® Moose Jaw 2012 Issue 3 – Friday, November 30, 2012 • An Official Publication of the Canadian Curling Association. Hot hand Winnipeg Skip Jeff Stoughton joined his city rival Mike McEwen as the only undefeated teams on the men’s side of the draw at 4-0. The clash of the Manitobans goes Friday night. From the World Financial Group Continental Cup in Penticton to the Scotties in Kingston. From the Tim Hortons Brier in Edmonton to the Ford World Men’s in Victoria. There are curling fans everywhere who would love to have some rocks in their socks! Page 2 Friday, November 30, 2012 Winnipeg skips hot; Howard hits back BY LARRY WOOD McEwen with a grin. “I love it. That’s where we wanted Morning Cup Editor to be.” Said Stoughton: It looks like Jeff Stoughton, at the grand old age of “Were perfectionists, so there’s always room for 49, is right back in the immaculate form he enjoyed improvement but we’re getting some great ends and two seasons ago. making some great shots and it’s working out really Mind you, the guy who has been chasing Stoughton well right now. in Manitoba provincial Safeway Select head-knocking “The whole goal is to put high expectations on for years is sticking right alongside at the Capital One yourselves and expect you’re going to win the games, Canada Cup in Mosaic Place. and I think that’s the way we’re starting to feel about Stoughton and Mike McEwen guided their Winnipeg ourselves.” units to 4-and-0 records Thursday, leaving them two The team had the same feeling two years ago at the games in front of their closest competitors heading Tim Hortons Brier in London, Ont. into today’s final segment of round-robin qualifying. It was a horrendous Thursday for Martin, who was For Stoughton and his gang of Jon Mead, Reid the first men’s skip to qualify for the 2013 Olympic Carruthers and Mark Nichols, it was stunning 10-4 trials a year ago and has been struggling to find his old afternoon start against one-time nemesis Kevin form since. Martin of Edmonton followed by a 9-5 decision over Martin’s outfit yielded 11 stolen points in two games Brad Gushue of St. John’s, grabbing control with a and the skip was scored at unheard-of low percentages third-end five-spot. — 57 against Stoughton and 67 against McEwen. Both adversaries were familiar. Martin won the Several of his misses were totally uncharacteristic of 2009 Brier final at Stoughton’s expense while Gushue the Olympic champion skip. upended Stoughton in the final 2005 Olympic trials Defending world champion Glenn Howard of showdown. Coldwater, Ont., meanwhile, won twice on Thursday McEwen pointed his team of B.J. Neufeld, Matt to pull even at 2-and-2 alongside current CTRS points Wozniak and Denni Neufeld in the same general leader Kevin Koe of Calgary who has played in every direction, dumping the reeling defending champion Canada Cup renewal ad was 1-and-1 for the second Martin crew 8-6 in a nightcap after a 9-8 morning straight day. extra-ender against Toronto’s unsung John Epping. “Totally different team today,” said world-champion “We’re pretty excited about 4-and-0,” said McEwen. Howard of his turnaround performance from a “We were aiming for 3-and-1 . it’s a tough field and disastrous first day. you have to take every game you have an opportunity Coldwater, Ont. skip Glenn Howard “We struggled Wednesday, not one of us played well. to win. You just can’t throw away any chances.” bounced back with two wins on Thursday And we knew if we didn’t step up our game we weren’t McEwen breezed last rocks in the first two ends to even his record at 2-2. going to win any game in this company.” against Martin, went down 2-0 but somehow survived, right times,” said the 32-year-old Brandon native. Koe shaded Gushue 8-7 Thursday morning and battling back with five points on the next three enders, The Winnipeggers likely will collide in a playoff Howard clobbered Epping 10-4 in a mid-day affair. three of them stolen when Martin miscued on last- match to decide first place and a playoff bye tonight at Epping checked in with a 1-3 record while Gushue rock draws. 