Issue 2 – Sunday, February 19, 2012 • An Official Publication of the Canadian Curling Association. It was that close! B.C. third Sasha Carter cel- ebrates after skip Kelly Scott made her last shot in an extra-end to beat Quebec on Day 1 in Red Deer. Sponsors of the Day February 16-24 • K-Rock Centre See Sponsor Profiles on page 9 Page 2 HeartChart Day 1 an up-and- Opening Rocks downer for Polars LARRY WOOD “To beat a team like that and win a car? rest of the game. If she’d put hers in there Heart Chart Editor Yes, that still was the biggest day,” said with all those stones in the second end I’d Galusha. never have gotten it out. It was just unfor- irst a two-year lease on a Ford gas “But we had some issues with team dy- tunate that she didn’t have draw weight buggy. Then a first-round upset vic- namics tonight. Megan (lead Cormier) then and I was lucky to get it. Ftory over Alberta at the Scotties was sick all night and she stayed in bed “We’re really happy with 1-and-1 and Tournament Of Hearts. all day but wanted to play tonight. we’ll go from there.” It had the makings of biggest curling “It wasn’t the best decision. She had to The Polars battled back with a couple day ever for skip Kerry Galusha and her go out after four ends. of deuces to reduce the deficit after five Yellowknife team. “We just weren’t the same team we ends but were outscored 2-1 over the re- But . then . kaboom! were in the first game. And, yet, if we mainder. A decidedly unfunny thing happened don’t give up the six it would have been Defending champion Amber Holland, to the Polars in the second end of Satur- different.” defending champion Jennifer Jones, two- day night’s second Scotties round at the Dolan hit for the biggie after a blank first time champion Kelly Scott, Saskatche- Enmax Centrium. Prince Edward Island’s end. Polar third Sharon Cormier missed wan’s Michelle Englot and Ontario rookie wiley Kim Dolan cracked a six-ender to both her shots and Galusha followed suit. Tracy Horgan each won once Saturday to spoil the ultimate party and post an even- “We hadn’t been like that all day,” maintain undefeated marks. tual 9-5 decision. moaned the Yellowknife skip. On the late shift, Jones of Winnipeg ““We had three goals today,” Galusha The Island skip chuckled when told easily cruised past Rebecca Atkinson of said just prior to dinner time. “Oh well, we she’d ruined the day’s best story. New Brunswick 7-3 while Englot took ad- got the first two.” “I’m sorry to do that but that six-ender vantage of an uncharacteristically sloppy Galusha won the Ford Hot Shots skills is hard to defend,” she said. “It was great 51-per-cent shooting performance from competiton around lunch time, then pro- to get it in one way but no so good in an- Heather Smith-Dacey of Nova Scotia to ceeded to defeat Heather Nedohin of Ed- other. rack up a 7-5 win. Kim Dolan monton 8-7 in an afternoon extra end. “She (Galusha) had draw weight for the Continued on 3 Our Country Rocks! Proud to support the 2012 Scotties Tournament of Hearts Today's Best Country Best Rock of All Time Sunday, February 19, 2012 Page 3 Continued from 3 find your footing. “It’s nice to win one like that and hopefully we can “We have two draws off now and we definitely didn’t build on that momentum,” said Englot who trailed 5-2 af- want to dwell on a first loss for that long.” ter six ends but posted a deuce in the seventh and stole Jones agreed . sort of . singles in the eighth, ninth and 10th ends when Smith- “It’s a long week so you just want to get as many wins Dacey was guilty of over-throwing peels and then a final as you can, but the first one isn’t mandatory,” she said. takeout through a port. “We were getting used to the ice but I think we figured “She had an easy opening at the end but it wasn’t an it out well.” easy shot,” said Englot. “We’ll take it. That’s the char- Opined Holland: acter of our team. We’ve been doing that all year. We ““It’s always great to come out and win your first game never give up. We always battle back. We need to keep — the energy level stays up and that’s good because our playing that way throughout the week.” schedule is going to get tougher over the new few days. Along with Dolan and Galusha, Quebec’s