Carey steals to edge Jones for National playoff spot
SAULT STE. MARIE, Ont. — Calgary’s Chelsea Carey advanced to the Boost National women’s quarterfinals after rallying to clip Winnipeg’s Jennifer Jones 8-7 in Saturday morning’s tiebreaker draw at the Essar Centre.
Trailing by two points late, the reigning Canadian champion Carey settled for a single in the seventh end and stole two points in the eighth to complete the comeback and clinch a playoff spot.
Carey will take on Silvana Tirinzoni of Switzerland later Saturday.
Switzerland’s Binia Feltscher also qualified out of the tiebreakers defeating Sweden’s Anna Hasselborg 5-3. Feltscher will face Edmonton’s Val Sweeting in the quarterfinals.
The other two women’s quarterfinal games see Winnipeg’s Kerri Einarson vs. Anna Sidorova of Russia and Ottawa’s Rachel Homan vs. Krista McCarville of Thunder Bay, Ont.
Meanwhile, Charley Thomas topped Brendan Bottcher 7-4 in an all-Edmonton matchup for the final men’s playoff spot. Thomas now plays Brad Gushue of St. John’s, N.L. The rest of the bracket features Winnipeg’s Reid Carruthers vs. Toronto’s John Epping, Calgary’s Kevin Koe vs. Niklas Edin of Sweden and John Morris of Vernon, B.C., vs. Brad Jacobs of Sault Ste. Marie, Ont.
NOTES: The Boost National is the third event and second major of the 2016-17 Pinty’s Grand Slam of Curling season. … Playoff action begins at Noon ET with the men’s quarterfinals draw. Watch live on CBC and Sportsnet NOW.
