HeartChart Online - Day 2 - 2009 Scotties Tournament of Hearts

Official Newspaper of the Scotties Tournament of Hearts

DAY 1

Alberta skip Cheryl Bernard hollers for the brushes Saturday during her win in the Ford Hot Shots competition. That was the high point of her day. Later, the low: her Calgary team was thumped 9-3 by Team Canada as the Scotties Tournament of Hearts slid from the hacks.

Sunday February 22, 2009

Sunday, February 22, 2009 2

Throwing, throwing and winning

By LARRY WOOD Heart Chart Editor

T

he way she was tossing rocks in the Ford Hot Shots singles prelude to the Scotties Tournament of Hearts, you’d have thought Cheryl Bernard was in dire need of a new gas buggy.

Well, uh-uh.

Fact of the matter is the 42-year-old Bernard drives a Beamer (BMW).

“How did you know that?” Bernard laughed, shortly after decimating the Hot Shots field on Saturday at the Save-On Memorial Centre and accepting the keys to a 2009 Ford Flex utility vehicle.

“It was kind of neat,” she said. “It’s way different when you have sweepers. It’s good to play this as a team. I’ve played this points game before here and at the Autumn Gold and I’ve never, ever, got past the first round.”

So what prompted the change from also-ran to blistering Hot Shot?

“I don’t know what it was,” said Bernard. “I just kept throwing and throwing and throwing and everything worked, and worked, and worked. I guess I just have to keep throwing these shots over and over and over again.”

The Alberta champion skip from Calgary was the dominant performer throughout, scoring 25 of a possible 30 points during the Friday preliminaries, then leading the way Saturday in the

Cheryl Bernard was blisterinmg hot. quarter-finals with another 25, in the semi-finals with 26, and in the final, defeating Saskatchewan second player Sherri Singler of Saskatoon 23-18.

They don’t keep records on Hot Shots but it probably was a record that Bernard led the competition from start to finish and out-distanced her closest individual opponent by an average of five points per segment over four segments.

In the quarters, Quebec third Nancy Belanger followed Bernard with 21 points, followed by Newfoundland/Labrador skip Heather Strong with 20, Singler with 18, Rebecca Jean MacPhee of Spud Island with 16, Cathy Overton-Clapham of the defending Scotties champs with 14, rookie Sheena Gilman

of Nova Scotia with 12 and Lana Vey of Saskatoon with 11.

Following Bernard in the semis, Singler scored 20, Belanger was at 18 and Strong at 17.

Pitching in for the victorious Albertans were third Susan O’Connor and sweepers Carolyn Darbyshire (second) and Cori Bartel (lead).

“I don’t know what we’ll do with it (the vehicle),” said Bernard. “Maybe I’ll sell the Beamer.”

She was kidding, folks.

“It’s a great little vehicle, it’ll take all our curling equipment.”

Singler picked up a $2,000 cash prize as runnerup while Belanger won $1,000.

The pre-event shotmaking competition requires curlers to execute six shots: Hit-and-stay, draw-the-button, draw-the-port, raise, hit-and-roll and double takeout. Each shot is awarded points on a scale from 0-5, rating the success of each. Former winners include Saskatchewan's Kay Montgomery, British Columbia's Sherry Fraser, Kristy Lewis and double winner Kelley Law, New Brunswick's Allison Farrell, Alberta's Marcy Balderston, Prince Edward Island’s Suzanne (Gaudet) Birt, Ontario’s Andrea Lawes and Jenn Hanna, Nova Scotia’s Colleen Jones, Manitoba’s Gerri Cooke and Jill Officer, and Kelli Turpin of the Territories, who has since returned to Newfoundland/Labrador.

Dispelling any myth that Hot Shots winners are jinxed in the Scotties, Officer won the car last year and Law won it in 2000.

Junior STARS Team: British Columbia Shane Gallop Age 16 Qualicum and District Curling Club I am in grade 11 at Kwalicum Secondary School, and I have been curling for 8 years. I curl at the Qualicum Beach Curling Club, where I play in the men’s league, and help with the junior league.

I am also an apprentice ice technician at the club.

My other hobbies include playing soccer, and golf. And my favorite band is Led Zeppelin, which I am sure most of the members of my club know because I listen to it loudly when I am working on the ice.

Team: Ontario Katherine Silversides Age 13 Juan de Fuca Curling Club Katherine Silversides is 13 years old and curls out of the Juan de Fuca Curling Club. She plays third on their Competitive Juvenile Girls team. Katherine recently competed in a provincial robotics competition.

Katherine enjoys making fabric art and likes history. With the Juan de Fuca Juniors, Katherine has had some interesting curling opportunities including throwing everything from pumpkins, to turkeys, to people down the ice!

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3 Sunday, February 22, 2009

Defender just too tough Jones puts the boots to Alberta in opener

Saskatchewanʼs Sherri Singler grimaces during her teamʼs opening loss to host British Columbia.

By LARRY WOOD Heart Chart Editor

I

t was rated top billing on Saturday’s opening draws at the Scotties Tournament Of Hearts.

Defending champion Jennifer Jones of Winnipeg versus one-time Scotties runnerup Cheryl Bernard of Calgary.

Spicing up the prospects of this game: Bernard was coming off one of the most lopsided successes in the history of the Ford Hot Shots.

But the singles game is one thing, the team approach another. And this one ended 9-3 early in favour of the world champs.

