Music: {allcanada} SASKATCHEWAN WINS BATTLE OF UNBEATENS VS. ONTARIO AT SCOTTIES

Tuesday, February 22, 2011

{allcanada} SASKATCHEWAN WINS BATTLE OF UNBEATENS VS. ONTARIO AT SCOTTIES

CHARLOTTETOWN -- Saskatchewan ended Ontario's unbeaten run at the Scotties Tournament of Hearts on Tuesday.

Amber Holland's team from Kronau, Sask., downed Rachel Homan's Ottawa rink 8-5 at the Charlottetown Civic Centre.

Saskatchewan was alone at the top of the round-robin leaderboard at 6-0 with a game remaining at night against the Territories. Ontario was tied at five wins with Canada's Jennifer Jones and was to face New Brunswick in the evening draw.

After losing to host P.E.I. on Monday night, Jones posted two easy wins Tuesday with a 10-2 thrashing of former Canadian champion Kelly Scott of B.C., and a 10-4 decision over Stacie Devereaux of Newfoundland and Labrador.

The top four teams at the conclusion of the preliminary round Thursday advance to the Page playoffs. The winner of the game between the top two seeds advances to Sunday's final, while the loser drops down to Saturday's semifinal to meet the winner between the third and fourth seeds.

Nova Scotia's Heather Smith-Dacey was 4-2. She trailed Manitoba's Cathy Overton-Clapham by three halfway through their morning match, but the Nova Scotians pulled out an 8-7 win in an extra end.

P.E.I.'s Suzanne Birt and Alberta's Shannon Kleibrink were 3-3 after Birt stole a point in an extra end to edge the Albertans 6-5.

Scott rebounded from her loss to Jones with a 7-5 win over Quebec's Marie-France Larouche, which put both teams at 3-4.

Kerry Galusha of the Territories and New Brunswick's Andrea Kelly were 2-4 and Manitoba's Cathy Overton-Clapham was 1-5 with game remaining at night. Newfoundland and Labrador fell to 1-6 with a pair of losses.

Saskatchewan and Ontario were the less-heralded teams coming into this year's Scotties, taking a back seat to Jones, Scott and Kleibrink, winner of an Olympic bronze medal in 2006.

Holland's team is making their second straight appearance at nationals after going 6-5 last year in Sault Ste. Marie, Ont.

Homan won a Canadian junior title just last year and was second in the world junior championships. The skip and third Emma Miskew are 21, second Alison Kreviazuk is 22 and lead Lisa Eagles is the oldest at 25.

Holland and Homan rattled off five straight wins to start the tournament, which set the stage for a showdown Tuesday. The game didn't quite live up to its billing, however, as both Homan and Miskew struggled with draw weight.

Ontario stole a point in the second end to take an early 1-0 lead, but Saskatchewan countered with three in the third and stole two in the fourth to take control of the game. Another deuce in the seventh gave Holland a 7-4 lead.