HeartChart Online - Day 7 - 2009 Scotties Tournament of Hearts

Official Newspaper of the Scotties Tournament of Hearts

Friday, February 27, 2009

DAY 6

Skip Rebecca-Jean MacPhee has guided her Prince Edward Islanders to a playoff tiebreaker.

Friday, February 27, 2009 2

Bernard puts thumbs down on rankings

System needs retooling Heart drops and other leftovers . . .

C

algary’s Cheryl Bernard is among the many competitive shooters who isn’t greatly enamoured with the current Canadian Team Ranking System and its effect on the game in general.

“I think it needs to be revamped and studied,” she was saying the other day. “The lure of the trials has severely reduced the pool of good teams. And I wonder why would some of these teams keep paying ’spiel entry fees and getting their asses kicked?

“It’ll be interesting to see on Dec. 15 how it all shakes out after the Olympic trials. I mean, would I build a new team? No. I don’t think I have it in me. The work we’ve done over the last four years? I wouldn’t do that again.

“Would I put together a team of experienced players for a couple more years.

Maybe. I doubt our team will stay together.

Larry WOOD Two of them want to have kids. Carolyn’s (second Darbyshire’s) done, she’s had enough of this. Our team would at least take some time off. I’ll bet you a lot of people will just take a year off and maybe say, call me in a year.”

One other possible future consideration for

the Calgary smoothie? Joining her city’s other top skip, Shannon Kleibrink.

“There was talk at one point,” she said with a nod. “Maybe it was some reporter making things up. She and I have never talked. And, you know, I think it’d probably be like Kevin and Randy curling together. I think we’re both strong personalities.

“Maybe there would be a time when I’d step down to play for somebody young, like Sue (O’Connor). You know what I mean?

Play third for her to get her going. She’s a good little curler, my third. I’d enjoy helping her build a team. Give something back that way. So that’s a possibility.

“But,” she said, flashing her pearlies, “that would mean I’d have to sweep.” . . . n n n Scotties frontrunner Marla Mallett of Vancouver pooh-poohs charges of CTRS distraction.

“It’s only a distraction if you let it be a dis-

traction,” said the B.C. skip this week. “I mean, there’s a lot of different ways to get points. And I think it’s good from the aspect that those teams at the top of the pile for a number of years are getting in. But, you can put good combinations together that are really capable in one year and not have the opportunity in the next year.

“I think it’s only going to make us stronger, though. All those other countries are improving, too. We just can’t maintain this level, we’ve got to step it up as well.”

Cautioned B.C. coach Ken MacDonald: “Perhaps they fixed what they thought was broken but didn’t make it as strong as it could be.”

Mallett, by the way, favours 10-end games in the controversy surrounding the length of the tilts.

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3 Friday, February 27, 2009

Team Canadaʼs Jennifer Jones (left) survived to play in todayʼs tiebreaker while Quebecʼs Marie-France Larouche is in the 1-2 Game.

Five-team race to finish Defending champs survive to live another day

By LARRY WOOD Heart Chart Editor

I

t started with eight teams in contention. By afternoon there were still eight teams. And

by Thursday dinner time the field had been reduced to six.

Then came the final draw of the Scotties round-robin preliminaries at the Save-On Foods Memorial Centre. Only B.C.’s Marla Mallett, the leader for most of the piece, enjoyed an extra life even though she was twice bitten on the final day. Quebec’s MarieFrance Larouche and Rebecca Jean MacPhee of P.E.I. were through and playoff bound. Al-

berta’s Cheryl Bernard and defending champion Jennifer Jones of Winnipeg were on the bubble.

It was Jones and Mallett in the final feature.

And the defender grabbed control early and hung on for a 6-5 decision to cling to life and a sudden-death tiebreaker engagement with The Islanders today at 1 p.m.

It was sudden-death but nothing new for the Jones team that won eight straight with its back against the wall a year ago to win the Scotties title. This time, they face a five-game gauntlet

to survive, including a tiebreaker, Page ThreeFour playoff, semi-final and final.

Mallett, meanwhile, remained the only team on the premises with only three defeats heading into the playoffs. And B.C. will face Quebec’s Larouche in the Page One-Two scuffle tonight at 6:30 p.m. with the winner advancing directly to Sunday’s 5 p.m. final.

