6th seed upset!

Team Scheidegger upsets Team Homan at 2022 PointsBet Invitational

There’s a giant killer in every single-elimination tournament, and curling fans should look no further than Team Casey Scheidegger, which is fulfilling that role at the 2022 PointsBet Invitational at Willie O’Ree Place in Fredericton.

No. 6-ranked Team Scheidegger of Lethbridge, Alta., led by skip Kristie Moore – who is replacing Scheidegger due to work commitments – upset No. 3 Team Rachel Homan of Ottawa on Friday afternoon. The team won a tiebreaker draw to the button for a 7-6 win and a spot in the Final 4.

Moore, vice-skip Kate Hogan, second Jessie Haughian and lead Taylor McDonald will play Team Kaitlyn Lawes (Winnipeg) for a spot in the women’s final.

“We’re just trying to learn as much as we can out there. We’re a new team, literally. I was lucky enough to get to practice with Taylor and Kate two times before the event so we’re still just learning….learning their tendencies and learning as much as I can this whole weekend. I’m happy to be here still,” Moore said.

Moore played lead for Scheidegger at two Scotties Tournament of Hearts and the 2021 Tim Hortons Canadian Curling Trials. During the offseason, she formed a new team as a skip and is playing out of Alberta. She is familiar with her teammates in Fredericton, but receiving the call to fill in was a surprise. However, her experience playing with Haughian and against Hogan and McDonald made her a natural fit.

And the choice in skip is clearly working out.

Team Scheidegger took a late-game lead by scoring two in the ninth end. It then forced Team Homan to a single point in the 10th end thanks to an in-turn draw from Moore. That shot proved to be one of the key moments in the game. Despite giving up one in the tenth, Team Scheidegger could select which turn it would throw for the draw to the button tiebreaker. 

As the team that would have had hammer in an extra end, Team Scheidegger selected the in-turn draw for its shot selection and shot last. As the team that tied the game in the 10th end, Team Homan, was forced to play the out-turn side of the sheet and throw first.

“That’s why I played that path. I knew that that was the one I wanted if we had that draw,” Moore said of her 10th-end shot selection. “We hadn’t played much of the game on the other side, and I hadn’t actually drawn for quite a while. I had thrown a lot of hits in the last half of the game. I was happy to get that one in my for sure. It’s tricky out there and it’s not easy ice to draw on, that’s for sure.”

The unplayed side of the sheet led to some guesswork on Team Homan’s behalf. Its rock halted short of the house, meaning all Moore had to do with hit paint for the win.

In other Elite 8 action, No. 5 Team Jennifer Jones of Winnipeg and Altona, Man., defeated No. 13 Team Selena Sturmay (Leduc, Alta.) by a score of 11-9. No. 1 Team Kerri Einarson (Gimli, Man.) doubled Edmonton’s No. 8 Kelsey Rocque 10-5. No. 2 Team Lawes got the upper hand on No. 10 Penny Barker (Moose Jaw, Sask.) with a 9-4 win.

The 2022 PointsBet Invitational continues today with Elite Eight men’s play at 4 p.m. (all times Atlantic), followed by the inaugural PointsBet Celebrity Invitational at 8 p.m.

On Saturday, the Final 4 round begins. The women play at 11 a.m. and the men face off at 4 p.m. for spots in the finals.

Live scoring, standings and statistics for the 2022 PointsBet Invitational are available at curling.ca/scoreboard.

TSN and RDS2 (streamed on ESPN3 in the United States) will provide complete coverage of the 2022 PointsBet Invitational. CLICK HERE for the complete schedule.

For ticket information for the 2022 PointsBet Invitational, go to www.curling.ca/2022pointsbetinvitational/tickets/

This story will be available in French as soon as possible at www.curling.ca/2022pointsbetinvitational/nouvelles/?lang=fr