In six ends.

It had to be intimidating for unsuspecting Scotties teams drawing the bye and watching on television.

“They are such a good team,” Bernard said later. “But we just didn’t pick up on the ice in this one. And, yes, if you let them get away they can be very intimidating, the way they shoot.”

Jones, meanwhile, was playing the modesty card.

“Intimidation?” she said by way of reaction. ”Oh god no, this is one of the best (Scotties) fields ever, it’s so strong.”

But raise-takeouts by the number aren’t a large staple in the women’s curling game.

“They made ’em, too,” argued Jones. “I don’t know. We play these girls all year long. ”OK, we played great,” she admitted. “We made a lot of shots. But to say that will last all week, we can’t say that. Obviously it’s a good feeling. I thought we played well. It was a good start but it doesn’t matter how you start you have to finish well.”

Meanwhile, Quebec’s Marie-France Larouche and the MacPhee sisters from Spud Island vaulted to the top of the heap after two draws with unblemished records.

Larouche, a Scotties runner-up in 2004, executed an angle-raise with her last brick to subdue Andrea Kelly of New Brunswick 7-5 in the afternoon and followed that up with a 9-6 conquest of Kerry Galusha’s Polars from Yellowknife.

The Islanders, with young Robyn throwing last rocks and the more experienced Rebecca Jean calling traffic, stole an extra end from the Territories team 8-7 before crushing Kelly’s Herringchokers 7-1 in an abridged evening fracas.

“I could see about seven-eighths of it,” said Larouche of her last-rock target in the afternoon.

The team arrived in Victoria on the heels of its best-yet bonspiel season, the result of a change of attitude Larouche adopted as a result of taking a year off from the game after a disappointing 2005 Olympic trials at Halifax.

“Since September it has been a great year for us,” said the skip from Levis, across the big river from Quebec City. “But now our goal is

here. That was a preparation all year to come here. But I think we have momentum and confidence and my teammates are playing very well.”

Rebecca Jean MacPhee is playing in her sixth Scotties. Kid sister Robyn, nine years her junior, is tossing rocks in her fifth.

“We’ve caught on to draw weight and we’re playing well,” said Robyn MacPhee, a former world junior champion. “We’ll see what happens but I think our history this year serves us well.”

Which is to say, this Island group has had few disappointments.

Elsewhere on the late draw, Nova Scotia’s Nancy McConnery kayoed Barb Spencer’s Manitoba entry 5-4 in an extra end. And, in the opening draw, homestanding Marla Mallett of Vancouver stole a 10th-end deuce and an 8-7 upset of Saskatoon’s Stefanie Lawton while Krista McCarville of Thunder Bay manufactured three in the 10th to outlast Heather Strong of The Rock 9-7.

Mallett survived when Lawton gassed a lastrock draw to the four-foot with ample backing.

“Did I expect her to miss that shot? No I did not,” said Mallett. “But we’re happy with the comeback.”

B.C. trailed 7-3 after seven but finished with deuce, single, deuce to steal it.

“The ice was a little touchy there,” said Lawton, the defending Canada Cup champ.

“You have to throw just the right weight and I was just a little bit heavy — I was just trying to draw the four-foot — and it didn’t come up for us. Too bad it had to roll right out of the four-foot.’

How does a highly-rated team handle this kind of opening-draw adversity?

“You’re mad for a little while and then you just shake it off,” said Lawton.

“It’s a tough loss to take but at the same time it gives you some energy. We’ll be raring to go tomorrow and curl lights out. It’s a long week, it’s just one loss, and we’ll move on and learn from it.”

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5 Sunday, February 22, 2009 EDITOR Larry Wood ASSOCIATE EDITOR Dave Komosky PHOTOGRAPHER Andrew Klaver PUBLISHED BY The Victoria Times Colonist

The Wood file

Jenifer Jones balances curling with a hectic personal life.

World champion and Team Canada skip Jennifer Jones (JJ) of Winnipeg this week sat down with Heart Chart editor Larry Wood (HC) for this exclusive and comprehensive interview HC — In your opinion, has there been one defining moment in the evolution of your team to world championship status?”

JJ — I don’t think there was any one defining moment. I just think it was hard work. We are the best of friends on and off the ice. We have so much fun together. And I don’t know if people really realize that. I mean, it’s just a great time for us and we have so, so much fun. And it makes it so much easier to play. I think that’s the biggest reason that we perform well under pressure.

HC — Would you agree that the perfect freeze in the 10th end versus Japan in the Worlds semi-final at Vernon might qualify as a defining moment?

JJ — That probably was one of the biggest shots that we’ve ever made as a team in all our years together. Definitely. But they’re all big. The seventh-end shot against China for two. That was a big shot in the last game. I mean, they’re all big shots but, yeah, that freeze was big. Things weren’t looking all that great.

And we made the biggest shot in the toughest situation that we could. It ended up it was good enough to win that game.

HC — It was a huge turnaround for your team right there.

JJ — You know, we had so much fun in Vernon. We soaked it all up and we went out there and said, ‘no matter what, we’re going to go out and enjoy it,’ and

Larry WOOD

Team chemistry keeps Jones one step ahead of the competition enjoy it we did. It was a great time, but we had so much fun playing last year throughout last season, at the Canadians, the Worlds, everywhere.

HC — As close-knit as this team has become, what might happen if you had to change the lineup because of injury or some other unforeseen circumstance?