Larouche qualified for the final on the strength of her final-round 7-5 conquest of Saskatchewan’s Stefanie Lawton on Thursday afternoon. That pulled Quebec even with the Green Machine. Both held the winning edge over Jones and MacPhee in games among the four, all breathing with four losses in the bank.

Bernard wasn’t so fortunate on the late shift.

The Albertans bowed 6-5 to Ontario’s Krista McCarville of Thunder Bay in an extra end.

The two finished square with five losses each.

McCarville had suffered her fifth setback in the afternoon at the expense of the pesky Polars from Yellowknife skipped by Kerry Galusha who engineered three in the 10th end for a 9-7 win.

Saskatchewan draws the day off today but gets the Jones-MacPhee winner on the Page Three-Four tussle on Saturday at 11:30 a.m.

The winner moves onto the semi at 4 p.m.

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5 Friday, February 27, 2009 EDITOR Larry Wood ASSOCIATE EDITOR Dave Komosky PHOTOGRAPHER Andrew Klaver PUBLISHED BY The Victoria Times Colonist

Up Close

Saskatchewwanʼs Lana Vey (left) and Sherri Singler know the importance of teamwork.

By DAVE KOMOSKY Heart Chart Associate Editor

T

hey are the sport’s unsung heroes.

Curling fans at this week’s Scotties Tournament of Hearts can likely reel off the names of all 12 skips, and some of their thirds, too.

But the front-end players?

That’s when fans have to reach for the program.

That’s because the lead and second players on almost every team are virtual unknowns. To play, they must check their egos at the door. They are mostly notable for feverishly sweeping the skip’s stones, and getting hollered at for most of the game.

But on occasion a front-end will break through.

Saskatchewan’s lead Lana Vey and second Sherri Singler have emerged as one of the best front ends in the nation with their performance this week at the Scotties. Both are No. 1 statistically in their positions, and together they can drag a rock from the Save-On-Foods Centre to the Empress Hotel. They are one fantastic brushing machine.

Their performance this week has helped the team from Saskatoon to recover from a disastrous 0-3 get back in the hunt for the Canadian women’s curling championship at the Save-OnFoods Centre.

Singler says the secret to their success is the satisfaction they get from doing their jobs well.

“You have to be happy in your positions,” says Singler. “I’ve always been front end and I enjoy sweeping and throwing the shots front-enders do. Maybe someday I’ll want to move up, but I enjoy

Saskachewanʼs front end check egos at the door what I do.”

Vey says a good front-ender must take the position seriously.

“I still think your job is just as

important (as back end),” she says. “We can attack the other team just as much as the back end can.”

Vey has settled nicely into the lead position, which was something new to her when she was recruited by Saskatoon skip Ste-

fanie Lawton two seasons ago.

“Yeah, I like it,” says Vey, who lives in Regina but makes the commute up the highway to the Tooner for practise when possible. “There’s no ego for me. I’ll play wherever. I get to draw a lot and play some soft shots, which I really like.”

Both agree the importance of sweeping is often ignored by the average fan. And that doesn’t necessarily mean how far a front end can drag a rock. It also means the art of knowing when — and when not — to sweep. There are times the front-enders have to make their own call, overriding the skip’s call or non-call.

It’s not a skill developed overnight. It takes years of experience to know precisely when it’s time to lean on the brushes.

But the two women have meshed quickly, on and off the ice.

“Judging a rock is a huge component of the game today,” Singler says, “so you have to work well together. But our personalities hit it off right from the start.”

Says Vey: “Some people you meet and things click right away. We have a similar approach to sports and the game, so I think that makes it easy.”

Of course, when it’s time to lean on the brushes, Singler and Vey can provide some friction.

Strength and endurance is important.

“It’s a long week,” says Vey, “so you have to be in shape. I’m only 24, Sherri’s 35, I’m still a little sore at the end of the day, my hands are tired, so I can imagine how she feels at the end of the day.

“But it's all part of playing the front end.”

Stats becoming big part of curling

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eing the daughter of an accountant, I grew up surrounded by numbers.

Funny how things work out. That the game I love would now be embedded by numbers, too.

