Issue 6 – Thursday, February 21, 2013 • An Official Publication of the Canadian Curling Association. Hurry, Haaard! Whoa! Canada Skip Heather Nedohin guides sweeprs Laine Peters (left) and Jessica Mair Wednesday morning. Canada suffered its only defeat thus far to Manitoba’s Jennifer Jones. Jones and Ontario’s Rachel Homan are the lone undefeated teams here in Kingston. They face off Thursday morning. ANDREW KLAVER/ CCA Sponsor of the Day A DREAM COME TRUE! Since 2000, I have had the privilege of playing in the Scotties eight times. In the process, I have made tremendous friendships with curling fans from coast to coast. Now with the Scotties coming to Montreal in 2014, it is our opportunity to repay all of the great hospitality. It is my personal wish that you can be there to experience the charm of Montreal, and a Scotties Tournament of Hearts like no other. Soyez-Y! Tickets on sale now! For details, visit February 1-9, 2014 • Maurice Richard Arena • Montreal, QC See Sponsor Profile on page 15 Page 2 HeartChart Day 5: Clash of Titans set BY JIM MORRIS It might have been just one more win for Manitoba’s Jennifer Jones but it could also have been a preview of Sunday’s final. It’s difficult to judge the significance of Manitoba’s 8-5 win over Team Canada in the marquee game of Wednesday after- noon’s draw at the Scotties Tournament of Hearts. The win kept Manitoba’s record unblemished at 7-0 and knocked Heather Nedohin from the ranks of the undefeated. “We made enough shots to win the game,” said Jones. “We needed to make big shots and made them. That’s always a con- fidence boost.” It also set the stage for a key matchup Thursday morning when Jones plays Ontario’s Rachel Homan. The young Ontario skip used a 8-2, eight-end victory over Jill Shumay’s slumping Saskatchewan crew to keep pace with Jones at 7-0. The last time a rink went unbeaten at the Scotties was Linda Moore managing an 11-0 record in 1985. In Wednesday’s evening draw B.C.’s Kelly Scott kept her play- off hopes alive by stealing a 9-8 win from Suzanne Birt of P.E.I. That halted a four-game win streak for Birt. Scott and Shumay are tied at 4-3. It wasn’t so much of a surprise that Jones won but how Nedohin lost. For the first four ends the defending champion from the Saville Sports Centre in Edmonton played a conserv- ative game, electing to keep rocks out of the house. She was forced to change her strategy after giving up a deuce in the fourth and a steal in the fifth to trail 3-1. “I was a little surprised to see them go defensive,” said Jones, the former world champion who is looking to win her fifth Scotties crown. “We like to play with lots of rocks. It’s more fun. That’s what curling is all about, to get some rocks in play.” Nedohin defended her game plan. “That’s how we have been playing all week,” she said. “We go with the flow. “I don’t think we were overly conservative. That’s a team that makes great shots. If they want to play with a bunch of rocks, I kind of like to tone it down a bit for them.” With the score 6-5, and without the hammer, Nedohin needed a steal to force an extra end. Instead Jones threw a per- fect last stone to tap back Nedohin’s rock and score two. “All you can ask for is last rock coming home and hopefully a shot to win,” said Jones. Nedohin struggled at times. She curled just 69 per cent, by ANDREW KLAVER/CCA far her worst showing of the week. “It wasn’t my more better game,” she said. “I missed two No kidding Ontario third Emma Miskew was all smiles Wednesday. the Rachel Homan team is undefeated as is Mantioba’s doubles by a sliver. Jennifer Jones. The two play the 9 a.m. draw Thursday. “She had to make her last shot.” Heading into Thursday Ontario and Manitoba lead the draw. After taking Tuesday night off to recharge her batteries standings at 7-0. Nedohin sits alone at 6-1, followed by Sas- “It was good to come away with a win from that one because Alberta’s Kristie Moore returned as skip and guided her team katchewan and B.C. at 4-3. P.E.I. and New Brunswick are 4-4. I felt like we were chasing a lot throughout the game,” said to a 9-3 win over Galusha. It was Alberta’s first win of the week. Nova Scotia is 3-4 and Quebec 2-5. Alberta is 1-6 while New- Scott, the 2007 world champion. “That’s what happens when you make