JJ — Obviously it would hurt

the chemistry but we have a great fifth player in Jennifer ClarkRouire who has been with us for the past couple of championships. I think it would impact the team but we’ve also learned to deal with adversity and get through it.

HC — Elaborate, please, on that chemistry.

JJ — You know it was Cathy Gauthier (now with TSN) who

got this team together. She spared for my old team in an event and said she thought that Cathy Overton (Clapham) and I should play together. Cathy Overton and I went out for a drink one night and she told me she wasn’t even going to curl that year. We really didn’t know each other. And we hit it off instantly. And the rest is history. She’s probably one of my best friends now. And Jill (Offi-

cer) and I have curled together forever. So it was Cathy Gauthier getting involved and getting the team together on the ice. Off the ice it is so relaxed. And we bring out the best in each other in the sense that we’re all competitors, all want to get better, we all strive for excellence. You can’t have a team on different pages and we’re all on the same page. And then having Mike (McEwen) and Dawn fall in love and having Mike live in Manitoba and having Dawn move to Manitoba. I mean, she’s a great addition to our team. It’s like the stars all aligned and brought us together and made for some of the greatest moments in our lives last year and we’ll always remember that.

HC — You’re a lawyer for Wellington West Capital in Winnipeg. How do you juggle that massive job with an equally massive curling schedule?

JJ — There’s definitely not a lot of time at home and it’s a challenge. But everybody has a lot of challenges in life and everybody has to deal with them.

I don’t think it’s easy to have kids and curl. I don’t think it’s easy to have any job and curl.

Mine is not a 9-to-5 job. There’s stress and pressure connected with it but I’ve never not had that, so it’s just my life and it’s my life the way I understand it.

I’ve learned to handle it and achieve what I’m trying to accomplish. It’s as early in the morning as needed and as late at night as needed to get ithe work done and when I’m in town I work very long hours. I’m not home for supper. I work when I’m in town and I work when I’m on the road. I have a lot of responsibilities to fulfil. My firm is very, very accommodating and I try to show them I appreciate that by doing as good a job as I can.

PLEASE SEE WOOD P11

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t is finally here! The 2009 Scotties Tournament of Heart is under way.

For so many, the host committee, the volunteers and the fans, the energy is starting to rev up in the city of Victoria. The excitement is in the air and the memories have started to formulate. But for the players, the wait has been unlike any other. The dream of standing on the podium is evident but the time between now and then seems like forever.

Teams began arriving in Victoria as early as Wednesday and they all made it with little thanks to the weather back east. After a quick introduction to their drivers, the teams started settling in at the Empress Hotel, and began to familiarize themselves with the city — some choosing to load up on snacks and fluids (of all kinds), others opting for tours and still others chose what all ladies do best . . . they went shopping.

Friday was a long day for everyone. The athletes were eager to start, but first, there

Melissa SOLIGO were a number of obligations to fulfil. Practices began at 8 a.m. If you were one of the lucky ones, you were just getting out of bed or maybe having breakfast while the first group was starting their practice. Following those practices was the mandatory team briefing during which, in short, the riot act is read to the participants. The next stop on the agenda was the Ford Hot Shots which is an

amazing and challenging opportunity for one talented curler to win a car. Congrats to Cheryl Bernard of Alberta for an outstanding performance.

Friday night was the official off-ice start to the Scotties — the opening banquet at the Victoria Conference Centre. It was a spectacular evening full of fun, laughter and stories. It was an evening to honour the sponsors, nationally, provincially and locally. We paid our first (of many) tributes to all the participating teams. We had an amazing dinner and if memory serves me correct there may have been a bar or two there as well.

One of the most important parts of the evening (to me) was the introduction and acknowledgement of past national champions.

The list of past champions, here in B.C., is long and impressive.

PLEASE SEE SOLIGO P7

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7 Sunday, February 22, 2009

(Melissa Soligo is a former Scotties Tournament of Hearts champion and the Heart Chart’s guest columnist this week)

QUESTION OF THE DAY: Four skips in the history of the Canadian women's curling championship have won 12 games in a single championship. Name the skips and the years they won the dozen.

1. Two skips have defeated the eventual champion in four Scotties editions. Name the skips.

2. Name the champion skips each defeated and when.

3. Who was the first skip to beat the winner more than once and where was she from?

4. In which years did she play giant-killer

and who did she beat?

5. Name the only Scotties skip to defeat the winner three years in a row.

6. Name her conquered winners and the years she knocked them off.

7. Name the only British Columbia skip who has twice knocked off the eventual winner at the Scotties?

8. Who were the champs she beat, when and where?

9. Only one skip has ever beaten the champion twice in the same Scotties renewal. Name her.

10. How about the champ she beat, when and where?

11. Name the only skip who defeated a Scotties champ and waited a record 15 years to repeat the feat.

12. Who did she beat, when and where?

(Answers)

In attendance were Lindsay Sparkes and Robin Wilson (the Seventies), Linda Moore, Laurie Carney, Lindsay (again) and Debbie Jones Walker (the Eighties), Louise Herlinveaux, Debbie Massullo and Georgina (Hawkes) Wheatcroft (the late eighties); Julie (Sutton) Skinner, Jodie (Sutton) Green and your (ahem) obedient servant (the Nineties); Diane (Nelson) Dezura, George (again), Julie (again) and Kelley Law (the new millennium). It was a time to reminisce about the good times and catch up on the present.

