), Sandra Schmirler (Regina), Heather Houston (Thunder Bay), Colleen Jones (Halifax) and Kelly Scott (Kelowna) as repeat champions.

For Overton-Clapham, it was her fourth national title (she also won with Connie Laliberte in 1995), putting her in a group of just eight players to have won four or more Canadian women’s titles.

“It’s unbelievable; I can’t believe we’ve now won three, and Cathy’s won four,” said Jones. “I dreamed of this as a little kid, and to do it with this team — we work so hard, we put so much into it, and it’s so very special for us right now.”

As appears to be this team’s wont, it was forced to again battle from the brink of elimination to emerge victorious.

The Jones team won what amounted to five straight sudden-death matches to claim the title, feeding off its experience of the year

previous when it won eight in a row after losing four of its first seven outings.

This time, Jones sustained her fourth loss with one round-robin test to go. She won that 6-5 over frontrunning Mallett, then stole a 6-5 extra-end win against Rebecca-Jean MacPhee of P.E.I., defeated Stefanie Lawton of Saskatchewan 8-6 in the Page ThreeFour playoff, walloped Marie-France Larouche of St-Romuald, Que., in the semi-final and then repeated her superiority over Mallett in the final.

Team Canada took an early lead, stealing a single in the first end set up by Overton-Clapham’s draw to the button behind a centre guard. Mallett’s last-rock angle-raise attempt overcurled.

The teams then traded deuces for the next four ends, and B.C. blanked the sixth. In the seventh, Jones executed a perfect hit-and-

CANADA roll behind cover to sit two, forcing Mallett to draw full eight-foot for a single point. Instead, Mallett drew light, giving Team Canada a decisive steal of two and a commanding 7-4 lead.

“It was just a little soft out of my hand, and on this ice, if you let it out soft, it’s going to grab the curl and go, which is exactly what

happened,” said Mallett.

“Of course it’s very disappointing. I certainly would have liked to come out on the other side, but we did have a great week.”

Mallett catapulted her team directly to the final with a 7-5 win over Larouche in the Page One-Two playoff.

The teams were tied 2-2 through five ends of a defensive struggle. But in the sixth, Larouche’s attempt to hit and roll behind a guard failed to curl enough, and Mallett made the open hit to score a crushing three. Then Larouche missed an opportunity for two in the seventh and yielded a killer deuce in the eighth.

The key victory in the Jones surge transpired in a post-preliminary tiebreaker when the defending champ

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stole points in the 10th and 11th ends to beat MacPhee.

At the finish, the champs were 11-4 to B.C.’s 9-4 while Quebec was 7-6 and Saskatchewan and P.E.I. each 7-5. Alberta’s Cheryl Bernard of Calgary and Ontario’s Krista McCarville of Thunder Bay missed playoffs by one game, finishing at 6-5. Veteran Heather Strong of St. John’s and Andrea Kelly of Fredericton skipped their Atlantic teams to 5-6 records while Kerry Galusha’s Polars from Yellowknife were 4-7. Tied with 2-9 records were Nancy McConnery of Dartmouth, N.S., and Barb Spencer of Winnipeg, the Manitoba rep.

Total attendance for the Victoria Scotties was 70,218, the ninth highest in event history.