THUNDER BAY – Team Nova Scotia is on to the semifinal at the Scotties Tournament of Hearts, but their celebration of a podium finished was tempered somewhat after second Jennifer Baxter got some bad new from home.
Baxter left Saturday’s 3-4 Page playoff after one end because of a family emergency, and all signs indicate she’ll be leave for home, though team officials have not ruled out the possibility of her remaining in Thunder Bay.
Marlee Powers, who has been rotating in and out of the Nova Scotia lineup all week, took over and despite the circumstances, joined Black, Thunder Bay’s Karlee Everist and third Jillian Brothers to lead her team to an 8-7 win over Alberta’s Kayla Skrlik, a game that wasn’t over until the final stone stopped rattling around the Fort William Gardens ice.
Despite the pall over the win, skip Christina Black couldn’t contain her excitement after Skrlik, facing four stones, attempted a quadruple takeout that, if successful, would have netted her a deuce to send the match to extra ends.
“Oh my God, that’s so cool. We’re getting a ring. We’re so excited,” said Black, who missed a double takeout in the eighth when she crashed on a guard, giving Skrlik an easy draw for three and a 6-5 lead, after trailing most of the way on Saturday afternoon
Unfazed, Black shrugged it off and after Skrlik’s final shot was wide of its mark, the Nova Scotia skip calmly stepped into the hack and drew into the four-foot, with backing, to score three of her own, giving the East Coasters an 8-6 lead after nine.
“I felt the whole game that we were in control and then in eight, my first rock picked. I was like, ‘Come on, are things turn right now for us? Is the tide turning?’ Then I missed my last one, I thought I had it out of my hand (and) gave up a three,” Black said.
“I said, ‘Alright guys, we’ve been in this position before. We were down one in eight a bunch of games this week. We can still come back and win.” Then in nine Jill (Brothers) made an incredible draw. I’m just so proud of us. To pull out a three, I said all right, let’s just stay calm and make eight good ones in the 10th.”
Needing a pair to tie the game, try as she might, Skrlik couldn’t find any cover, as Black piled rocks into the rings. Black played a big hit on her final throw, spilling one of two Alberta rocks, leaving four Nova Scotia stones scattered around the house.
They just weren’t scattered enough.
After studying the situation from every possible angle, Skrlik, lead Geri-Lynn Ramsay, second Ashton Skrlik and third Margot Flemming, decided to try the only shot available to them, a double hit, and then they had to hope their shot rolled far enough, with enough power, to nudge two Nova Stones at the back 12 out of the rings.
Skrlik, who has virtually wrapped up a spot at the Olympic pre-trials and a berth at next year’s Scotties, said they gave it their best and just came up a little short.
“It was so close. We didn’t know if it was there. Hopefully it was close. I don’t know, but it was a game of the wrong side of an inch. I’d like to throw that in-turn draw back again. Other than that, we were just so close on everything. I’m so proud of my team. They hung with it the whole time. We were in a disadvantage the whole time and then cracked a three and then unfortunately gave it right on back” Skrlik said.
Black, playing in her second semifinal, but her first as a skip, will play the loser of Saturday night’s 1-2 Page playoff between four-time champions Rachel Homan and Kerri Einarson on Sunday afternoon.