Enter the time clocks. Each team at the Scotties gets 73 minutes per game plus two one minute timeouts. This should be more than ample time to complete a 10-end game.

With the current rules encouraging more rocks in play, the ends can get busy. But with the lovable 10-end game, a team can bank some time in a clean end if need be, but still play offensive when warranted. It’s all about time management.

Have you heard the numbers being yelled out by the sweepers? For communication purposes when sweeping, teams have divided the playable area (between hogline and back line) into 10 zones. The first three zones are outside of the rings extending to the hogline.

The next three zones are from the top-fourfoot to the top 12-foot. The most sought-after

Melissa SOLIGO zone is seven, which is the tee-line. And the last three zones are from the back four to the back line.

We also see curlers using stopwatches to assist in both sweeping and throwing. There are a few systems in place and it comes down to preference. Hog-to-hog times, split times (back line to hog, tee-line to hog) and hog to stop times are commonly used. However,

being a coach of many, sometimes the watches become a crutch and curlers forget the feel, so beware.

All right, so let’s get down to the nitty gritty of this column — stats. The question always is asked, do we need to spend time and effort collecting a bunch of numbers?

Hmmm …

Unlike some people who think stats are a waste of time, I don’t. As a player, a coach, and a fan of the game I think stats are a good thing and serve many purposes. Stats can create interest in the game for everyone, even assist the media (not a space filler), offer player comparisons (strengths and weaknesses) and provide detailed information to coaches.

Currently, the method is a simple fourpoint system — four for perfect and zero for a complete miss, and then 1–to-3 for halfshots and those judged somewhere in between.

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7 Friday, February 27, 2009

Hearts Trivia We all know the skip who has won the most games in Canadian women's championship history. Name the skip who has won the second-most games.

1. How many Canadian championships and how many championship games has she won?

2. Name the last skip to sail through the Canadian women’s championship without a defeat, also the year, venue and record.

3. Who was the last Canadian champion skip to suffer but a single defeat at the Scotties?

4. Name the skip who beat her. Also that skip's hometown.

5. The year of that Canadian championship and the venue, please?

6. Name five curlers who have won both berson) Nedohin, Cathy OvertonClapham, Chris (Pidzarko) More, Jodie Sutton, Kay (Smith) Zinck.

8. Kim (Armbruster) Hodson, MarieFrance Larouche.

9. Suzanne Gaudet, Marla (Geiger) Mallett, Meredith (Doyle) Harrison, Janet Harvey, Andrea Kelly, Stefanie Lawton, Jill Mouzar, Cathy (Pidzarko) Shaw, Barb (Kirkness) Spencer, Heather Smith-Dacey, Cindy Street, Robyn MacPhee.

10. Chris (Pidzarko) More.

11. Manitoba.

12. Cathy (Pidzarko) Shaw.

Albertaʼs Cori Bartel (left) and Susan OʼConnor study the situation..

(Answers)

QUESTION OF THE DAY:

QofD: Connie Laliberte.

1. Two championships, 74 games.

2. Linda Moore was 11-0 in 1985 at Winnipeg.

3. Cathy (King) Borst.

4. Kelly Kaylo of Yellowknife.

5. 1998 at Regina.

6. Cathy (King) Borst (Alberta); Alison Goring (Ontario); Julie Sutton (Skinner) (British Columbia); Jennifer Jones (Manitoba); Kelly Scott (ManitobaBritish Columbia).

7. Kim (Gellard) Griffin, Heather (God-

TODAY’S QUIZ

the Scotties and the national junior women's curling championship as skips, and the provinces they represented in both.

7. Name any other Canadian junior champion skips who went on to play for Scotties champs.

8. Name any other Canadian junior champion skips who went on to play for Scotties runners-up.

9. Name any other Canadian junior champion players who went on to skip Scotties provincial champs.

10. Name the first Canadian junior women’s championship skip to advance to skip in a Canadian women’s championship.

11. She skipped for which province in junior and which province at the Canadian women’s?

12. Name the first Canadian junior women’s championship player to skip a Canadian women’s winner.

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Friday, February 27, 2009 8

Profiles: Team Canada HOME CLUB: ST. VITAL CURLING CLUB (WINNIPEG)

FACTS

Jennifer Jones

THE COUNTRY Population: 33,212,696 (July 2008 est.)

