ST. CATHARINES, Ont. – Krista McCarville’s Northern Ontario team is guaranteed at least a spot in a tiebreaker at the Scotties Tournament of Hearts.
A win against the Northwest Territories in Friday’s round-robin finale will earn them a berth in the 3-4 Page playoff against defending champion Chelsea Carey and Team Canada.
The 34-year-old McCarville on Thursday night scored a pair with the hammer in the 10th end to knock off Nova Scotia 6-4, improving to 7-3 at the national women’s curling championship.
Quebec downed British Columbia 8-5 to finish the week at 7-4, and needs a Northern Ontario loss on Friday to stay alive.
Ontario and Manitoba top the standings at 10-1 and will play in the 1-2 Page playoff.
McCarville, Sarah Potts, Ashley Sippala and Kendra Lilly took the lead in the second, scoring a pair to go up 2-0. Nova Scotia’s Mary Mattatall got one back in the third, which was erased when the Thunder Bay rink scored a single of their own in the fifth.
The two teams traded points in the seventh and eighth, Northern Ontario taking a 4-2 lead into the ninth.
However Mattatall picked up a pair in the ninth and forced McCarville to make a hit for the win in the 10th.
Earlier in the day McCarville solidified her playoff hopes, doubling up Carey, who edged her in last year's Scotties final, 8-4.
Nova Scotia dropped to 2-8.
Friday’s final draw begins at 9:30 a.m.
