Skips Anderson, Scott advance at Olympic pre-trials
Will face each other in semifinal after Draw 3 victories
Last Updated: Wednesday, November 11, 2009 | 2:19 AM ET
The Canadian Press
Former world champion Kelly Scott of Kelowna, B.C., and one-time Olympic trials runner-up Sherry Anderson of Saskatoon posted extra-end wins Tuesday in Draw 3 action at the Olympic pre-trial curling event.
Anderson scored three in the extra end for a 10-7 triumph over Regina's Michelle Englot. It was the Anderson rink's second win of the day in Prince George, B.C.
Scott scored a game-tying deuce in the 10th end against Edmonton's Cathy King, then stole the 8-7 winner in the extra end.
Anderson's final shot was delivered with less than 25 seconds remaining on her team's game clock.
"I was just glad I had shot because we didn't have a lot of time to think about it," Anderson said. "I had to get through that hole and I just about didn't. We were never, ever down in that game, and you hate to lose that kind."
Anderson and Scott will meet Wednesday in the A bracket semifinal of the triple-elimination tournament.
"You say, 'OK, we got the break there, we got the win, so let's keep it going,' " Anderson said Tuesday. "We didn't have our best game there. We played better earlier today. So when you can win a game like that and you're not firing on all cylinders it helps, too."
Scott battled from behind all the way against King until the 10th-end turnaround.
"The first half of the game we were throwing great and I was giving the wrong ice," the Kelowna skip said. "We just had to learn the ice. We didn't play on this morning's draw, so it takes a little bit to figure out the ice. We just stayed calm and found a way to win, and I hope it serves as a springboard."
Ottawa's Rachel Homan and Calgary's Crystal Webster also moved on to the A semis. Both won their second straight games, and they beat the No. 2 and 3 seeds in the process.
Webster scored four unanswered points to pull away from Sherry Middaugh of Coldwater, Ont., 7-5. Homan shrugged off a three-point deficit in a 7-4 win over Marie-France Larouche of St-Romuald, Que.
King is queen early on
In the day's opening-round action, King registered a steal of two in the eighth end to earn a 9-6 win over Krista McCarville of Thunder Bay, Ont.
McCarville led 5-4 in the seventh end and yielded three to King before giving up the crucial steal.
McCarville's rink will face Calgary's Heather Rankin on Wednesday.
In other early action, Anderson downed Rankin 8-5 in 10 ends, Homan got past Eve Belisle of Montreal 8-6 and Webster stole three in the 10th to defeat Amber Holland of Kronau, Sask., 11-9.
Ursel strikes early for B.C.
Bob Ursel of Kelowna, B.C., broke out to a big early lead and held on for an 11-7 win over Ted Appelman of Edmonton in opening-round play on the men's side.
Ursel, the ninth seed at the event, scored three points with the hammer in the opening end and added a steal of two in the second. The lead was 7-1 before Appelman struck back with three in the sixth.
Ursel responded with a three-spot in the seventh to put the game away.
With the win, Ursel's rink advanced to a quarter-final meeting with top-ranked Jeff Stoughton of Winnipeg later Tuesday. No. 8 Appelman will face No. 12 Jason Gunnlaugson of Beausejour, Man., who fell 8-3 to Kerry Burtnyk of Winnipeg.
Other men's games saw Greg McAulay of Richmond, B.C., down Joel Jordison of Moose Jaw, Sask., 6-4, while Pat Simmons of Davidson, Sask., got past Jean-Michel Ménard of St-Romuald, Que., 7-4.
The top four teams in both the men's and women's draws will secure berths in the Canadian Olympic trials at Edmonton Dec. 5-13.
Guelph, Ont., is the site of curling's next Grand Slam event, the National, starting Jan. 9.