As a female curler in this country, and playing at the national stage, the most exciting part of the evening for the competitors was the presentation of the diamonds and jewelry. As a first timer, you receive a Scotties heart necklace. The returning provincial winners get a diamond placed in the necklace until you have four. If you are one of those long-time repeaters (and you know who you are) you get a beautiful gold bracelet with individual hearts and diamonds. Now, if you win a national championship, you get a

TODAY’S QUIZ

4. Bartlett defeated Lindsay Sparkes in 1979 and Susan Seitz in 1981.

5. Michelle (Englot) Schneider.

6. Heather Houston in 1988 and 1989, Alison Goring in 1990.

7. Kelley Law. 8. Colleen Jones in 2001, Kelly Scott in 2007.

9. Sherry Anderson.

10. Colleen Jones in 2002 at Brandon.

11. Shannon Kleibrink.

12. Sandra (Schmirler) Peterson in 1993, Jennifer Jones in 2008.

From Page 6

Hearts Trivia

QofD: Connie Laliberte 1995, Marilyn Bodogh 1996, Cathy (King) Brost 1998, Kelly Scott 2007.

1. Agnes Charette, Colleen Jones.

2. Charette defeated Penny LaRocque in 1983, Connie Laliberte in 1984, Heather Houston in 1989, Sandra (Schmirler) Peterson in 1993; Jones defeated Marj Mitchell in 1980, Connie Laliberte in 1984, Heather Houston in 1989, Kelley Law in 2000.

3. Sue-Ann Bartlett of Labrador City, Newfoundland

Soligo

unique ring with four hearts and a diamond in the middle. For runners-up the ring is set with a ruby and for third-place finishers the ring is set with an emerald. As a repeat national winner, the diamond in the ring is upgraded in carats.

From my perspective, it was astonishing to sit in a room filled with so many veteran athletes (past and present) and so few rookie athletes. The room was electric. And the anticipation of competing was at the forefront. I can only imagine what was going through their minds. To me, it was always two questions: Can we play yet and what would it be like to win the Scotties Tournament of Hearts?

Some 15 hours later after another busy morning of practices, opening ceremonies, Hot Shot quarters, semis and final and practice again, Draw One was set to begin.

With the crowd filing in wearing its collective vibrant colours, the signs and flags were abundant, and the cowbells were ringing. You could hear the cheers starting from the moment the first rock took its path.

Here we go. I can hardly wait for Day Two.

Be sure to check page 14 for HeartStop Lounge information!

Sunday, February 22, 2009 8

Profiles: The Territories HOME CLUB: YELLOWKNIFE CURLING CLUB

Kerry Galusha

FACTS SKIP

NICKNA ME: Dou ble K AGE: 31 RESIDEN CE lowknife : Yel. FAMILY: Husband Scott EMPLOY MENT: F inance c lerk with the Dep’t of Justice,Gov ’t of the N.W.T. SHE IS: C ompetitive, driv en, caring LOVES C UR BECAUS LING E: It is always s o competitive.

Dawn Moses THIRD NICKNAME: Moses AGE: 39 RESIDENCE: Fort Simpson.

PARTNER: None EMPLOYMENT: Youth & volunteer program officer – Gov’t of the Northwest Territories SHE IS: Fun, competitive, patient LOVES CURLING BECAUSE: Of the challenge and competition, the fun, the people, the satisfaction.

YUKON/NORTHWEST TERRITORIES/NUNAVUT Population:100,000 (est.)

Area: 3,785,58 sq km Joined Confederation: Yukon 1898, N.W.T. 1870, Nunavut 1999 Capital cities: Yellowknife (N.W.T), Whitehorse (Yukon) Iqaluit (Nunavut) Languages Spoken: English, Aboriginal, Inuit.

Principal Products: Fish, petroleum, zinc, gold TERRITORIES AT THE SCOTTIES Last four years: 2008 — Kerry (Koe) Galusha , Yellowknife (1-10) 2007 — Kerry Koe, Yellowknife (2-9) 2006 — Kerry Koe, Yellowknife (2-9) 2005 — Kerry Koe, Yellowknife (4-7) Last championship — None.

Shona Barbour SECOND AGE: 29 RESIDENCE: Inuvik PARTNER: Tommy EMPLOYMENT: Early Childhood Consultant, Gov’t of the N.W.T. SHE IS: Creative, early-bird, dedicated LOVES CURLING BECAUSE: It keeps me active!

CAREER HIGHLIGHT: Graduating from the University of Alberta with a Bachelor of Arts – Native Studies

Canadian titles — None World titles — None DID YOU KNOW. . . n Whitehorse has the world’s most northern botanical show gardens. n The famous Yukon River is 2,200 miles (3,520 km) long. You can canoe 2,050 miles from Whitehorse to the Bering Strait.

Heather McCagg-Nystrom LEAD AGE: 35 RESIDENCE: Fort Smith FAMILY: Husband Jeff, daughters Jenna 5, Ava 23 months.

EMPLOYMENT: Chair, Development Studies at Aurora College SHE IS: Loving, energetic, organized LOVES CURLING BECAUSE: The places I have seen as a result of curling across Canada. I especially love meeting the other curlers and making new friends.

9 Sunday, February 22, 2009

Profiles: P.E.I.

