Leslie reports from Moscow:"In their fifth game of the Le Gruyere European Championships in Moscow against Andrea Schoepp's German side, Eve opened with three shots at the first thanks to, and I quote German coach Rainer Schoepp, "some great assistance from my team who missed nearly everything."
Second end and Schoepp made her final stone of the end count for a single before stealing a pair in the third after a poor shot by Vicki Adams left Eve trying to become the rescue squadron and limiting the loss on the end to only the two shots. With the next two ends blanked, the teams went into the fifth end break tied 3-3.
In the sixth, Andrea wrecks on a guard allowing Eve to draw for two, but Germany bring the game back in the seventh after Anna missed a guard and Germany are gifted two shots to tie the game 5-5.
In the eighth it is the turn of Eve, Anna, Vicki and Claire to put pressure on Germany with a cross house split which the Scots were able to keep in place to take another two to lead 7-5 with two ends to go. Germany blanked nine. In the tenth and final end the Scots kept clear of trouble for the win.
It was a much happier Eve Muirhead after the game. She said, "It was a much better performance and more solid." But there has to be more improvement to come if the Scots want to progress to the Page Play-offs at the week-end. The girls play Italy this evening.""
Thanks, Leslie.
Scores: Scotland 7 Germany 5, Russia 10 Latvia 2, Denmark 13 Italy 7, Norway 6 Chech Republic 5, Sweden 5 Switzerland 4
Standings after 5 rounds: 5/0 Sweden, 4/1 Denmark, Russia, 3/2 Germany, Scotland, 2/3 Italy, 1/4 Czech Republic, Latvia, Norway, Switzerland.
All the results are here.
Mike Haggerty's report is here.
Read on ...
This is in the 'look what I found' category! It is good to see Scotland's women moving on from earlier performances, notably a low point in the history of the sport when they actually ran out of time in their game against Sweden. Most probably would like to forget this, but I note that the moment has been preserved in this YouTube video from World Curling TV.I do not find these little six minute games summaries to be at all satisfying. It's like having a starter and no main course. You can find more on the WCF's YouTube Channel, here. (These clips are one of the WCF's best kept secrets!) But they do serve, for those without access to televised games or decent webcasting, to show what the teams look like out on the ice. They do have little interviews - not, unfortunately, with Eve on this occasion but with opposition skip Margaretha Sigfridsson.
Top: Photo of the German team in action - Andrea delivering - is © Leslie Ingram-Brown.
