MISSISSAUGA, Ont. — Nova Scotia’s Team Christina Black has reached the Page 3-4 playoff game for the second straight year at the Scotties Tournament of Hearts after defeating Nova Scotia's Team Taylour Stevens 11-6 in the Page 3-4 qualifier game.
The Halifax Club jumped out to a massive lead in the first end after a miss by Stevens left her with an open draw for four.
Although in the second end, it looked like Black was going to give Stevens the lead as Stevens had a half-open hit for five, but was wide with too much weight and jammed on her own rock, giving up a steal of one to trail 5-0.
The drama didn’t stop in the third end.
Stevens’ second Alison Umlah fell and smashed her face on the stone during Stevens’ first shot, burning the rock and leaving the rink with a near impossible shot for their last. Stevens, however, drilled the angled-runback double to trail 5-2.
Black kept the pressure on, getting a deuce in the fourth end and a steal of two in the fifth en route to the victory.
In the other qualifier, Alberta’s Selena Sturmay got her revenge against Manitoba’s Beth Peterson after losing Thursday night's round-robin finale to decide first place in Pool B, beating her 10-4.
The teams traded deuces in the first two ends, but it was the third and fourth ends that killed Peterson’s chances, giving up back-to-back steals of three to blow the game open 8-2.
Peterson’s squad couldn’t find their game after that, leading to the blowout loss.
Sturmay and Black will meet in Saturday’s Page 3-4 game, where the winner goes to Sunday’s semifinal against the Einarson-Lawes loser.
Manitoba’s Kaitlyn Lawes and Canada’s Kerri Einarson won the Page 1-2 qualifiers earlier on Friday to advance to the Page 1-2 game on Saturday, where the winner earns a berth in Sunday’s final.
The winner of Sunday’s final will represent Canada at the world women’s curling championship in March in Calgary.
