CANADA’S JR WOMEN PLAYOFF-BOUND 

CANADA’S MacNUTT GETS THE WIN – AND SOME HELP – TO REACH PLAYOFFS 

The Canadian women at the World Junior Curling Championship knew exactly what they needed to do Saturday. They had to win, and they had to hope. 

The win was no problem. The Halifax-based squad of Allyson MacNutt, Maria Fitzgerald, Alison Umlah, and Grace McCusker dispatched Norway with ease, finishing with a score of 9-2. 

But then there was the hoping… 

Canada needed China to beat Switzerland as well, to force a logjam in the standings at 5-4. And because the ties would be unbreakable based on head-to-head records, the Draw Shot Challenge scores would be the deciding factor at the Cortina, Italy event. 

China took down the Swiss, 10-3, which mean those pre-game draws to the button (usually reserved to determine who gets last rock in the first end) would make all the difference. 

With China, Switzerland, and Canada all in the mix, it ended up being less than a centimeter that mattered. China’s Draw Shot Challenge average was 41.57 cm. Canada’s was 40.65 cm. 

With nine millimeters making the difference, Canada will advance to the semifinals, while China and Switzerland will sit on the sidelines. 

“We’re so excited to have made the playoffs,” said skip MacNutt. “We knew we had to win that game to give ourselves a chance to qualify. We stayed focused on our game and what we could control and played a great game.” 

The Canadians will face first-place Germany (skipped by Sara Messenzehl) who finished the round robin with a 7-2 record. One of Germany’s two losses was to Canada. 

“We couldn’t be happier,” said MacNutt. “I’m so proud of my team.” 

The team – supported by coach Teresa Breen, team leader Helen Radford, and alternate Cailey Locke – will be back on the ice for the semifinal on Sunday morning, at 11:00 am local time, or 5:00 am ET. 

The men’s team also had a chance to qualify for playoffs with a win-and-you’re-in game against Japan. Sitting at 4-4, a win would guarantee the Canadian squad the fourth and final playoff berth. 

The Canadians – Kenan Wipf, Ky Macaulay, Michael Keenan, and Max Cinnamon – stumbled out of the gates getting down 3-0 after two. By the fifth-end break, however, they had recovered to take a 4-3 lead. 

A back-and-forth second half set the stage for a tense tenth end, tied, while Canada held the last rock. 

With Japan’s final shot, skip Toa Nakahara lobbed a draw to the side of the four-foot mostly buried. Canada’s Wipf had a chance to follow him down, and sit on a piece of the button, but the shot ran wide and chipped a guard on the outside edge of the draw path. 

The loss dropped Canada to 4-5, out of playoff contention. Even worse, it put them in a position that may involve relegation to the B-Group Championship depending on which country hosts the A-Group Championship next year. If next year’s host country placed in this year’s top six, only three teams will be dropped to the B-Group – and Canada would be safe. 

There is no word on when World Curling will make that announcement. For now, the team, along with coaches Laine Peters, Derek Bowyer, and alternate Adam Naugler, can only hope. 

For scores and schedules, visit the World Curling site here: https://livescores.worldcurling.org/wjcc/default  

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