all your shots, you foundland & Labrador and NWT/Yukon are 1-7. “It was a game of patience. We are never one of those teams have confidence and you’re ready to rock and roll,” said Moore. Homan was in control of her match against Saskatchewan so that take the easy route.” “They didn’t challenge us as much as we had been challenged couldn’t resist taking peeks at the Canada-Manitoba game on B.C. lead Sarah Wazney has missed the last few games due before. “ the big TV screen. The 23-year-old from Ottawa is also allowing to illness but is expected to return Thursday. Alternate Diane Moore watched Renee Sonnenberg skip Tuesday night and playoff thoughts to dance in her head. Gushulak has taken her place. said the break paid huge dividends. “I think maybe two more wins and we might be in the 1-2 Shumay’s crew have lost three in a row and things won’t get “I was mentally exhausted,” he said. “I was trying to do too game,” she said. “That’s where we would like to be at the end any easier when they play Nedohin Thursday. much out there. You can’t do it all by yourself.” of the week.” “We have to regroup and come out firing,” said Shumay, who In other games Wednesday night Mary-Anne Arsensault of In a game Scott couldn’t afford to lose she found herself is playing in her first Hearts. Nova Scotia scored a 7-6, extra end victory over Stacie Dever- trailing 8-6 after eight ends. She scored two to tie in the ninth Birt defeated Kerry Galusha of NWT/Yukon 7-6 in the after- eaux of Newfoundland & Labrador while Andrea Crawford of then managed the victory when Birt was heavy on a last-rock noon draw. New Brunswick doubled Allison Ross of Quebec 8-4. Thursday, February 21, 2013 Page 3 Curling world mourns loss of Arleen Day LARRY WOOD katchewan Ladies Curling Association. She assisted with the amalgamation of the Canadian Heart Chart Editor-in-Chief Ladies Curling Association and the Canadian Curling Association in 1990. She also helped develop the Canadian curling officiating system and served on the CCA -offi The untimely death of one of Canada’s longest-serving ciating committee while instructing students and adults in officiating and how-to-play clinics curling officials was mourned back in early September. throughout Saskatchewan. A former Saskatchewan women’s curling champion, She served as the head official for the international Continental Cup competition since its 63-year-old Arleen Day of Regina died of complications inception in Regina in 2002. She missed the 2010 edition due to her illness but was back as chief from lung cancer on Sept. 4. She was diagnosed with the arbiter at Langley, B.C. last season. disease in 2010. She was presented with the CCA award of achievement in 1997 and was an honourary life Day was tremendously popular among fellow Canadian member of the SCA. In 2011, she as inducted into the Regina Sports Hall Of Fame as a builder. Curling Association fellow officials, also nation-wide com- “It still gives me goose bumps; it’s something I’ll never forget,’’ Day told Greg Harder of the petitors and the media. Regina Leader-Post prior to her induction. “I’ve been very, very fortunate. I certainly never ever Her approach as an official was “straight-ahead, no-non- thought I would reach the levels that I have but it came along and I reached for it and I got it. It’s sense” — combined with a heart of gold and a dry sense of something you dream of but never expect to reach. humour that was downright addictive. She attained Level 5 ““When one door closes another opens. Close to the end of my competitive curling, Ronda status, the highest tier one can reach in terms of officiating. Wood encouraged me to give back to the sport I loved by officiating. Through her mentorship Day skipped Saskatchewan to a third-place finish at the 1982 Scott Tournament of Hearts in her and encouragement I was able to develop a new skill that I feel has helped to better the game and hometown, losing the semi to eventual champion Colleen Jones. expand my horizons as a person and cheerleader of curling as a Sport. Hopefully, I have helped to In fact, Day’s team and four others wound up snarled with 7-3 records following the round- encourage others who love the sport as much as I do.” robin segment of the first Scott-sponsored tournament.