(by Danny Lamoureux)
Despite a few hiccups in the last draw of the round robin at the Canadian Senior Women’s Curling Championship in Abbotsford, BC, the playoff round is set to go this weekend.
Photography by Davina
Cathy King was upset 5-4 by Northern Ontario’s Darla Esch. The North Bay skip scored a well played three in the 9th end to break the game open. King had a chance to tie in the last end but her takeout rolled too far. King finished the round robin at 9-2 tied with Newfoundland & Labrador’s Cathy Cunningham. King had beaten Cunningham in the round robin guaranteeing her a place in Sunday’s championship final.
Cunningham defeated a stubborn Shirley Berry from PEI 8-6 for her ninth win advancing to Saturday’s semi final against Nova Scotia’s Nancy Delahunt. Delahunt finished her round robin with a 6-4 loss to Manitoba denying her the hammer in the semi final as her record is 8-3. The semi final tilt is set for 2:00pm Pacific on Saturday, March 24.
The remaining games had Quebec’s Odette Trudel stun BC’s Penny Shantz 8-6 with steals of one in the 8th and 9th ends to tie the game and then a steal of two in the 10th end. Quebec had a relatively successful week at 5-6 emerging from the pre-qualifier a week ago Thursday. BC drops to 4-7.
Photography by Davina
The defending senior women’s champion, Heidi Hanlon of the Thistle-St. Andrews in Saint John, finished her week on a high note as she prepares to represent Canada next month at the world seniors. After starting the event 1-4, she posted 6 consecutive wins, including a 6-5 win over Saskatchewan’s Darlene Gillies, to finish 7-4 and in 4th place one game out of the playoffs.
Joining Quebec at 5-6 are four other teams. Saskatchewan, Manitoba’s Laurie Deprez, Quebec, and Northern Ontario.
PEI finished at 3-8 and the NWT’s Ann McKellar-Gillis at 1-10.
The Canadian Senior Women’s champion will represent Canada at the 2013 World Senior Championships next April at a site to be announced.