Leslie Ingram-Brown reports from Erzurum:GBR CELEBRATES FIRST CLASS VICTORY OVER CANADA
Let's not take it away from Anna Sloan, Lauren Gray, Vicki Adams and Claire Hamilton who this evening gave Team Canada, skipped by Brooklyn Lemon, a lesson in the art of drawing curling which was the main reason Canada failed to come through in the game and now sit on two losses after two rounds: something very unfamiliar to this great curling country.
Anna admitted afterwards that the team had made a slow start but that this was a good win as Canada are one of the top teams here (at the Winter Universiade). She expressed some surprise at their tactics (the Canadians) which appeared to most onlookers to be very defenceless and fell into the trap of being hit happy, and when it came to the vital draw(s) their control of weight was lacking.
As the men had found earlier, ice conditions were slightly straighter and slower but she was now looking forward to playing Poland to-morrow afternoon. She last played Poland at the European Youth Olympic Festival in Poland two years ago - and yes she won the gold medal then - so perhaps this will act as a good omen for the re-match.
What was the real difference? Probably the two back to back end wins which accounted for four of the British nine shot scoreline.
In the game itself the British women were slow out the blocks and lost a 2 in the first end and then the teams exchanged singles over the next three ends before the first of the two steals in the fifth when Lemon opted against two shots to draw but came up short and GBR was ahead 4-3 at the break.
Singles were exchanged in six and seven before Canada made their only steal of the game when against three shots Sloan decided to play safe and draw for second shot knowing the game would be tied 5-5 but the hammer was hers.
In the ninth Anna hits an open stone to count 2 shots and a 7-5 lead going into the last end where again the draw weight deserted the Canadians leaving skip Lemon to play an attempted raise double to tie the game into an extra end. As we know now she failed and gave away her second back to back 2 shots and GBR were the worthy winners 9-5.
SCORES:
Russia 8 China 6, Czech Republic 9 Turkey 1, Korea 10 Poland 4, Japan 8 Germany 7, Great Britain 9 Canada 5.
The event website for team lineups and results is here.
Top photo: Lauren Gray and Anna Sloan watch behind, as Chelsey Peterson has the head for Canada. Courtesy of Leslie Ingram-Brown.
