Rinks with Moose Jaw connections in tough at Viterra Scotties
Ackerman in the B quarterfinals, defending champion Barker joins Holland, Ricci in the first round of the C sidegame
Penny Barker and her rink at Moose Jaw Curling Center will have a lot of work to do if they want to repeat themselves as Viterra Scotties Provincial Champion.
Barker and her rink with third Christie Gamble, second Jenna Enge and leader Danielle Sicinski lost their first two games at the tournament in Estevan and will therefore need to win six straight games to return to the national Scotties.
Barker lost her opener Thursday morning 8-7 to Regina Highland’s Ashley Howard, with Howard putting up four in the fifth end to take a 6-2 lead before holding on to the one-point win.
That loss sent Barker into the first round of the B side where Regina Highland’s Brooklyn Stevenson – with Sask curling legend Michelle Englot in second place – took a 6-2 lead into the seventh end and with a 7- ended. win 5
Barker will now face Howard in the first round of playoffs during Thursday’s drawing at 7:30 p.m.
Skylar Ackerman and her Saskatoon Sutherland foursome faced former provincial Scotties champions in their first two games, losing the first and winning the second.
Ackerman, third-placed Kya Kennedy, second-placed Taylor Stremick and lead Kaylin Skinner faced North Battleford’s Robyn Silvernagle in their opener, dropping a 9-4 decision. Silvernagle is of course the 2020 Viterra Scotties Champion and represented Saskatchewan at the National Scotties at Moose Jaw.
Things fared far better for Ackerman against Cindy Ricci, who won the provincial Scotties from Hillcrest Sports Center in 1999 when Cindy Street stole another in the 10th to tie the game 7-7 and force an extra end. There, Ackerman would use the gavel to pick up a pair and earn the 9-7 win.
Ackerman faces Stevenson in Friday’s 3 p.m. draw.
Kronau’s Amber Holland, third Kim Schneider, second Karlee Kendel and leader Deb Lozinski had a tough game in their opening game, losing 10-3 to Saskatoon Nutana’s Sherry Anderson. Holland rallied to defeat Saskatoon Sutherland’s Jessica Mitchell in their first game at the B-side, but lost their second-round bout 10-3 to Silvernagle on Friday morning to drop the C-side.
There she will assume a familiar face in Ricci. The duo won a Canadian junior championship together in 1992 and were inducted into the Moose Jaw and District Sports Hall of Fame last fall. They will also be on the ice during Friday’s drawing at 7:30 p.m.
Anderson – the five-time reigning Canadian senior women’s champion – and former teammate Nancy Martin will play for the A championship and first Page playoff qualifier in Friday afternoon’s draw.
The Page playoffs 1-2 and 3-4 games are scheduled for Saturday at 7:30 p.m., followed by the semifinals on Sunday at 10 a.m. and the league game on Sunday at 3 p.m.
You can follow all the results, including live streaming throughout the week, at www.saskcurl.ca.