HOME CLUB: CHARLOTTETOWN CURLING CLUB

FACTS

Rebecca Jean MacPhee SKIP

NICKNA ME: RJ AGE: 34 RESIDEN CE PARTNE : Stratford R: No EMPLOY ME atric RN NT: Pediat the Queen E lizabeth Hospital SHE IS: C aring, competi tive, reliable LOVES C UR BECAUS LING E: Allowed m e to visit so many places.

Robyn MacPhee THIRD NICKNAME: Moosie AGE: 25 RESIDENCE: Kingston PARTNER: Boyfriend: Nick EMPLOYMENT: Virology technologist at the Atlantic Veterinary College, University of P.E.I. SHE IS: Quiet, stubborn, competitive LOVES CURLING BECAUSE: Of all the great friends you meet and all the great memories you share.

THE PROVINCE Population: 138,500 Area: 5,660 sq km sq Joined Confederation: 1873 Motto: “The small under the protection on the great” Capital City: Charlottetown Laguages Spoken: 96.6% English, 3% French, 0.4% other Principal Products: Potatoes, lobsters, printed materials, wood products P.E.I. AT THE SCOTTIES Last five years: 2008 — Suzanne Gaudet, Charlottetown (3-8) 2007 — Suzanne Gaudet, Charlottetown (7-6) 2006 — Suzanne Gaudet, Charlottetown (4-7)

Shelley Muzika SECOND NICKNAME: Shell AGE: 43 RESIDENCE: Charlottetown FAMILY: Husband Blair Weeks, son Ronan (9), daughter Miara (5) EMPLOYMENT: Controller for Canadian Mental Health Association, PEI Division SHE IS: Loyal, hard-working, dedicated LOVES CURLING BECAUSE: Able to compete at a high level, national championships.

2005 — Rebecca-Jean MacPhee, Charlottetown (4-7) 2004 — Suzanne Gaudet, Charlottetown (2-9) Last championship — None.

Canadian titles — None World titles — None DID YOU KNOW. . .

■ The Confederation Bridge, completed in 1997, is the world's longest bridge over freezing waters.

■ The island province owns the distinction of having red soil.

Tammi Lowther LEAD NICKNAME: The Tamster AGE: 42 RESIDENCE: Charlottetown FAMILY: Daughter Lindsay (18), niece Darcie (7), nephew Nick (11) EMPLOYMENT: RN, Dr. Stirling Keizer's medical office.

SHE IS: Competitive, independant, outgoing LOVES CURLING BECAUSE: The places it has taken me and the people I have met.

Sunday, February 22, 2009 10

HOME OF THE SCOTTIES TOURNAMENT OF HEARTS

Save-On-Foods Memorial Centre 1925 Blanshard Street Phone: (250) 220-2600

SEATING CHART

General information: Located on the site of the venerable Victoria Memorial Arena the state of the art 7,000 seat facility is the home to the 32nd franchise in the ECHL, the Victoria Salmon Kings, world-class concerts and sporting events.

Tickets: Select Your Tickets is the authorized ticket seller for the Save-On-Foods Memorial Centre. The box office is locate at the Save-On-Foods Memorial Centre in the South West corner nearest the corners of Caledonia Ave. and Blanshard St. Telephones: Cellular phones are permitted. Pay phones are located in the main concourse at Gates 1 and 3.

Smoking: Smoking is not allowed anywhere in the

proud sponsor

saveonfoods.com

building.

Parking: You may access the parking lot from either Caledonia or Pembroke Street. The lot consists of 250 stalls: 230 regular stalls and 20 handicap stalls. An event rate of $10 is charged during the 2009 Scotties Tournament of Hearts. Spaces are available on a first come first served basis.

Buses: B.C. Transit, telephone (250) 382-6161. Web site: www.bctransit.com. You can pick up the Rider’s Guide with schedules and routes free from merchants and information booths, or 25 cents on the bus.

11 Sunday, February 22, 2009

Wood From Page 5 HC — As such, you must have a fantastic capacity for focusing on the job at hand.

JJ — I think I’m very efficient. There’s no down or wasted time in my life. Everything has a purpose. When I’m curling, I’m curling and it’s the only thing I’m thinking about. It’s because I love to do it so much. That part of my life is easy. Because I’m so thankful for being able to play I don’t mind working between the games. The curling part is easier than the working part, obviously. Curling is what I love to do. I mean, I enjoy my job but it’s pretty hard to compete with curling in the Scotties Tournament of Hearts. Being an inhouse legal counsel is definitely not as exciting as curling in the Canadian championship.

HC — The responsibilities of a world champion skip seem to be growing by the year. Now there are sponsors to placate, events like the Scotties, charity events.

How do fit it all in?

JJ — The promotion and the time is consuming and it’s a challenge. I try to plan it around events. But what an honour it is to be able to curl and promote something you love.

Something that’s given us so much and you can go out and make a difference. It’s pretty remarkable. We were in a charity event in Toronto last weekend and the fact that Cathy and I could go there and help raise money for spinal-chord research is so phenomenal. We love doing it. I love public speaking. I find it so rewarding.

HC — But is there any danger, being in Victoria three days in advance of starting to defend your title and following a hectic schedule of promotions, that it will adversely affect your performance on the ice?

JJ — Busy, yes, but that’s life in general for me. Honestly, it’s typical of my life. Being busy is normal. It would be worse if I weren’t busy because I wouldn’t know what to do with myself. I did a day-and-a-half of promotion and then a day to relax. Ask me in a few days, but I don’t think it should affect my performance because I don’t think I’d allow that.

