Collision course!

Ontario, Nova Scotia setting pace in women’s Championship Pool at Everest Seniors

Two teams with podium aspirations and podium experience are headed for a showdown with significant playoff consequences at the 2024 Everest Canadian Senior Curling Championships in Moncton, N.B.

Jo-Ann Rizzo’s Ontario team from Mississauga and Mary Sue Radford’s Nova Scotia champs from Halifax, both playoff-bound, sit on top of the women’s Championship Pool standings, tied with perfect 8-0 records, and they will go head to head Friday at 6 p.m. (all times Atlantic) to decide first place and with it the advantage of last-rock advantage in Saturday’s playoffs.

It should be a fascinating Friday at Curl Moncton, to say the least, as the pairings for Saturday’s 8:30 a.m. sudden-death semifinals will be determined, and teams will be a step closer to wearing gold medals and being fitted for Team Canada jackets to play at the 2025 World Senior Curling Championships in April in nearby Fredericton, N.B.

But both of the leading women’s skips refuse to get caught up in anything beyond what will play out in their next respective games, at 10 a.m. Friday.

They were playing side-by-side on Thursday afternoon, but they were able to keep the focus on their own sheets.

“I’m pretty good at putting the blinders on,” said a smiling Rizzo, whose team is rounded out by vice-skip Janet Jesty-Murphy, second Lori Eddy and lead Mary Chilvers. “I did peek over when it was close game but ours was so close that I couldn’t venture over next door very often.”

Ontario was an 8-5 winner over Saskatchewan’s Team Tracy Streifel (4-3; Saskatoon) and then followed with an 8-4 win over Quebec’s Team Luanne Waddell (5-3; Des Collines/Chicoutimi/Buckingham/Mont-Bruno).

The key, from Rizzo’s perspective, will be to get into the semifinal and be ready to perform; she’s lost two Everest Canadian Seniors semis in the past, and doesn’t want to repeat that experience.

“I think the most important game is that semifinal,” she said. “That’s the hurdle that I want to get over. First or second place, that doesn’t bother me. It’s just that semifinal I want to make sure we’re sharp for.”

While Rizzo is looking for her first Canadian senior title, it wouldn’t be the first time she’s worn the Maple Leaf at a World Seniors. Last April, she was the alternate for Susan Froud’s Canadian team that won gold in Oestersund, Sweden.

“I think once you’ve been there, same as anyone who goes to a Scotties, once you’ve been there and you’ve seen the show, you just want to strive so hard and work hard to get there,” said Rizzo. “You know what it’s all about and you know the teams and what to expect when you get there. But, honestly, this is the hardest stage,  to get out of Canada.”

Radford, meanwhile, is the lone player in the women’s field with her name on the Everest Canadian Seniors championship trophy. She won throwing second rocks for Colleen Jones in 2016, and then claimed World Seniors gold a year later.

But that past experience, which includes a silver medal in 2015, and bronze medals in 2022 (beating Rizzo’s Ontario team to reach the podium) and 2021, has taught Radford, who’s throwing lead rocks and calling the game for Nova Scotia, that nothing is guaranteed as you get closer to the end of the week.

“I always say, you never know how it’s going to play out, so all those scenarios in your head? Just don’t even think about them, because it’s going to play out differently than you ever imagined, so you just try to stay in the moment,” said Radford, whose team is rounded out by vice-skip/last rock thrower Theresa Breen, third Kerri Denny and second Jayne Flinn Burton. “You know it’s hard, and you tell (teammates), look, this is a slog, and so get ready for it.”

Nova Scotia needed an extra end to beat Prince Edward Island’s Team Shelly Bradley (Cornwall) before eking out a 4-2 win over British Columbia’s Team Diane Gushulak (5-3; Kelowna).

In other women’s Championship Pool games Thursday night, Alberta’s Team Atina Ford Johnston (6-2; Sherwood Park) raced to an 11-2 win over Northern Ontario’s Team Lori Hoppe (3-5; Kenora); and Saskatchewan’s Team Tracy Streifel (5-3; Saskatoon) defeated P.E.I. (3-5) 8-5.

In the other afternoon draw games, Quebec dispatched Alberta 8-3 and B.C. got by Northern Ontario 7-4.

In the men’s Championship Pool, seven of the eight teams are still in playoff contention heading into the final two round-robin games, with only 2022 Canadian and 2023 World senior champs Team Howard Rajala of Ontario (3-5; Ottawa) not in the mix.

Saskatchewan’s Team Randy Bryden (7-1; Regina) is in the driver’s seat, but Manitoba’s Team Randy Neufeld (6-2; La Salle) and New Brunswick’s Team Grant Odishaw (6-2; Grand Falls/Moncton) are close behind, as are Alberta’s Team James Pahl (Sherwood Park), B.C.’s Team Neil Dangerfield (Victoria), reigning Canadian and world champs Team Paul Flemming of Nova Scotia and Team Robert Desjardins of Quebec (Chicoutimi/Riverbend), all with 5-3 records.

In evening draw action, Saskatchewan was an 8-5 winner over Alberta, Manitoba scored three in the eighth end to beat Ontario 6-4, New Brunswick defeated B.C. 7-4 and Quebec’s eighth-end deuce nailed down a 6-5 win over Nova Scotia.

In afternoon games, Saskatchewan shaded Ontario 5-4, Manitoba was a 6-4 winner over New Brunswick, B.C. doubled Quebec 8-4 and Alberta defeated Nova Scotia 8-3.

The winners of Saturday’s semifinals advance to their respective gold-medal finals, while the losers will play for bronze. The men’s medal games will be at 12:30 p.m. and the women’s medal games commence at 3:30 p.m.

In women’s Seeding Pool action Thursday afternoon, New Brunswick’s Team Shelly Graham (3-5; Fredericton) got by Sharon Cormier’s Northwest Territories team (3-5; Yellowknife) 6-4, Newfoundland/Labrador’s Team Wendy Dunne (4-4; Labrador City) turned back the Yukon’s Team Rhonda Horte (2-6; Whitehorse) 7-1, and Manitoba’s Team Kathy Isaac (1-7; Hamiota) doubled Nunavut’s Team Geneva Chislett (0-8; Iqaluit) 6-3.

In morning games, Newfoundland/Labrador toppled Nunavut 9-3, the Northwest Territories doubled Manitoba 8-4, and the Yukon beat New Brunswick 9-5.

Men’s Seeding Pool games Thursday afternoon saw the Northwest Territories’ Team Glen Hudy (1-7; Yellowknife) take an extra end to beat Nunavut’s Team Peter Mackey (0-8; Iqaluit), Northern Ontario’s Team Ron Rosengren (5-3; Thunder Bay) squeaked past the Yukon’s Team Terry Miller (1-7; Whitehorse) 7-6, and Newfoundland/Labrador’s Team Keith Ryan (5-3; Labrador City) knocked off Prince Edward Island’s Team Eddie MacKenzie (3-5; Cornwall) 8-2.

In the morning draw, P.E.I. was a 10-4 winner over the Yukon, Newfoundland/Labrador beat Nunavut 8-4, 

Action resumes at the 2024 Everest Canadian Senior Championships on Friday with Championship Pool draws at 10 a.m. and 6 p.m. (all times Atlantic), with the final draw of the Seeding Pool at 2 p.m.

Fans can follow the action live with selected games available on Curling Canada’s YouTube channel and TSN+. 

For live scores and standings, visit the scoreboard page.

For team lineups, draw times, and other event details, visit the event website.

This story will be available in French as soon as possible at www.curling.ca/2024seniors/nouvelles/?lang=fr