Logjam in Fort Mac

PLAYOFF PICTURE STILL UNCLEAR PRIOR TO FINAL ROUND ROBIN DRAWS AT NEW HOLLAND U-21’S 

After six days and 64 games, the women’s playoff picture at the New Holland Canadian U-21 Championships is barely clearer than it was on Sunday morning.  

While two spots have been confirmed, the last draw on Saturday morning will have major implications on seven teams vying for the last four playoff spots.  

At the moment, only Nova Scotia #1’s Ally MacNutt and Alberta #2’s Grace Beaudry (with Claire Booth throwing fourth stones) have guaranteed playoff berths. MacNutt has locked in the top position in Pool A with a perfect 7-0 record, while Beaudry, at 6-1, has captured the top spot in Pool B, regardless of what happens in their last game. 

The rest of the field will be decided by who can survive the logjam for the remaining spots. Friday afternoon’s game kept several teams alive, and all but dashed the hopes of others. 

Ontario #1, skipped by Julia Markle, survived a battle with Northwest Territories Kali Skauge, winning on the last shot of the tenth end to improve to 5-2.  

A win tomorrow over Norther Ontario #2’s Mia Toner would put them in the playoffs. 

“We know that it’s in our control,” said Markle of their playoff chances. “It’s up to us to go get it, so we’re just going to try to take it one rock at a time, to try and get that win.” 

Nova Scotia #2’s Cassidy Blades also pulled off a big win, defeating Alberta #1’s Emma DeSchiffart in another close game. 

“We started off a little slow,” said Blades, who trailed 3-1 after four ends. “We kept in there and focused on making the simple shots, and waiting for our opportunities so we could capitalize on them.” 

Blades and her team, all of whom played at this year’s U-18 Nationals in Ottawa, can also earn a playoff berth tomorrow. It’s not entirely in their hands, however, as they’d need either New Brunswick or Ontario to lose. 

“Our game tomorrow means a lot,” said Blades. “But we’re just going to try to come out and play our best. We’ll try to stick to our game and make some shots!” 

While there are too many permutations of wins and losses to explore, Quebec #1 (Joliane Fortin), Manitoba #1 (Shaela Hayward), and Ontario #2 (Ava Acres) are still eligible for the second and third seeds in Pool A. Currently, they all have a 5-2 record. 

In Pool B, New Brunswick’s Melodie Forsythe, Markle, Blades, and Deschiffart all still have a chance to qualify. 

Men’s round robin play will conclude Friday evening, while the last women’s draw is at 9:00am local time.  

For scores and standings, visit http://curling.ca/scoreboard. For streaming, visit http://plus.curling.ca.