HC — Are you happy with the way your competitive year (sans provincials) has gone to date?

JJ — We’ve really tried to start off events better than we have previously. We’ve qualified from A lot more than ever before. And we lost in the first round of playoffs a lot more, too. But we’re pretty satisfied with our year and we’re playing well but we’re going to have to get some lucky breaks along the

way here. Whoever wins the Scotties has to get that and get better as the week goes on.

HC — And if you should successfully defend this title, will it be tougher defending the world title in a strange environment on the east coast of Korea?

JJ — Oh, I haven’t thought about that. But I don’t think it matters where you play the world championship. The teams are the same and the conditions are the same. I think when they are played in Canada it’s thrilling for a Canadian team to experience that. But I don’t think it matters as far as the competition goes.

It doesn’t change with the venue. It’s the atmosphere that may be different. We were a different team in Vernon that we were in Paisley (Scotland, 2005). That was the first year the team had been together. We’ve grown a lot as a team since Paisley and the conditions in Paisley weren’t great. Vernon and Paisley were night and day. I think if you asked anybody that played in Paisley and Vernon they’d say the exact same thing. The playing conditions in Vernon were great and there actually were fans in the stands. That they were Canadian fans was phenomenal. In Paisley we had friends and family there but we just didn’t perform the way we should have performed.

We do like playing in front of the bigger crowds. It’s an amazing experience. It’s more fun . . . for sure.

Jennifer Jones has a close relationship with Cathy Overton-Clapham.

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Sunday, February 22, 2009 12

ROAD TO THE SCOTTIES TOURNAMENT OF HEARTS

Kelly comes through when chips down I t was a shot that called for precision and Andrea Kelly delivered.

Facing three opposing stones, the 23year-old skip from the Fredericton Curling Club deftly tapped back the first shot rock and stuck to the four-foot to defeat Mary Jane McGuire 5-4 in the New Brunswick Scotties curling championship game at the Moncton Beaver Curling Club.

“That was a tough game, the toughest we had all week,” said Kelly, who won all seven of her round-robin games to gain a berth in the final and then recorded win No. 8 at that point.

“I thought both teams played very well, but we have a little more experience and that made a difference at the end. We just kept believing we were going to come through. We believed in each other.”

The final was not a game of mistakes. Instead, it was one of precision and an intense battle of nerves. Outstanding shotmaking and execution were the orders of the day.

“I was a little frustrated with myself because I missed a couple of shots early, but my team-

NEW BRUNSWICK (Combined 3 previous appearances) mates made all of their shots and I eventually settled down, too,” Kelly told the Moncton Times-Transcript.

“At the break, we regrouped and both teams played well for the entire game. We just wanted a chance to win it in the 10th end and we got it.”

McGuire, of the Capital Winter Club in Fredericton, scored a pair in the third end, stole one in the fourth and controlled the issue until Kelly stole one in the eighth to take a 4-3 lead.

McGuire tied it in the ninth leaving Kelly with

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the hammer in the final exchange.

A human resources advisor with the New Brunswick department of public safety, Kelly won the Canadian junior title in 2005 and followed it up with her first and only previous Scotties title in 2006.

She says she appreciates the championship more this time, having been to a previous Scotties.

“We’ve been working very hard this year. It has been our goal right from the start,” Kelly said. “I don’t remember being this happy the first time we won. That was great, but this is better because we've put so much into this.”

Other members of the team are third Denise Nowlan, second Jodie deSolla and lead Lianne Sobey. The second and lead were with Kelly when she won the national junior and played in the 2006 Scotties. Nowlan, of Moncton, played third for Sandy Comeau two years ago at Lethbridge. Former world junior champion skip Melissa Adams is the fifth player and the team is coached by Daryell Nowlan.

McGuire, just one year out of the junior

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Andrea Kelly won battle of nerves. ranks, advanced to the final by beating 11-time provincial champion Heidi Hanlon of ThistleSt. Andrews in Saint John 7-5 in the sdemifinal. Hanlon edged Comeau of Moncton 8-7 in an earlier tie-breaker.

Trailing Kelly’s perfect 8-0 record were McGuire at 6-3, Hanlon at 5-4 and Comeau at 4-4. Defending champion Sylvie Robichaud of Moncton and 2008 runnerup Becky Atkinson of Saint John finished the eight-team roundrobin with a 3-4 records while Sharon Levesque and Shelly Graham of Fredericton each tallied one win in seven games.

13 Sunday, February 22, 2009

ROAD TO THE SCOTTIES TOURNAMENT OF HEARTS

McConnery plays opportunist to win V eteran Nancy McConnery, who will celebrate her 46th birthday on Day Six of the Scotties at the SavOn Foods Memorial Centre, usually plays the role of underdog but she not always winds up a bridesmaid.

She skipped the 2003 Nova Scotia women’s champ, also the 1993 New Brunswick women’s champ and, as well, played second for Heidi Hanlon of New Brunswick in the 1995 Scotties.

Now she’s back on the scene again with a Dartmouth team after upending defending Bluenose champion and heavy favourite Mary Anne Arsenault of Halifax in the N.S. provincial final last month.

It was another one of those come-frombehind performances on the order of Silky Sullivan.