Marie- “Earlier in the year we had lots of games like that. We France Larouche evened her record at 1-1 with a last-rock just didn’t follow up in the next games after that. The key 7-5 conquest of Newfoundland’s Heather Strong (0-2). for us here is consistency so we’ll take something from Earlier, Holland dumped Strong 7-4 on the strength of that and look forward to the next game (this afternoon an eighth-end steal of three, Scott scored in an extra end against New Brunswick). to nudge Larouche 7-6 and Horgan stole a 7-6 extra-end And a Saskatchewan green team wearing red and victory over Dolan. white? “We have our first win and that’s what we wanted,” “It feels different,” Holland agreed. “Especially when said the Quebec skip who finished second in this tourna- you look up at the big (arena) screen.” ment the last time it was played at the Centrium . in Rookie Horgan, playing with her sister Jennifer Sea- 2004. brook at third, trailed by two playing the 10th end but “We could have won both. If my last rock in the ex- managed the tying pair and stole the winner in an 11th tra end against Kelly (B.C.) curls just a touch more she Kim Team Ontario, second Jenna Enge, lead argument against the Islanders. doesn’t have a shot. Amanda Gates share smiles and a win. “We’re trying to stay calm and do our best and just We know all the teams are so close, we have to be very learn as much as we can this week,” said Horgan. good each game. Every one is a final game. You have to they’d counter right back. They were never out of it and “I think we’re lucky the competition is tough in Ontario be very good each game here.” we were never in the clear.” and that really prepares us. We don’t have a whole lot Said Scott of that extra exchange: Scott knows only too well the importance of a winning of experience on arena ice but it’s really good, we really “My last rock just curled up at the end to roll in for shot. start, as does Holland. loved it and I think we’re getting the hang of it.” Halfway down I wasn’t sure. If I nosed it we didn’t have “It’s huge,” said Scott. “We’ve been in tournaments Is there that deer-in-the-headlights fear a possibility? shot rock. where you start off strong and that just sets up your whole “We had to work and dig. Every time we got ahead week. When you start off a little shaky it takes a while to Continued on Page 4 Page 4 HeartChart The Skip’s Best Shot. The creamy consistency of Amarula delights with lingering subtle flavours of vanilla, caramel and chocolate. Affirming its unrivaled taste, Amarula Cream was recently voted “Best Liqueur in the World” at the International Wine and Spirit Competition. Alberta’s Heather Nedohin dropped her first game to Galusha. Continued from 3 “At moments it can be tough staying confident in such an experienced field,” said Horgan, “but the crowd’s amazing, there will be some distractions we’re not used to but we’re going to enjoy all of this.” Battling Alberta’s Heather Nedohin team tooth and nail from the outset in the af- ternoon, Galusha trailed 5-3 after just four ends. Then she tied it in the fifth and stole ahead by one in the sixth. After an exchange of singles, Alberta trailed by one playing the 10th and Nedohin faced a tough raise takeout for the win but the offending Territories brick jammed, leav- ing Galusha in possession of the hammer in overtime. THE OFFICIAL SPIRIT “I didn’t think I was going to have a shot at the end but Heather missed her guard and we threw a nice control hit and we made it,” said Galusha of her in-turn angle raise OF CHAMPIONSHIP CURLING takeout. Galusha professes to be a “different curler” at this Scotties rendition. “We had our practice yesterday and we talked about the ice,” she said. “A lot of times we come here and struggle on arena ice. We never play on it. We played on club ice that’s really heavy and doesn’t curl a lot. We talked about loving the ice. Now I feel the most comfortable I’ve ever been at a Scotties.” Amarula is the official spirit of The World Financial Group Continental Cup, Scotties Tournament of Hearts, Tim Hortons Brier and Ford World Women’s Curling Championship Editor: Larry Wood Assistant Editor: Fred Rinne www.amarula.com Represented by PMA Canada Ltd.