Area: 9,093,507 sq km Confederation: July 1, 1867 Motto: “A Mari usque ad Mare” which means from sea to sea.

Capital City: Ottawa Laguages Spoken: 67.1% English, 21.5% French 11.4% other Leading industries: Automobile manufacturing, pulp and paper, iron and steel work, machinery and equipment manufacturing, mining, extraction of fossil fuels, forestry and agriculture.

SKIP

AGE: 34 RESIDEN CE: East St. Paul PARTNE R: Husba nd Scott La bonte EMPLOY ME porate la NT: Corwy Wellingto er, n West Capital In c.

SHE IS: S hy dreamer, , ca LOVES C ring URLING BECAUS E: Of the people y ou meet and the exp ences w erie get to share.

Cathy Overton-Clapham THIRD NICKNAME: Cathy O AGE: 38 RESIDENCE: Winnipeg FAMILY: Husband Mike Clapham, son Andrew 10, MacKenzie 6.

EMPLOYMENT: Co-owner of Flatlanders Flooring and ‘mom’.

SHE IS: Happy, fun, competitive LOVES CURLING BECAUSE: Of the competition and because of the friendships I’ve made.

TEAM CANADA AT THE SCOTTIES Last three years: 2008 — Kelly Scott, Kelowna (5-6) 2007 — Kelly Scott, Kelowna (12-2 champion) 2006 — Jennifer Jones, Winnipeg (104 - runnerup)

Jill Officer SECOND NICKNAME: Jilly AGE: 33 RESIDENCE: Winnipeg PARTNER: Husband Devlin Hinchey EMPLOYMENT: Community spokesperson, RBC SHE IS: Fun, loyal, loud LOVES CURLING BECAUSE: Of the friendships I’ve made, the travelling I get to do and because of my passion for competing.

Last championship — Kelly Scott (2007) Canadian titles — 6 World titles — 6 (Heather Houston in 1989, Sandra (Schmirler) Peterson in 1994, Colleen Jones in 2002, 2003 and 2004, Kelly Scott in 2007).

DID YOU KNOW. . . n Canada is the home of many great inventions, including: basketball, the electric light bulb, the electric range, the electron microscope, standard time, television and the telephone.

Dawn Askin LEAD NICKNAME: Super D AGE: 28 RESIDENCE: Winnipeg PARTNER: Mike McEwen EMPLOYMENT: Federal Government of Canada SHE IS: Generous, easy-going, supportive.

LOVES CURLING BECAUSE: It’s always been my passion since I was young and along with the highs of winning I get to travel and meet a lot of great people.

9 Friday, February 27, 2009

Profiles: Team Alberta HOME CLUB: CALGARY WINTER CLUB

FACTS

Cheryl Bernard SK

IP AGE: 42 RESIDEN C FAMILY: E: Calgary Terry Me ek (commo n-la nor 14, E w), Convan 18 (s tepsons) EMPLOY MENT: Curler THREE W OR THAT DE DS SCRIBE HER: Go al-d determin riven, ed venturou , ads LOVES C UR BECAUS LING E: The incredib le friendsh ips veloped. de-

Susan O’Connor THIRD AGE: 31 RESIDENCE: Calgary PARTNER: Engaged to Todd Brick EMPLOYMENT: Respiratory therapist at Foothills Hospital SHE IS: Hard-working, competetive, funloving LOVES CURLING BECAUSE: You meet amazing people and it has given me an opportunity to see different places.

THE PROVINCE Population: 3,064,200 Area: 661,848 sq km Motto: “Strong and free” Joined Confederation: 1905 Capital City: Edmonton Laguages Spoken: 81% English, 2.1% French, 3.2% German, 2.0% Ukrainian, 3.6% bilingual 8.1% other Principal Products: Natural Gas, Oil, Wheat ALBERTA AT THE SCOTTIES Last five years: 2008 — Shannon Kleibrink, Calgary (11-2 - runnerup) 2007 — Cheryl Bernard, Calgary (7-6) 2006 — Cathy King, Edmonton (6-5) 2005 — Cathy King, Edmonton (6-6) 2004 — Shannon Kleibrink, Calgary (6-5) Last championship — Cathy Borst

Carolyn Darbyshire SECOND AGE: 45 RESIDENCE: Calgary FAMILY: Husband Rod, stepson Shea 14, daughter Alexandria 7 EMPLOYMENT: Office manager, Canadian Decal Installers SHE IS: Hard-working, competitive, family-orientated LOVES CURLING BECAUSE: Of the people that you meet, that you have curled with and against across Canada.