With one round remaining in the eight-team preliminary at Bridgewater, McConnery and mates — Jennifer Crouse, Sheena Gillman and Jill Thomas — were a mediocre 3-3 and two games behind leader Arsenault.

The last round was critical, of course. Mc-

NOVA SCOTIA (Combined 3 previous appearances) Connery faced another 3-3 team skipped By Sarah Rhyno of Halifax. And it went down to the last before McConnery escaped with a 6-5 decision.

That left three teams at 4-3, trailing Arsenault at 6-1.

Fortunately for McConnery, she had beaten both teams running neck-and-neck with her so she was catapulted directly to the semi-final while Arsenault awaited in the final.

In a tiebreaker, former champion Jill Mouzar of Halifax posted a last-rock 7-6 win over Jocelyn Nix of Kentville. That appeared

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to empty Mouzar’s gas tank because she had nothing left for McConnery in the semi and bombed out 8-2.

The fact that McConnery, coming off knee surgery on Dec. 17 for a torn meniscus, won the championship probably wasn’t as shocking as how she managed it.

Arsenault, a two-time world and five-time Canadian champion with Colleen Jones, and her veteran team of Kay Zinck, Laine Peters and Theresa Breen, simply collapsed with a 42 lead at the fifth-end break, failing to score another point. McConnery had four stolen points in the game.

While McConnery and her teammates were opportunistic down the stretch, it was the errant shotmaking from some of the steadiest players in the province that had a big crowd gasping in disbelief. McConnery’s team dominated the first six rocks of most ends, leaving Arsenault with far more head-scratchers than her opposing skip.

McConnery embarked on the last critical comeback with a tying deuce in the sixth, then

stole one in he seventh and two more in the ninth.

“It was a rollercoaster,” said the champ.

“We were pumped all day (for both semi-final and final). We just felt so good after the first game we just wanted to carry that through and pretend we hadn’t stopped curling.”

The Nova Scotia Curling Association abandoned the Page playoff system this year at the request of the players, eliminating a second playoff chance for Arsenault, whose only defeat prior to the final was to clubmate Rhyno in the third round.

“It was about our worst game of the season as a foursome, I’d say,” said a dazed Arsenault, whose team can still look forward to an appearance in the Canada Cup in Yorkton, Sask., in mid-March.”

McConnery survived with a 6-3 record while Arsenault was 6-2, Mouzar 5-4 and Nix 4-4.

Failing to qualify for the playoffs at 3-4 were Rhyno and McConnery’s 2003 vice-skip Colleen Pinkney of Truro who was runnerup to Arsenault in 2008, and former champions Mary Mattatall and Marg Cutcliffe of Halifax at 2-5.

Sunday, February 22, 2009 14

LOUNGE SUNDAY, FEB. 22

TUESDAY, FEB. 24

Noon Autograph Session – BC and NL 4:45 p.m. Up Close & Personal with Past Champions Kelly Scott (’06) and Kelley Law (’00) 5:30 p.m. Autograph Session – Prince Edward Island 10:00 p.m. DJ Night

Noon

MONDAY, FEB. 23 Noon 4:45 p.m.

Autograph Session – Ontario Up Close and Personal with Al Cameron – Calgary Herald and Paul Wiecek – Winnipeg Free Press 5:30 p.m. Autograph Session – NWT/Y 10:30 p.m. Johnny Vallis

Autograph Session – Manitoba and Canada 4:45 p.m. Up Close and Personal with Francine Poisson, Sandra Schmirler – Foundation President, and Diane Gushulak – BC Curler and mom 5:30 p.m. Autograph Session – Saskatchewan 10:00 p.m. Flatline

WEDNESDAY, FEB. 25 Noon

Autograph Session – New Brunswick 4:45 p.m. Up Close and Personal with Team Canada 5:30 p.m. Autograph Session – Alberta 10:30 p.m. Crosstown Bus

A daily draw is required for admission to the HeartStop Lounge, conveniently located in the Victoria Curling Club.

THURSDAY, FEB. 26 Noon

Autograph Session – Nova Scotia

4:45 p.m.

Up Close and Personal with Past Champions Julie Skinner (’91, ’00) and Pat Sanders (’87) 5:30 p.m. Autograph Session – Quebec 10:00 p.m. Bryden Street Party Band

FRIDAY, FEB. 27 4:45 p.m.

Up Close and Personal with TSN Commentators Vic Rauter, Linda Moore and Ray Turnbull 10:00 p.m. Timebenders

SATURDAY, FEB. 28 3:00 p.m.

8:00 p.m.

Team Autograph Session The Chevelles

SUNDAY, MARCH 1 2:00 p.m.

8:15 p.m.

The Chevelles The Chevelles

Schedule subject to change.

What’s on the menu HeartStop Lounge Victoria Curling Club Two Menus to Choose From Victoria Curling Club Menu 7:30am-7:30pm Breakfast Burger (served daily 7:30am-10:30am)

We’ve got all the angles covered.

Daily sports, commentary and the latest results.

Pulled Pork on a Bun Char Broiled Burger Chili & Bun Clam Chowder & Bun Assort. Cold Sandwiches (egg salad, salmon, ham) Daily Soup Fries Caesar Salad Veggies & Dip Pizza by the Slice

Food For Thought Menu 10 a.m. – 10 p.m.

