Team Manitoba strikes gold in Moose Jaw
Arts and Culture Editor Destiny goes curling!
While some of you keener students out there spent your reading week actually reading and doing schoolwork, I took in the action at the Scotties Tournament of Hearts in Moose Jaw to cheer on Jennifer Jones, my favourite skip of all time, and the rest of team Manitoba who won Olympic gold in 2014 as Team Canada. No big deal.
In Draw 5, Team Saskatchewan faced off against Team Manitoba. I had the pleasure of seeing this game live, sitting at the edge of my seat in complete and utter excitement, cheering for MB. The game remained close up until the eighth end when MB scored two to put them ahead of SK 6-3 going into the ninth end. Although SK scored one in the ninth end, MB came back with one in the tenth to beat SK 7-4.
The second game I took in was Draw 9: Quebec vs. MB. Before the game even started, I waved my MB flag with pride and Jennifer Jones looked right at me, smiled, and waved. At me. I nearly peed myself. This one ended up as a blowout, with MB beating QC 9-3 after only eight ends.
After this lovely game of curling action, I had the opportunity to meet team Ontario and team MB in an autograph session, where I got team ON to sign the Scotties toilet paper page in my program and team MB to sign their team picture and my flag. Again, I nearly peed myself in excitement getting to meet my favourite curlers of life and getting to snag pics with each of them.
Once Round Robin play was complete, MB stood at 10-1, Alberta stood at 9-2, SK at 8-3, and team Canada at 7-4.
In the Page Playoffs, MB started things with a bang, beating AB 8-6 and thus sending themselves straight through the upcoming final game.
SK then faced off against CAN. Blanking the first few ends, the score went back and forth, point-for-point right up until the tenth end where the score was tied 7-7. In an extra end, SK claimed the win; their first time ever winning their way to the semi-final.
Unfortunately, in semi-final play against AB, SK missed two key shots that could have won them the game. In the end, AB won and met team MB in the gold medal game, while SK and CAN played for the bronze medal.
To the great disappointment of SK fans, SK fell behind by two after the fourth end, three after the seventh end, and despite picking up single points in the eighth and ninth ends, they could not regain the lead, leaving CAN to claim the bronze.
The final game with AB vs. MB, which I saw live and where I again made priceless eye contact with skip Jones who again smiled and waved at me with my “I Love MB” sign, was a sincere nail-biter.
I sat at the edge of my seat, barely talking to my mom who sat beside me, and basically not breathing for the whole game because it was so intense. Both teams played unreal, answering each other’s scores point-for-point. Going into the tenth end, the score was tied 5-5. On the very last shot of the game, Jones shot in a gorgeous draw to pick up a single point and win the Scotties title for the fifth time. Heck yes! Team MB is now the new team Canada!
Seeing this all happen live was a moment I will never forget. And since I can’t fly to Japan next month to watch Jones and her team compete at Worlds, I guess I’ll just keep my eyes glued to good ol’ TSN.