(King) (1998) Canadian titles — 5 World titles — None DID YOU KNOW. . . n Although many people think of the Rockies when they think of Alberta, they are not an official symbol of the province.

Cori Bartel LEAD AGE: 37 RESIDENCE: Calgary PARTNER: Sean Morris EMPLOYMENT: Recruiter with Friday Professional Group SHE IS: Friendly, loyal, persistent (some might say stubborn) LOVES CURLING BECAUSE: I’ve met wonderful people, around the world, all through curling (and usually over a few beverages)!

Friday, February 27, 2009 10

Scotties From Page 3 Jones opened with a deuce in the critical evening game and led 4-2 at the half. Mallett stole a ninth-end single to tie it but left Jones an eight-foot draw for the win at the finish.

“I think we controlled that from start to finish,” Jones allowed afterward. “We had to be better and I thought we played better. We’re still alive and that’s all you can ask for.

Now we have to play as good as we can and hopefully that’ll be good enough to keep going.”

Jones was nicked for the fourth time Thursday morning, 8-7 by the Islanders. Only P.E.I., Newfoundland and the Territories have failed to produce Canadian women’s curling champion teams and all three bested Team Canada this week.

Mallett also lost to the gutty Spud Islanders, 7-5 in the afternoon.

“We’re delighted,” said Rebecca Jean MacPhee, who skips and tosses third boulders. “We knew we had to beat the top two teams to survive today, we knew we had to come out firing and this is just fabulous. Robyn played so well and I think we’ve got it going now.”

Sister Robyn MacPhee, who tosses last rocks, issued several clutch shots on the day including a key last-rock hit against Team Canada.

Both MacPhees will advance beyond the Scotties preliminaries for the third time. RJ skipped a team to the Page Three-Four playoff at Calgary in 1995 and played third for Suzanne Gaudet in 2003 at Kitchener-Waterloo when the Is-

landers finished third. Robyn also played on the latter squad and was with Gaudet in the Page Three-Four at Lethbridge in 2007.

“You set your goals at the first of the week to make playoffs and you never know what record is going to be required,” said RJ MacPhee. “This tells us we can beat anybody here. Play well, anybody’s beatable.”

Lawton bounced back from her costly afternoon loss to hammer Manitoba’s Barb Spencer 7-5 on the late shift.

Larouche bounced off the floor to win twice and erase the memory of a sloppy two-loss day on Wednesday. The Quebeckers started in the morning with a 9-4 cruise over Spencer.

“We knew we had to win both games so we’re pretty proud of the fact we did,” said the skip from La Belle Province.

“And I played much better. I had the draw weight and I was on the broom and I’m happy because those were my problems yesterday.

“That (last win over Saskatchewan) was only the second complete game we’ve curled this week. All four of us were curling to our capabilities for only the second game.”

Alberta remained in contention by squeezing past the Territories 8-6 in the morning before bowing out at the last gasp, failing to engineer as much as one multiple count.

Newfoundland’s Heather Strong plummeted from contention with a pair of losses — 7-6 to Nancy McConnery of Nova Scotia in overtime and 6-5 to Andrea Kelly of New Brunswick.

The Newfoundlanders and Herringchokers finished with 5-6 records while the Polars were 4-7, Nova Scotia and Manitoba 2-9.

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11 Friday, February 27, 2009

Soligo From Page 6 There is always the elusive bonus point as well. In a completed 10-end game, the maximum score for a player is 80 points (4x2x10).

An extra end fattens the total by a maximum eight. The kinds of statistical information provided at the Scotties help the media make player comparisons for the viewers and the readers of the sport.

But in reality, stats are not just about a number form 0–4. They are about the data that can be collected using those numbers. It is about creating reports to identify overall percentages, in-turn versus out-turn, hit versus draw, force efficiency, steal efficiency and hammer efficiency. Teams that collect information can use it to their benefit!

