NAPANEE, Ont. — The winning ways continued Monday for Jocelyn Peterman and her Red Deer rink at the Canadian Junior Women’s Curling Championship.
Peterman, along with Brittany Tran, Rebecca Konschuh, and Kristine Anderson moved to 5-0 with a 12-5 decision over Kendra Lilly’s Northern Ontario team. It was the only game of the day for Alberta, and was enough to keep them in first place.
With victories in the evening, Manitoba, skipped by Shannon Birchard; and Emily Dwyer’s Nova Scotia rink, moved into a second place with the British Columbia team of Kesa Van Osch. All are at 4-1, chasing the Peterman team for top spot and an automatic berth in Saturday’s championship game.
“We are playing well, so it feels good (to be in first place),” Peterman said after the team recorded its fifth straight victory in the 12-game round robin.
“I think the ice is really tricky for some of the teams because it’s curling quite a bit,” she added in explaining the team’s success so far. “Before we came (to this event), we were really working on having a positive release in case there were these ice conditions.
“We really have a hang of draw weight and stuff, so that feels good to be able to have that in your back pocket. Everyone is making shots (on our team) and that really helps.”
In the Monday victory, the skip said the team’s play in the second and third ends was key to the victory. The rink grabbed control of the game at that point with three points in those ends, before another steal of four in the fourth frame gave them complete control. The Lilly team fought back in the middle ends before Alberta sealed the deal with another three to close the game.
“We put lots of rocks in play and that made a difference,” said Peterman. “My third really helped us out with a few great shots.”
Two of those came in the game’s final end when Tran made a come-around and a tap-out.
“We just have to relax between every game and really come prepared for every game,” Peterman said about the rest of the round robin and the fight for first place. “We are just taking it one day at a time.”
In today’s action, Peterman’s crew will face Erica Trickett and her Newfoundland and Labrador squad (2-4), as well as Birchard and her second-place Manitoba rink.
Brendan Bottcher and his Alberta rink is also in first place on the men’s side of the competition — with another 5-0 unblemished record — followed by Nova Scotia and Manitoba.
Tim Gall is a freelance writer