Note: This release has been updated to reflect the correct score of the semifinal game versus Scotland.
It is not the medal they hoped to be playing for on Sunday, but Canada’s mixed doubles team will play for bronze at the 2021 World Mixed Doubles Curling Championship in Aberdeen, Scotland.
Canada won its qualification game against Switzerland thanks in part to one of the best shots of the tournament, thrown by Kerri Einarson. But the Canadians were stopped short in the semifinal against Scotland.
Canada plays Sweden at 5 a.m. on Sunday in the bronze-medal game.
Semifinal: Canada 4 – Scotland 7
Kerri Einarson (Camp Morton, Man.), Brad Gushue (St. John’s, N.L.) and coaches Scott Pfeifer and Heather Nedohin lost to Scotland 7-4. It is the second time Canada lost to the team represented by Jennifer Dodds and Bruce Mouat at Curl Aberdeen.
In the other semifinal, 2018 Olympic bronze-medallists Kristin Skaslien and Magnus Nedregotten of Norway shocked the previous unbeaten Swedish duo of Almida de Val and Oskar Eriksson by a score of 7-6. Norway stole a point in the last end and advance to the final against Scotland at 10 a.m. (all times ET).
Canada will take on Sweden in the bronze-medal game at 5 a.m. Both games will be broadcasted on TSN.
In the final end Canada had an opportunity to set up a big score, but a draw from Gushue was heavy and created a pocket. Mouat drew into it and made it very difficult for Canada to score more than one. Dodds put up a guard, forcing Einarson to slip by another guard and hit a narrow piece of a Canadian rock. It was good for one, but short of the two needed to tie the game.
Canada forced Scotland to one point in the opening end. Einarson played a draw to the back four-foot and it curled just enough behind cover. Dodds had a double for Scotland that could have resulted in a score of two, but her shot didn’t curl enough and jammed on the back for a single point.
Scotland nearly had Einarson and Gushue in trouble during the second end with a few Scottish stones protected in the four-foot. Gushue played a runback that opened the end up and had Scotland’s final shot not slide too far into the four-foot, Canada would have been looking at giving up at least a point. The miscue allowed Einarson to play a hit for a single point.
Dodds and Mouat took the first big lead of the game in the third end. Einarson had a golden opportunity to freeze her shot onto the button for a potential steal. However, the rock unexpectedly stopped light and over curled into a guard giving Scotland a draw for three.
Canada was forced to one after solid shot-making from Dodds in the fourth end. She played a precise tap into the button that was just enough for second shot. Einarson had a thin slice attempt that would have sent granite flying for a multi-point end, but the rock didn’t curl up quite enough.
In the fifth end, Canada faced an interesting decision of either playing a tap and attempt to steal or guard and force Scotland to one. The Canadians opted for a guard to prevent a double. Dodds responded by nearly making an impeccable draw to the button for two, but it was short. Scotland was held to one.
Canada used its power play in the sixth end for a deuce. Scotland attempted a slash double on its final shot and missed the back stone on the way out. Einarson responded by cooly drawing to the button for two and trailed by one.
Scotland replied with its own power play in the seventh end, hoping to put the game out of reach. Late in the end the house looked quite empty with one Canadian corner guard a stone of each colour off to the wings, but not completely buried. Einarson hit the Scottish stone and rolled across the house to sit two and Dodds had an open draw to score one.
Qualifying Game: Canada 7 – Switzerland 6
An inch was the difference for Canada during the playoff qualification game at the 2021 World Mixed Doubles Curling Championship in Aberdeen, Scotland. Canada stole a point in an extra end to defeat Switzerland 7-6 and advance to the semifinals on Saturday.
Kerri Einarson (Camp Morton, Man.), Brad Gushue (St. John’s, N.L.) and coaches Scott Pfeifer and Heather Neodhin literally stole the qualification game away from Switzerland by an inch. Facing a draw for the win, Switzerland’s Jenny Perret and Martin Rios were light on the weight and tight to the line. The pair made a valiant brushing attempt, but by the time the rock reached the house, it had barely over-curled, leaving Canada with the winning point.
But the Canadians would not have been in the position to steal had it not been for the game-saving, season-extending shot brilliantly thrown by Einarson in the eighth end. Facing three Swiss stones biting the button, Einarson threw a peel-weight shot at a set of staggered rocks in the eight-foot. The geometry and angles were just right. Canada nailed the essential quadruple takeout to score one, tie the game and force the extra end.
“I saw it the whole time. I was like, ‘okay, there’s a quad here if I can get these rocks going and if [Perret’s] guard over curls.’ It over curled and it left me it, so I was eyeing it up,” Einarson said.
“It’s one of the best shots I’ve ever seen,” Gushue said. “You have to throw it really hard to make it, and she hit it absolutely perfect. And even then I wasn’t certain it would roll quite far enough, and when I looked up it had rolled just a foot more than we needed. It was awesome and I was super impressed.”
The final two ends were the culmination of a second-half surge by Canada. Up until the fourth end, Switzerland’s Perret and Rios, the 2018 Olympic Winter Games mixed doubles silver-medallists, had complete control of the game, leading 5-1 at the break.
“We talked about in the fifth end coming out and trying to get two or three and put a little bit of pressure back on them. When you have a four-point lead, you feel pretty comfortable but, all of a sudden, if a team comes back and gets three, even with the power play, it puts a bit of pressure on and that was a big end for us to turn the momentum around,” Gushue said.
And that’s exactly what Canada managed. Einarson and Gushue used their power play set-up in the fifth end and took advantage of a missed double from Rios to maintain sitting three rocks in the house. Perret nearly executed a slash double which would have left Canada with a score for two, but instead, Einarson drew to the button for three and trailed 5-4.
Canada kept the pressure on in the sixth end to tie the game. On her last shot, Einarson threw a perfect freeze into a pocket. After Perret got into the hack, it was clear Canada would score this end; the only question was if it would be one or two. Switzerland nudged away Canada’s second shot stone, leaving Canada with a score of one and tying to the game.
In the seventh end, Switzerland opted for the power play. Late in the end, Rios tried an angle-raise that would have opened up the side of the house and put Switzerland in a great position to score three. However, his team missed the mark and allowed Einarson to play a small tap to lay three, putting pressure on Perret. She didn’t miss, but for the Swiss, a score of one was a disappointment and contributed to the remainder of Canada’s comeback win.
The French version of this story will be posted as soon as possible at www.curling.ca/?lang=fr
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Al Cameron
Director, Communication & Media Relations
Curling Canada
Tel: 403-463-5500
acameron@curling.ca
Kyle Jahns
Manager, Communication and Media Relations
Curling Canada
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kyle.jahns@curling.ca
Christopher Hamilton
Head of Media
World Curling Federation
media@worldcurling.org