Englot, Sweeting set for Tour Challenge women’s final
CRANBROOK, B.C. — Michelle Englot and her Winnipeg-based team are off to their first Pinty’s Grand Slam of Curling women’s final at the Tour Challenge.
Englot edged Sweden’s Anna Hasselborg 6-5 in Saturday night’s semifinals draw after giving up a steal in the eighth but made no mistake with her last shot of the extra end drawing for the winning point.
It was the second big win of the day for Englot after stunning five-time Grand Slam champion Rachel Homan of Ottawa earlier during the quarterfinals.
“It was a good start for our day for sure,” Englot said. “I struggled to start in the Homan game but we made the right shots when we needed to. I think we built off of that momentum in this last game. Pretty much I think controlled this whole game. Went to an extra end but we hung in and made a great team shot at the end.”
Edmonton’s Val Sweeting made it through to the final on the other side of the bracket with a 9-2 rout over WFG Masters champion Allison Flaxey of Caledon, Ont. Sweeting said reaching the final means a lot to her after going winless through the WFG Masters two weeks ago and dropping her first match at the Tour Challenge to Sherry Middaugh of Coldwater, Ont. It’s been all good since then as the team has rocketed out to a five-game tear.
“We did feel like we played really well in that game [against Middaugh] and I think that’s what kept us in it,” she said. “The team’s been playing really well and the girls have been on top of what the ice is doing out there. I think that’s the key, no excuses just do what we need to do to make the shots and that’s been working for us.”
Sweeting, second Dana Ferguson and lead Rachel Brown won their first career Grand Slam title just over two years ago at the Masters with super spare Cathy Overton-Clapham. Lori Olson-Johns joined the crew full-time following that event and Team Sweeting were finalists at the Masters last season.
The Regina-based Englot, a seven-time Saskatchewan provincial champion, joined third Kate Cameron, second Leslie Wilson-Westcott and lead Raunora Westcott this year after their previous skip Kristy McDonald stepped back from competitive curling and the foursome are playing in their first Pinty’s Grand Slam of Curling event as a unit.
“We struggled with a little bit of consistency early, but I think that’s part of building a new team and I think we’re finally getting there,” Englot said. “We’re getting to know each other and know what it takes to help each other out. We get along well on and off the ice so it’s been a good start to the year so far.”
Although Sweeting didn’t start the semifinals with the hammer, she took the steal train into the lead early and rolled right through the first four ends building an eight-point advantage.
“Even though we didn’t have the hammer we had the set of rocks that we wanted,” Sweeting said. “I think that we were really confident having that good lineup going in because we’ve had a few different ones throughout the week that reacted differently, so we had a lot of confidence knowing what they’re going to do going in. I think the team played really well. It was a little bit of a tricky out there tonight, again, but that’s kind of how it’s been. We just stayed patient and stuck it through.”
Sweeting explained that even though she was firmly in the lead, there was still potentially half a game to go and wasn’t willing to take anything for granted against a team riding a 10-game winning streak.
“They’re a really good team and you expect them to make good shots to get back into the game,” She said. “We just wanted to stay tough out there and make our shots the best we can.”
Flaxey got on the scoreboard with a deuce in the fifth to break the shutout and put the pressure on in six. Sweeting, finally in control of the hammer, iced the game with a brilliant in-off to put up another point on the chart and bring out handshakes.
“That end wasn’t looking great but it’s easy when we’re trying to open it up like that,” Sweeting said. “The girls swept my first one really well and we got in a good position. The in-off was a good way to seal up the game.”
The Tier 2 women’s final features Krista McCarville of Thunder Bay against Jacqueline Harrison of Mississauga in an all-Ontario championship game. The winner of the Tier 2 will move up to the elite ranks and receive a berth to the 2017 Meridian Canadian Open, Jan. 3-8 in North Battleford, Sask.
Watch the women’s finals on Sportsnet & Sportsnet NOW at Noon ET / 11 a.m. MT followed by the men’s finals on Sportsnet East, Ontario, West & SN NOW at 3:30 p.m. ET / 1:30 p.m. MT. All finals will be played at Western Financial Place.
