This was a bit of a heartbreaker, when I thought it might become a come-back story. Kelly Scott scored 2 in the first, and then stole 2 more in the second. Manitoba ticked guard after guard after guard. Janet Arnott in particular had some bad throws, and so Manitoba's aggressive game was thwarted right from the beginning of most ends. Jill Officer was inconsistent, Cathy played okay, and Jennifer ticked guard after guard after guard.... What killed them was line calling and the placement of the broom, and even a few times miscommunication from the front end about weight. Despite hand-picking the rocks, none of them seemed comfortable.
Strategically there were a couple of odd calls by Manitoba, but I think it was just the extreme aggressiveness of Jennifer Jones, especially after being down 5-1 at the break. Although I had the feeling early on, from the way she looked and spoke, that Jennifer was pretty resigned to it not being their day. The missed call on the in-off in the second end really cost them: instead of being tied, they were down two. After that, I never saw any spirit.
But Canada didn't play well either, and Kelly Scott missed some key shots and continually left the door wide open for Manitoba. But while Manitoba made some of the pressure shots required in the last half of the game, the points given up early on were too much to overcome, and Jennifer couldn't even throw her last rock. The score was 7-5. Credit where credit is due, Kelly Scott's team were the better foursome. And whatever anyone else says about her, there is something in her soft-spoken, exceedingly positive attitude that I really admire. After all, would you rather play on her team, or for Kelley Law?
However, Canada had better step it up a notch, or Sunday will be a cakewalk for Jan Betker. I'm rooting for Saskatchewan. It'd be nice to see them win, and Kelly Scott will almost certainly be back next year anyway representing BC.
As for Jennifer Jones... they'll be back too, hopefully giving us the same kind of aggressive game she's good at.
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