THUNDER BAY – If Krista McCarville is going to win a Scotties Tournament of Hearts, she’s going to have stare down some pretty tough situations.
If Sunday’s second end in the finale of the Performance Kia Charity Open is a sign, she and her teammates are ready for just about anything.
McCarville, lead Sarah Potts and second Ashley Sippala, having earlier in the day sent teammates Kendra Lilly and Andrea Kelly back to Sudbury and Fredericton, N.B., were facing five Brian Adams Jr. stones, without hammer and in danger of giving up a crooked number early in the match.
The steady-handed skip forced a shot into a near perfect position, sitting shot without leaving Adams much of a chance to avoid giving up the steal.
It didn’t work out in his favour and McCarville took an early 1-0 lead.
“Honestly, my last shot I was just like, I’ve got to give it my all. It was so fast. The ice was so quick out there, so I thought, throw a guard and it will be perfect speed. With the sweeping and the line calls, I thought we made a perfect shot,” McCarville said.
Potts, a four-time Scotties medallist in her own right, said the shot didn’t surprise her in the least.
“That was a heck of a draw. That was a typical Krista shot. It’s too bad we made her make that and I just swept it end to end. That kept us in the game for sure, a game-saver,” Potts said.
They stole another single in the third end, and hit the fourth-end break with a 2-1 advantage.
The two teams blanked the fifth and McCarville picked up a huge point in the sixth, her draw, facing one, getting just enough of the button to count.
They forced Adams to one in the seventh, and with hammer in the eighth, McCarville made a hit and stick to score two to put the 5-2 win in the books.
It’s a big confidence boost, McCarville said, provincials set to start at the same Port Arthur Curling Centre on Jan. 21.
“All these great team in Major League we’ve played against, so we knew coming into this bonspiel it was going to be a tough one, because we have great teams in Thunder Bay. Just to play against the men’s teams and beat them is a boost of confidence as well,” McCarville said.
“Going into provincials, it definitely gives you a little confidence boost.”
Though Kelly and Lilly, the latter of whom did help the team knock off Dylan Johnston 7-3 in the semifinal, weren’t there, the weekend was a great chance to bond and work out any kinks before provincials start.
“Honestly, being together and shooting rocks together and icing the girls is what’s really important. Not being together as much as we want, we have to ice a little bit different. To come, just before provincials, and put the broom down for the girls is really good and important for us,” McCarville said.
