Sunday, March 21, 2010

2010 Wheelchair Curling Canadian Nationals - Semi Final

In the moring semifinal, MB stole one in the first end. BC blanked the second end and took three in the third. MB came back with two in the fourth and stole two in the fifth to go ahead 5-3.

BC took one in the sixth.

In the seventh end there was a long exchange of hits. BC were sitting shot in the back 12 and had a chance to draw into the rings to sit two, but were light. MB hit the shot stone and rolled out for the blank to have hammer coming home, one up.

In th eighth, MB were lying two in the back four with skip stones to come. Austgarden was short on his attempt to draw to that pocket. His second shot appeared to be a tap up which missed, but it might also have been a perfect draw to the side of the four foot to sit shot. Either way, BC ended up lying one, edge of the 4ft. MB attempted to pick the stone out and missed. That sent the game to an extra.

In the 9th end, all four lead stones ended up in front of the house and it looked like the first person in would win. MB got a stone into the top 12 and guarded it when they could have chosen to open the front of the house for skip stones. BC's Frank Labounty threw a wide comearound to sit shot. MB may have regretted not clearing the front earlier.

Gerry Austgarden, with his final stone, crossed the hotline by maybe an inch, attmpting to guard the path to shot stone. MB were faced with a difficult angle raise or a pick through the narrow port to save the game. After a time out, they lined up for the raise, then changed their mind and decided on the pick, but just nicked the hogline guard.

BC stole in eight, stole in nine, and won 6-5. It's an all BC final. BC are guaranteed to continue their run as the only Provincial team to have won a National Championship.

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