This is a game of inches and any advantage is a useful advantage.

As a player, I always wanted to know what my percentages were. It was nice to get the ego stroked (this is where I assume I played well), but if the stats were not good, I would, being the fierce competitor that I was, challenge myself to do better.

As a coach, I make use of the numbers specifically related to strengths and weaknesses of opposing players. As we know in this sport, one shot can make a huge difference, by knowing any weak spot; say forcing a draw versus a hit — this ‘ammo’ is good to have in the back pocket.

To be fair, I can see the other side of the stats debate. Stats are subjective and the scoring does not always reflect the skip’s decision-making process. The numbers are highly dependent on a scorer’s experience and consistency.

And most importantly, the current scoring system doesn’t reflect the shot difficulty, the importance of each shot or the context in which the shots were missed.

Although statisticians are usually seasoned curlers with knowledge and experience, they will never know a team’s game plan or the reasons behind a decision but they will have the best guess (and seat) in the house.

Curling’s shooting percentages provide the data that is needed and currently it is best objective measure of the game we have. And if curling exists to be enjoyed, then the shooting percentage is a useful tool to help us enjoy the game.

And if nothing else, stats always give us lots to talk about.

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Friday, February 27, 2009 12

Wood From Page 2 “I think eight is too short,” she said. “It’s great when you’re on the upside of the scoreboard but when you’re on the downside it’s nice to have the extra two ends.

“I enjoy both games. But I think we need consistency. It would just be nice to play the same number of ends no matter what the event we’re playing.

The differences in the games demand a complete adjustment. I think it would be easier on the players if it was uniform. So, from a preparation standpoint, I’d rather it be consistent.” . . . n n n Joe Pavia of the Ottawa Sun brings up another current Olympic trials issue.

“The U.S. is holding its Olympic trials right now,” Pavia writes. “A number of other countries have already decided their teams for next year in Vancouver. Canada, meanwhile, won’t pick its teams that will go for gold in 2010 until mid-December — about two months before the Vancouver Games begin. And many commentators and players believe that is too late.

“Do countries that choose their Olympic representatives earlier win more medals than Canada?

Since curling became a medal sport in 1998, Canada has won two gold, two silver and two bronze medals — more than any other nation. Still, many elite Canadian curlers say giving athletes more time to prepare before the Olympics would be a benefit.

“In his book Hurry Hard, 2006 Olympic gold medallist Russ Howard complained that the time between the end of the trials and the beginning of the Torino Games was very unsettling for the players and not conducive to preparing for the most important games of their lives. The Canadian Curling Association counters that the current timetable means Canada’s best will be in peak form heading into Vancouver . . . n n n Randy Ferbey has been complaining to Edmonton columnist Terry Jones that Kevin Park’s inclusion on Manitoba’s Brier team skipped by Jeff Stoughton “isn’t right”.

Why? Park is a longtime Edmontonian who apparently established residency in Winnipeg this season.

Frankly, the old curling residency restrictions went the way of the do-do bird years ago. What’s the difference in this case and that of Russ Howard, a New Brunswick resident, playing for Brad Gushue’s Newfoundlanders at the Olympics and the preceding trials?

Still, it may be time for provincial associations to take a hard look at relaxed residency rules among many other rules that need tightening where socalled elite teams are concerned . . . n n n Newfoundland’s Heather Strong is likely to draw all-star rating as a Scotties skip for the first time yet

her team was eliminated from contention on Thursday afternoon.

“We won’t be happy,” she said earlier, “if we aren’t in the playoffs because we think we’re capable of that.”

Just goes to prove statistics are for losers. Strong led all skips heading into Thursday night while vice-skip Cathy Cuinningham was No. 2 overall, second Laura Strong was No. 4 and lead Peg Goss had a share of No. 4.

Just ain’t no justice . . . n n n Question: Is there an intimidation factor for some teams facing Jennifer Jones’s Team Canada unit?

“They might intimidate some teams,” says Saskatoon’s Stefanie Lawton. “They’re Team Canada and they have a lot going for them.

