Ontario & New Brunswick leading senior women; Manitoba & NL on top in the men

Following her improbable win over BC yesterday after being down 9-1, Ontario’s Joyce Potter sits atop the leaderboard at the 2011 World Financial Group Canadian Senior Women’s Curling Championship in Digby, NS. The Rideau CC skip from Ottawa has won three consecutive games since then including two wins today. She won handily 11-2 over Manitoba’s Debbie Popovic then scored two with the hammer in the 10th end to sneak by NS’s Nancy Delahunt.  Potter shares first place at 6-1 with NB’s Heidi Hanlon who has now won six straight games following an opening round loss. In a feature match-up this afternoon, Hanlon scored four in the 8th end in defeating Delores Syrota of Wadena, SK 8-6 and then she capped off the day with two points in the 10th to edge Laura Phillips of NL 6-4. Syrota remains in the hunt however, as she rebounded in the afternoon draw 7-5 over Sandy Penkala of the Northwest Territories/Yukon to finish the day at 5-2 along with Alberta’s Diane Foster. The Calgary skip came back strong after a bad Monday collecting two wins from a 6-2 decision over Delahunt and a 6-5 victory over Popovic. PEI’s June Moyaert and Northern Ontario’s Barbara Ward stayed in the race at 4 wins and 3 losses. Moyaert won twice today 10-3 over Odette Trudel of QC and 10-4 over BC’s Lynne Noble. Ward split her games losing to Noble 6-4 then taking a 9-8 extra end win over Trudel. In danger of missing the playoffs are Noble and Delahunt (Colleen Jones throwing last stones) both at 3-4. At 2-5 are Popovic and Penkala followed by NL’s Laura Phillips and Trudel at 1-6. The leaderboard on the men’s side is crowded at the top as Manitoba’s Kelly Robertson loses for the first time to Alberta’s Brad Hannah (Gary Greening throwing fourth stones). Despite a 10-3 loss to NS’s Scott Saunders in the morning, the Edmonton skip’s record is 5-2 with the 7-5 win in the feature match-up. Robertson is at 6-1 and shares top spot with Newfoundland & Labrador’s Jeff Thomas who overcame at four point deficit after the 5th, scoring three deuces in the final five ends including a critical steal of two in the 7th end and a steal of one in the 10th to beat NB’s Wade Blanchard 8-6 in the evening draw. Hannah and SK’s Brad Heidt, who had the evening off, are tied at 5-2. Heidt who won two games today 10-6 over George Hilderman of Yukon/Northwest Territories and 5-3 over Blanchard with a deuce in the 10th end to put that game in the win column. Despite losing to Northern Ontario, Quebec’s Robbie Maclean is within striking distance of the playoffs at 4-3. Four teams are on the bubble at 3-4 and cannot afford another loss: BC’s Greg McAulay, Ontario’s Guy Racette, Harnden from Sudbury and the home team favourite Scott Saunders. Blanchard dropped to 2-5 while PEI’s Bill Hope and Hilderman are at 1-6. For full results, go to: www.curling.ca/championships/seniors/draw-schedule/