SYDNEY, N.S. – Krista McCarville saved her best for last on Tuesday morning.
The Thunder Bay skip stole a pair in the ninth to take the lead, then downed B.C. Sarah Wark foursome 8-7 with a point holding the hammer in the extra end to improve to 3-2 at the Scotties Tournament of Hearts in Sydney, N.S.
Wark had jumped out in front 5-2, scoring three in the fourth to break open a 2-2 tie. The two teams traded points in the sixth and seventh, before McCarville finally scored a deuce in the eight to climb to within one, trailing 6-5.
The win leaves Team Northern Ontario in a three-way tie for third at the women’s national curling championship, deadlocked with B.C. and Manitoba in Pool A.
The top four teams move on to the championship pool on Thursday and Friday.
McCarville, lead Sarah Potts, second Jen Gates and third Kendra Lilly take on host Nova Scotia on Tuesday night, wrapping up round-robin play on Wednesday against long-time Northern Ontario rival Tracy Fleury, who now reps Team Manitoba.
Fleury trailed Ontario’s Rachel Homan 4-1 through three ends, but battled back with a pair in the fourth and steals in the sixth, eighth and ninth to capture a 6-5 triumph.
In other Draw 9 action, Nova Scotia’s Jill Brothers picked up her team’s first win of the tournament, downing Quebec 7-4. Alberta’s Chelsea Carey remained undefeated at 5-0 after doubling 1-4 Nunavut 10-5.