They’re very confident girls and they make great shots. Some of what they bring could be intimidating to some of the teams. I remember the first time we played Colleen Jones it was like, ‘wow, we’re playing Colleen Jones’. We were excited about the opportunity but we were also very nervous.” n n n On the subject of Saskatchewan, second Sherri Singler missed most of the fall cash season recovering from a back injury.

“It felt good being together again,'' said Lawton.

“There is a lot to get used to when you bring in a different person. To have Sherri back feels so great.

We all clicked and we’re a real team out there.'” n n n Anybody recall that Lana Vey, the Saskatchewan lead, was a second-team all-star third in this event two years ago? Vey was with veteran Jan Betker who lost in the Scotties final to Kelly Scott.

“Maybe this time someone will know who I am,” said Vey, en route to Victoria. “It will be nice to go back there and do well again.'”

Statistically, Vey has been the No. 1 lead in the Save-On for most of the week.

Vey, by the way, was married following the Lethbridge Hearts and allowed: “I would have to rate getting married and getting to the final at the Scottie as equal.'”

Wow!!!! . . . n n n Quote/unquote Marie-France Larouche, on the eight-end, 10-end debate: “The difference between eight ends and 10 ends is the hammer in the first end. It doesn’t mean so much in 10 ends. I like eight ends in a series where we have to play a lot of games in a short time. In a tournament like this where you play no more than two games a day, 10 ends is fine.” n n n “People tell me I look so calm on the ice, but I’m going crazy inside,” Krista McCarville of Thunder Bay told Brian McAndrew of the Toronto Star.

“That’s a good thing. If you’re not nervous, there’s a problem. It’s more than butterflies and there will always be butterflies, but they’re good butterflies because they mean excitement.”

Guide to Page Playoff System OK, now the fun begins.

The Scotties Tournament of Hearts reached critical mass Thursday at the completion of round-robin play, and the multitude of tiebreakers everyone dreads failed to materialize.

But it wasn’t completely cut-and-dried, either.

This is how the Page playoffs/tiebreaker situation developed Thursday night: British Columbia’s Marla Mallett finished in top spot with an 8-3 record. Quebec’s Marie-France Larouche, Saskatchewan’s Stafanie Lawton, Team Canada’s Jennifer Jones and Prince Edward Island’s Rebecca Jean MacPhee all finished with 7-4 records and in a huge logjam for second place. But on the basis of head-to-head games in the round-robin, Quebec was awarded second place and Saskachewan took third. That leaves Team Canada and the Spud Islanders to fight it out today in a

Page 1-2 /3-4 Games

1

tiebreaker. That game goes at 1 p.m. with the winner nailing down fourth. The loser goes home.

Then it’s on to the Page playoffs.

The winner of the Team Canada vs. P.E.I game faces Saskatchewan in the sudden-death ThreeFour game Saturday at 11:30 a.m. The winner moves to Saturday’s semi-final at 4 p.m. The loser is gonzo.

The One-Two game between B.C. and Quebec goes tonight at 6:30 p.m. with the winner moving directly to Sunday’s final.

The loser, meanwhile, gets another chance in Saturday’s semi-final.

Sunday’s final is slated for 5 p.m.

Semi-final

Final

B.C. 6:30 p.m.

Today

Quebec

2

5 p.m.

Sunday

Loser of 1-2 game

3

Saskatchewan 11:30 a.m.

Saturday

4

Canada or P.E.I.

4 p.m.

Saturday

Hurry over to our house for a quick workout.

Crystal Pool and Fitness Centre Join us after the Draw for a workout. Bring this ad to a public swimming session at the Crystal Pool and Fitness Centre and receive a 2 for 1 adult or child admission.

Valid until May 31, 2009.

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official wine supplier of the 2009 Scotties Tournament of Hearts

Friday, February 27, 2009 14

LOUNGE FRIDAY, FEB. 27

SATURDAY, FEB. 28

4:45 p.m.

3:00 p.m.

Up Close and

Personal with Kerry Galusha

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

Team Autograph 2:00 p.m.

Session 8:00 p.m.

SUNDAY, MARCH 1

8:15 p.m.

The Chevelles The Chevelles

The Chevelles Schedule subject to change.

Heather Strong Nancy McConnery Andrea Kelly 10:00 p.m. Timebenders

What’s on the menu HeartStop Lounge Victoria Curling Club Two Menus to Choose From 7:30 a.m.-7:30 p.m.

