SAULT STE. MARIE – Krista McCarville is making the most of her sponsor’s exemption into the Boost National in Sault Ste. Marie.
McCarville, who skipped Northern Ontario to a silver-medal finish earlier this year at the Scotties Tournament of Hearts, on Friday night downed Sudbury’s Tracy Fleury 7-3 to earn a berth in the quarterfinal round.
“Our first game we weren’t the sharpest but every game after that we’ve played better and better,” Team McCarville second Ashley Sippala told grandslamofcurling.com. “We feel like we’re peaking at the right time so it feels great.”
The Thunder Bay rink, which also includes Kendra Lilly and Sarah Potts, lost their opener to Rachel Homan, but have won three straight.
McCarville took control of the match in the second, scoring three, slipping through a pair of Fleury guards to knock out her opponent’s shot rock for the points.
“Risk versus reward,” Sippala told the site.
“I mean, it was totally there. It wasn’t an easy shot by any means but we wouldn’t want anyone other than Krista to throw that rock because she always seems to come through and make those big ones.”
McCarville (3-1) stole one in the third, then another in the seventh to put the match away.
McCarville will meet Homan in the quarterfinals on Saturday. Fleury finished 1-3 and was eliminated.
