 SASKATOON - Team Jennifer Jones (Picture: Curling Canada) are just one win away from making a return trip to the Winter Olympics after her team defeated Krista McCarville 8-3 in Saturday night's Olympic Trials semi-final. By: Dylan Chenier The game got off to a slow start for the two teams. In The first end, Jones was unable to transfer hammer into a multiple point end, setting for a draw four-foot for one. After a blank in the second end, McCarville made a tap for one against two of Jones' rocks, tying things up at one apiece. In the fourth end, Jones was light on her final draw for two, settling for another single point. In the fifth end, Jones was left sitting two after her final shot. McCarville tried to cut her losses and sit second-stone, however, her shot was light, giving Jones a steal of two and 4-1 lead at the break. McCarville would get back on the board in the sixth end, making an impressive shot to score two, trailing Jones 4-3 Jones made a hit for the blank in the seventh end, retaining hammer. In the eighth end, McCarville's last shot jammed on her attempt for the double leaving Jones with an open draw for two. With just two ends to go, Jones had opened up a 6-3 lead. In the ninth end, Jones was left sitting two after her final shot, McCarville attempted an angle raise double for two but it over curled giving Jones a steal of two. Due to Curling Canada rules, the teams were forced to play the tenth end, with Jones running McCarville out of stones, taking the victory 8-3. For Jones, the victory books her rink a spot in Sunday morning's championship final, where they will take on Manitoba provincial-rivals Team Fleury. "I expect it to be a very good game. At the end of the day I'm hoping that it's going to be a close game and that it will come down to last rock," Jones said of the opportunity to play Fleury in the final. In their three matchups this season, Team Fleury has been the victor in all of them. Their most recent contest came earlier in the round-robin at the Trials, where Fleury won 7-6. If Jones were to beat Fleury, she would make history as the first female to skip Team Canada at two different Olympic Games. "It's so hard to get here in Canada. We were lucky enough to have the opportunity once and to do it again would be incredible." While Jones, third Kaitlyn Lawes, and lead Dawn McEwen all have a chance to make their second Games as a team, for lead Jocelyn Peterman, a victory on Sunday would mark her first-ever Olympics. For McCarville, the skip from Northern Ontario says her team struggled to adjust to the ice conditions, something Jones was able to figure out early on. "We just didn't catch on to the ice tonight. It was a little bit different than this afternoon's game and they caught onto it a lot faster than we did," McCarville said. While the result is certainly somewhat of a disappointment for the team, they will now set their sights on winning another Northern Ontario championship, earning the right to wear the Moose in the Scotties at home in Thunder Bay. "Hopefully we can go in feeling good for our provincials, hopefully, win our provincial and represent Northern Ontario at the Scotties," McCarville said The women's final, between Jones and Fleury, takes place Sunday morning at 11:00 AM CT. SCORES and BRACKETS at www.curlingzone.com |
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Brendan Bottcher (photo: Stan Fong) is moving on from now former teammates Marc Kennedy, Brett Gallant and Ben Hebert, announced Tuesday.
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