SUMMERSIDE – The Nadine Scotland and Shannon Birchard rinks remained alive on a wild Friday and start to Saturday at the 2017 Home Hardware Road to the Roar Pre-Trials curling event.
Scotland and her Calgary rink defeated Theresa Breen of Halifax 9-5, and Shannon Birchard of Winnipeg outlasted Shannon Kleibrink 7-6 of Okotoks, Alta. Both women’s tie-breakers began at 11:30 p.m. Friday, and the Birchard-Kleibrink game, which required an extra end, did not finish at Eastlink Arena until shortly before 3 a.m. Saturday.
The late-night tie-breakers were required due to numerous ties in both the men’s and women’s standings. More tie-breakers are scheduled for Saturday at 7:30 a.m., with the playoff round beginning at 1:30 p.m.
Scotland, with last-rock advantage, jumped out to a 3-0 lead in the first end, and never looked back. Scotland, third stone Heather Jensen, second stone Rebecca Konschuh and lead Heather Rogers opened up a 5-1 lead after four innings.
After Breen closed to within 5-3 in the sixth end, Scotland answered with deuces in the seventh and ninth ends. Breen scored two in the eighth.
Single point
Kleibrink rallied with a deuce in the 10th end to tie the game 6-6, but Birchard counted the game-winning point in the 11th end.
After spotting Kleibrink a 1-0 lead in the first end, Birchard countered with a deuce in the second and never trailed the rest of the way.
Two men’s and two women’s teams from the Road to the Roar will advance to the Tim Hortons Roar of the Rings in Ottawa from Dec. 2 to 10. That event will determine the Canadian men’s and women’s four-person curling teams for the 2018 Winter Olympics in February.