Choice of West Coast Seafood Chowder or Soup of the Day Entrees: Chicken or Beef Pot Pies Moroccan Chicken Peppers, Onions & Sweet Spices Balsamic Chicken with choice of sides Indian Curry (Chicken or Beef) yogurt East Indian spices Beef Dip with au jus Wraps Choice of sides and salads: Rice Noodles Roasted potatoes Caesar Salad Baby Mixed Greens California Pasta olives, sundried tomatoes, artichokes Apple & Fennel Slaw Green and red cabbage, carrot Chicken & Rice Indian Curry, rice, Caesar salad Balsamic Chicken roast potatoes, apple & fennel slaw Beef Dip ciabatta bun, Caesar salad (For any above meals substitute soup for salad for an extra $2.00) Food For Thought Combo Build your own combination 1 entrée and 2 sides

15 Sunday, February 22, 2009

STANDINGS W PEI (MacPhee) 2 Quebec (Larouche) 2 Team Canada (Jones) 1 B.C. (Mallett) 1 Nova Scotia (McConnery) 1 Ontario (McCarville) 1 Alberta (Bernard) 0 Manitoba (Spencer) 0 NL (Strong) 0 Sask. (Lawton) 0 N.B. (Kelly) 0 NWT/Yukon (Galusha) 0

L 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 1 1 1 2 2

DRAW SCHEDULE TODAY

SATURDAY DRAW 1 2 p..m.

B.C. (Mallett) Sask (Lawton) .

S P B.C. 80 238

002 001 021 2 — 8 010 310 200 0 — 7 % S P % 74 SASK 80 264 83

Yukon/NWT (Galusha) PEI (MacPhee) S P Y/NWT 88 274

011 020 120 00 — 100 200 200 21 — % S P 78 PEI 87 2745

N.B. (Kelly) Quebec (Larouche) S P N.B. 78 245

010 102 001 0 — 5 202 010 010 1 — 7 % S P % 79 QUE. 80 260 81

Ontario (McCarville) Nfld/Lab (Strong) S P ONT. 80 250

103 010 010 3 — 9 020 101 102 0 — 7 % S P % 78 NL 80 252 79

7 8 % 79

SATURDAY DRAW 2 7 p.m.

Quebec (Lartouche) Y/NWT (Galusha) S P QUE. 78 233

301 010 310 x — 9 020 201 001 x — 6 % S P % 75 Y/NWT 79 212 67

B.C. third Grace MacInnes draws up a long-range route for her rock.

LINESCORES Alberta (Bernard) Team Canada (Jones) S P ALTA. 48 134

100 200 xxx x — 3 031 032 xxx x — 9 % S P % 70 CAN. 48 141 74

N.S. (McConnery) Manitoba (Spencer)

000 110 101 01 100 001 010 10

— —

5 4

S P % 85 266 78

N.S. N.B. (Kelly) PEI (MacPhee) N.B.

MAN.

S P % 88 265 75

000 100 0xx x — 1 021 011 2xx x — 7 S P % S P % 56 150 67 PEI 55 173 79

SHOOTING PERCENTAGES (CUMULATIVE) Skip Third Second Lead TEAM

Can.

B.C.

Alta.

Sask.

Man.

Ont.

Que.

N.B.

PEI.

N.S.

81 73 69 73 74

73 75 68 83 74

52 73 71 83 70

69 85 88 89 83

58 74 82 88 75

58 83 83 90 78

81 73 75 84 78

74 66 75 79 74

79 78 61 90 79

83 76 74 81 78

NL Y/NWT 74 85 66 90 79

80 65 79 67 73

8:30 a.m. Draw B — NL vs. B.C. C — Ont. Vs. Sask.

1 p.m. Draw A — Can. Vs. N.S. B — PEI vs. Que. C — Y/NWT vs. N.B. D — Alta. vs. Man. 6:30 p.m. Draw A —Sask. vs. NL B — N.S. vs Alta.

C — Man. Vs. Can. D — B.C. vs. Ont. MONDAY 8:30 a.m. Draw A — Ont. Vs. N.B. B — NL vs. Y/NWT C — B.C. vs. Que. D — Sask. Vs. PEI 1 p.m. Draw A — Y/NWT vs. Man. B — N.B. vs. Can. C — PEI vs. N.S. D — Que. vs. Alta.

6:30 p.m. Draw A — Alta. vs. B.C. B — N.S. vs. Sask.

C — Can. Vs. Ont. D — Man. Vs. NL TUESDAY 8:30 a.m. Draw A — Can. Vs. Sask.

B — Man, vs. B.C. C — Alta. vs. NL D — N.S. Ont. 1 p.m. Draw A — NL vs. PEI B — Ont. vs. Que. C —Sask. vs. Y/NWT D — B.C. vs. N.B.

&RP &RPPLWWHG WR WKH VLJQLÀFDQFH RI FRPPXQLW\ PPLWWHG WR WKH H VLJQLÀFDQFH R RI FRPPXQLW\\ Monsanto is proud to be the official team sponsor of Team Jennifer Jones, the 2008 Canadian and World Women’s Curling Champions. We are also pleased to lend our support as a Diamond sponsor to the 2009 Scotties Tournament of Hearts.

As a company committed to creating a better future for our customers, employees and consumers, we are proud to support the passion, camaraderie and competitive spirit that an event like the Scotties Tournament of Hearts inspires in communities across the country. Whether as Team Canada or as provincial representatives, all participants have shown great commitment and dedication. We have enjoyed the entertainment every step of the way and wish all competitors the best of luck.

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