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 Friday, February 27, 2009

STANDINGS W B.C. (Mallett) 8 Quebec (Larouche) 7 Saskatchewan (Lawton) 7 Team Canada (Jones) 7 PEI (MacPhee) 7 Ontario (McCarville) 6 Alberta (Bernard) 6 N.B. (Kelly) 5 Nfld/Lab (Strong) 5 Y/NWT (Galusha) 4 Manitoba (Spencer) 2 N.S. (McConnery) 2

L 3 4 4 4 4 5 5 6 6 7 9 9

WEDNESDAY DRAW 15 8:30 a.m.

P.E.I. (MacPhee) Team Canada (Jones) S P P.E.I. 87 279

000 220 021 01 — 8 110 002 200 10 — 7 % S P % 80 CAN. 88 288 82

Quebec (Larouche) Manitoba (Spencer) S P QUE. 72 249

003 010 203 x — 9 010 101 010 x — 4 % S P % 86 MAN. 72 219 76

Y/NWT (Galusha) 120 100 002 0 — 6 Alberta (Bernard) 001 030 120 1 — 8 S P % S P % Y/NWT 80 241 75 ALTA. 79 255 81 N.B. (Kelly) 002 022 100 2 — 9 N.S. (McConnery) 020 400 020 0 — 8 S P % S P % N.B. 80 236 74 N.S. 80 236 74

DRAW SCHEDULE TODAY TIEBREAKER TEAM CANADA VS. PEI 1 P.M.

Manitobaʼs Brette Richards looks like sheʼs ready for takeoff.

LINESCORES B.C. (Mallett) 000 020 102 0 — 5 P.E.I. (MacPhee) 020 102 010 1 — 7 S P % S P % B.C. 79 250 79 P.E.I. 80 224 70

N.S. (McConnery) 100 210 110 01 — 7 NL (Strong) 001 002 002 10 — 6 S P % S P % N.S. 88 291 83 NL 88 255 72

Nfld/Lab (Strong) 101 000 210 x — 5 N.B. (Kelly) 010 113 000 x — 6 S P % S P % NL 80 266 83 N.B. 79 263 83

Alberta (Bernard) Ontario (McCarville) S P ALTA. 87 282

010 010 101 10 — 5 002 002 010 01 — 6 % S P % 81 ONT. 88 308 88

Manitoba (Spencer) Sask. (Lawton) S P MAN. 80 260

100 010 021 x — 5 003 101 200 x — 7 % S P % 81 SASK. 76 264 87

Team Canada (Jones) B.C. (Mallett) S P CAN. 80 283

200 020 100 1 — 6 010 101 011 0 — 5 % S P % 88 B.C. 80 264 83

Ontario (McCarville) Y/NWT (Galusha) S P ONT. 80 252

DRAW 17 7 p.m.

010 020 011 0 — 5 101 101 100 2 — 7 % S P % 84 QUE. 80 276 86

SATURDAY 3-4 GAME SASK. VS. WINNER OF CANADA/PEI GAME 11:30 A.M. SEMI-FINAL 4 P.M.

SHOOTING PERCENTAGES (CUMULATIVE)

DRAW 16 1 p.m.

Sask. (Lawton) Quebec (Larouche) S P SASK. 80 269

010 030 111 0 — 7 202 101 000 3 — 9 % S P % 79 Y/NWT 80 246 77

PAGE PLAYOFFS 1-2 GAME B.C. VS. QUEBEC 6:30 P.M.

Skip Third Second Lead TEAM

Can.

B.C.

Alta.

Sask.

Man.

Ont.

Que.

N.B.

PEI

N.S.

78 86 83 84 83

79 82 81 82 81

77 82 83 84 81

78 80 84 90 83

67 77 80 86 77

75 79 79 84 79

78 78 77 87 80

77 75 76 82 78

76 79 72 82 77

72 77 72 76 74

NL Y/NWT 79 84 78 84 81

73 75 75 77 75

SUNDAY FINAL 5 P.M.

&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.

Learn more at monsanto.ca

Monsanto and the vine symbol are trademarks of Monsanto Technology, LLC © 2008 Monsanto Company.