7 p.m. was looking for his first win today following four “We seem to be getting the breaks when we need “Big old Manitoba battle for first place,” said straight setbacks. them and we seem to be making the right shots at the Growing Opportunity Mosaic has been a part of Saskatchewan for 50 years. As our company grows, so too does opportunity. From now until 2021—at the completion of our current expansions—we’ll employ an additional crew of 1,500 contractors yearly and we’ll create 500 permanent, full-time positions. We’re proud to be a part of the Saskatchewan economy, and proud to be a part of your community. We help the world grow the food it needs. www.mosaicco.com 5812 Canada Cup Sponsorship GO.indd 1 12-10-18 11:06 AM 2012 Capital One Canada Cup – Morning Cup Page 3 Lawton still perfect; Nedohin rolling BY LARRY WOOD in close games, having last rock and being in control.” Morning Cup Editor Lawton said it’s important, heading today’s final round-robin assignments, that “we don’t want to let our The characteristics of a successful women’s curling guard down”. team were on display at the Capital One Canada Cup “We’ll just keep firing as we are. Every game means for all to witness at Mosaic Place on Thursday. something.” Never mind the scoreboards and the fact that Stefanie It’s a fact that Heather Nedohin and her Edmonton Lawton’s unbeaten Saskatoon crew upped the first- colleagues figured out in spades en route to the Scotties place ante to four straight wins. She and her teammates title a year ago. literally were bouncing on the ice, strutting with a Nedohin’s team — Beth Iskiw, Jessica Mair, Laine purpose and generally operating at an unimpeded pace. Peters — unveiled grit and purpose at Red Deer and You can sense a team is oozing confidence when its displayed some of the same attributes with a double- play rarely slows and its level of assuredness never win surge on Thursday including an 8-3 nightcap wavers. breeze over Lawes, skipping the defending champion “I think we’re all playing well and we all have Jennifer Jones unit. confidence,” said the home-province skip. Climbing to 3-and-1, Nedohin pole-vaulted Sherry There was a breath-stopping moment on Thursday Middaugh of Coldwater, Ont., 8-6 on dawn patrol. afternoon prior to getting almost all of a last-rock “The one thing our team likes is the arena setting,” draw to the four-foot that required a rub on an enemy said Nedohin. stone to slow its momentum for an insurance point in “There’s nothing like the crowds, the challenging ice, a 7-5 win over previously unbeaten Kaitlyn Lawes of the rocks and the shotmaking. The tour season is fine Winnipeg. but the rinks sometimes are cold, the ice is crazy, you “It was a moment of, like, oh-oh,” said Lawton after Saskatoon skip Stefanie Lawton is 4-0. can’t feel your hands after five ends, it’s a big difference.” her stone settled into the full four on the rub. “I just to-back games to Michelle Englot of Regina) and we Nedohin stole a critical deuce against Lawes for a 5-1 threw it a little heavy so we needed a little nudge on had to figure out what we needed to do,” recalled the edge after four and failed to look back. their rock to make sure it stopped in time.” 32-year-old Lawton, a senior inventory special with “It’s anybody’s game right now, every time out,” she It was the second last-gasper of the day for the Cameco. said. “Isn’t that awesome? frontrunners. “We came out firing and won the Players “We got a couple of misses out of the back end of Earlier, Lawton and her team of Sherry Anderson, championship (in April) and we’ve just carried on from the Jones team and we were able to capitalize. We put Sherri Singler and Marliese Kasner needed an extra end there and it’s working well for us.” ourselves in a good position. Any W’s around here are to set down Winnipeg’s Chelsea Carey 6-5 in a morning Lawton hinted her team made mental adjustments for good.” skirmish. this first 10-end-game tournament of the winter. Meanwhile, Middaugh and Crystal Webster of “We just feel more comfortable, yes,” agreed Lawton “Mentally, you have to prepare yourself for longer Calgary sawed off their records at 2-2 in an afternoon afterward. games. Especially if you play back-to-back draws. You entanglement that ended when Webster missed her last “Having Marliese and Sherri sweeping my rocks, it have to use slightly different strategy, maybe use a little shot leaving Middaugh with a deuce, an 8-7 win and feels good out there. They know exactly where to put it more patience. You don’t need to go real hard at the her final stone unnecessary. and where to stop it.” start in a 10-end game.