CALGARY, Alta. — The Suzanne Birt rink is 2-for-2 at the 2021 Scotties Tournament of Hearts.
The P.E.I. representative defeated Saskatchewan’s Sherry Anderson 7-6 and New Brunswick’s Melissa Adams 12-4 in its opening two games at the Canadian women’s curling championship. The 18-team event is taking place at the Markin McPhail Centre at Canadian Olympic Park in Calgary.
Birt, third Marie Christenson, second Meaghan Hughes, lead Michelle McQuaid, alternate Kathy O’Rourke and coach Mitch O’Shea have one game scheduled on Sunday against Quebec’s Laurie St-Georges (1-1) at 4:30 p.m., Atlantic Time.
Monday, P.E.I. plays Newfoundland and Labrador's Sarah Hill (0-1) at 4:30 p.m.
Early steals
In Saturday's evening draw, New Brunswick began the game against P.E.I. with the hammer. Following a blanked first end, P.E.I. stole five in the second, a single in the third and three in the fourth to open up a commanding 9-0 lead.
New Brunswick scored back-to-back deuces in the fifth and sixth ends to cut the lead to 9-4. After a scoreless seventh end, P.E.I. scored three in the eighth end resulting in an early finish to the game.
The Birt team curled a combined 76 per cent compared to New Brunswick's 65. Hughes had a game-high percentage of 88 per cent.
Come-from-behind win
Against Saskatchewan in the morning draw, Birt, who trailed 5-1 after four ends, rallied late for the victory.
Birt, who never led until the game’s final shot, began the comeback with a single in the fifth end to go into the break down 5-2. Birt stole a deuce in the sixth end to close to within 5-4.
After a blanked seventh, Anderson counted one in the eighth to make it 6-4. Birt counted a deuce with the hammer in the ninth to tie the score. The game came down to the final shot as Anderson had an open hit on P.E.I.’s rock in the four-foot, but jammed P.E.I.'s shot rock at the back of the eight-foot, biting the four-foot, to give Team Birt the victory.
Both teams struggled with the ice and draw weight. The Birt rink curled 71 per cent, and the Anderson foursome had a team percentage of 68. McQuaid curled a game-high 89 per cent.
