News Champions Cup

Rachel Homan in action at the 2017 Humpty's Champions Cup in Calgary. (Anil Mungal)

Homan, Sweeting improve to 2-1 records at Champions Cup

CALGARY — Ottawa’s Rachel Homan improved to a 2-1 record at the Humpty’s Champions Cup holding on for a hectic 6-4 win over Winnipeg’s Kerri Einarson during Draw 7 action Thursday.

The reigning world champ was ahead by a point with the hammer in the eighth end, but needed to draw against one with her last. Draws had been a trouble for Homan earlier in the match, and third Emma Miskew jumped up to help keep the path clean for sweepers Lisa Weagle and Sarah Wilkes to drag it to the tee line.

“That was all Lisa and Sarah, they had a great sweep there,” Miskew said. “I just ran up because I could tell that it was not heavy, usually I try to let them know the line, and also if you lift your brooms for any second the rock just stops.

“I wanted to go out there and clean it in front of them, make it a little bit easier for them, but they didn’t really need me. We were at the tee line but it was a panic third moment.”

Both teams have spares this week with Wilkes, an Alberta provincial champion with Team Kleibrink, subbing at second on Team Homan for Joanne Courtney, who is away representing Canada at the world mixed doubles championship. Jennifer Clark-Rouire is playing second on Team Einarson for Liz Fyfe, who is expecting a baby.

Teams had to win a high-profile event in order to qualify for the season-ending Pinty’s Grand Slam of Curling tournament. Einarson captured the Boost National in December to book her spot and Homan earned a berth when she claimed the Scotties Tournament of Hearts.

Homan opened with the hammer and looked to make a multi-tap to bounce a counter back and score two, but didn’t bump it in the right spot and instead gave up one. Einarson stole another point in the second as Homan looked at making a tap for two, but opted for the draw and came up way short of the house.

Einarson (1-2) fell into trouble in the third, but averted total disaster with a great double takeout. That limited the damage as Homan drew for a deuce to tie it 2-2.

Although Homan was light of the house on her last in the fourth, she was already sitting two and stole a point for the lead as Einarson’s draw hooked. Einarson misfired her final throw in the fifth as well, but already sat shot rock for one to knot it up 3-3.

Homan made an open hit on six and her shooter clicked off her own to lose momentum and stay for two and the 5-3 advantage. Einarson was forced to hit and stick for just a single in seven to trail by one without the hammer coming home.

“We were throwing well and the ice was a little bit tricky today compared to the last two games,” Miskew said. “It was pretty patchy for draw weight so it was hard to guess exactly how much to throw for our draw and it can make you look pretty stupid when you guess wrong.

“We just tried to stay tough because it’s a long game, five-rock rule, get a simple deuce and then plug away. That’s what we did so we’re really happy that we were able to come out with a win there.”

Elsewhere, Rogers Grand Slam Cup champ Val Sweeting has also moved up to a 2-1 record following a 7-1 rout over Russia’s Victoria Moiseeva in just five ends. Sweeting scored a deuce to start and stole the second for an early three-point lead. The reigning Rogers Grand Slam Cup champ limited Moiseeva (1-2) to a single in the third then counted another deuce in four and stole two more in the fifth for handshakes.

Sweeting dropped her first game Tuesday to Einarson in an extra end, but has rebounded nicely as she also earned a big 8-3 win Wednesday over Homan thanks to a triple takeout to score six.

Players’ Championship winner Jennifer Jones scored a single in the eighth to edge Scotland’s Eve Muirhead 7-6. Jones climbed to a 2-0 record while Muirhead is now at 1-2.

Olympic gold medallist Brad Jacobs (2-0) of Sault Ste. Marie, Ont., took two in the eighth to finish an 8-6 win over Scotland’s Grant Hardie (0-3).

Scotland’s Tom Brewster (1-2) picked up his first win crushing Japan’s Yusuke Morozumi 9-3. Brewster took two in the third to grab a 4-2 lead, held Morozumi (0-3) to one in the fourth then rolled away with a four-spot in five and a steal in six.

Round-robin action continues through to Friday at WinSport Arena with the top eight men’s and women’s teams qualifying for the weekend playoffs.