Larouche now only unbeaten team in women’s play at Canada Cup
Marie-France Larouche and her Etchemin Curling Club team from St-Romuald is now the only undefeated quartet in women’s play at the Canada Cup, after Draw 6 concluded Thursday afternoon.
Larouche, recent third place finisher at the Scotties Tournament of Hearts in Victoria, remained perfect at 3-0 with an 8-6 decision over Edmonton’s Cathy King, the 2006 Cup winner, to sit atop Section B.
A steal of two in the sixth end, followed by a three-spot in the eighth cemented the deal for the 28-year-old skip, who won the 1999 Canadian Juniors in Kelowna, then a bronze medal at the world juniors that year in Östersund, Sweden.
Previously unbeaten Amber Holland of Kronau lost an extra-ender to Shannon Kleibrink of Calgary, 9-8 to fall a game behind Larouche, at 2-1.
Calgary’s Cheryl Bernard broke into the win column with an 8-5 victory over a struggling, defending Cup champion Stefanie Lawton of Saskatoon to move to 1-2, tied with King. Lawton remains winless at 0-3.
In a key Section A contest, Regina’s Michelle Englot knocked Mary-Anne Arsenault of Halifax from the ranks of the unbeaten with a 7-5 win, taking two in the 10th end with her last rock.
The result left four teams with 2-1 marks: Arsenault, Holland, Kleibrink and Kelly Scott of Kelowna, while Sherry Middaugh of Coldwater, Ontario is 0-3.
In the only men’s game, Mike McEwen of Winnipeg rebounded from a disheartening loss in the morning to Edmonton’s Kevin Martin, by beating 2006 Olympic gold medallist Brad Gushue of St. John’s, 8-5.
Martin leads Section A with a 3-0 record, followed by Toronto’s Wayne Middaugh at 2-1 and McEwen at 2-2. With the loss, Gushue fell to 1-3, while Russ Howard of Moncton is winless at 0-3.
In Section B, Winnipeg’s Jeff Stoughton, at 2-0, has also yet to taste defeat, while chased by defending Cup champion Kevin Koe of Edmonton at 2-1.
Three-time Cup, six-time Brier and four-time world champion Randy Ferbey of Edmonton is next at 1-1, followed by Edmonton’s Ted Appelman and Winnipeg’s Kerry Burtnyk at 1-2.
The next draw is at 6:00 pm CT.