McIvor, Mietinnen Grab Final Playoff Spots

Jolene McIvor stole three points in the 8th end to break up a close game and went on to defeat Michelle Englot in a 'C' event qualifier Saturday afternoon. The final score was 8-7, with Englot stealing two in the 10th as McIvor made an open hit against three for the win.

Rene Mietinnen defeated Sherry Anderson in the other 'C' qualifier. That game also ended up at 8-7 can, but it took an extra end to get there.

So McIvor will face Mietinnen in the Page 3-4 game. And the winner of that game will face the loser of the Lawton-Holland 1-2 game, in the semifinal.

It's a difficult ending for the Englot and Anderson teams, but there are so many good women's teams in Saskatchewan, and there's a difficult ending in store for all but one of them.

Congratulations to those teams still in the hunt; here's hoping the best of them will emerge with the championship.

Holland Defeats Englot In 'B' Final

Amber Holland stole three points in the 8th end of the 'B' final to break up a close game and hung on for an 8-5 victory. Holland advances to the Page 1-2 game against 'A' event winner Stephanie Lawton; Englot drops into one of two 'C' event qualifiers, Saturday afternoon against Jolene McIvor. The other 'C' qualifier pits Rene Mietinnen against Sherry Anderson; winners advance to the Page 3-4 game.

Englot Wins Again To Reach 'B' Final

Michelle Englot never trailed in her 'B' semifinal against Rene Miettinen on Friday evening, but she and her team from Regina still needed an extra end to win the game.

Englot led 3-0, 4-3, and 6-4, but Miettinen scrambled back to tie the score each time, stealing a single in the 10th to force an extra end.

But Englot scored two in the eleventh for an 8-6 victory and will face Amber Holland in final of the 'B' event Saturday morning.

Englot Rally Continues

Michelle Englot and her team from Regina continued to rebound after their opening loss with their second consecutive victory in the provincial championship in Swift Current. Thursday night they were in a tight game against Ros Stewart until the seventh end, when Englot made two terrific shots to count three points and take a two-point lead. Steals in the 8th and 9th ends cemented the win. The final score was 8-3.

Englot remains in the 'B' event and will face Rene Miettinen again, in a 'B' semifinal on Friday evening.

Sherry Anderson and Amber Holland, who both lost 'A' semifinals, will meed in Thursday evening's other 'B' event game. The winner of Anderson-Holland will face the winner of Meittinen-Englot in the 'B' final.

The 'A' event is complete, and Stefanie Lawton has won it, taking the 'A' final by a 10-2 score against Miettinen. Lawton now awaits the winner of the 'B' event in the "page playoff 1-2" game.

Englot Rallies For Convincing Win

Michelle Englot rebounded from her opening-game loss in Swift Current with a convincing 9-1 win over Sherrilee Orsted to remain in the 'B' event.

Enlgot gave up a steal in the first end, but nothing more. She cashed in a deuce in the second end, stole three straight singles, and then stole four more in the sixth end to put the game away.

Englot will play Ros Stewart on Thursday evening. And I will keep you posted.

Playdowns Start Badly For Englot In Swift Current

Michelle Englot and her team from Regina earned a bye to the provincial championship this year, which is a 12-team triple-knockout, and were seeded into the second round of the 'A' event.

But their first game spelled the end of the smooth sailing, as Rene Miettinen scored a deuce in the first end and stole another in the second on the way to an 8-end, 11-5 victory.

Miettinen had beaten Tracey Streifel in their first-round game, while Englot waited. Perhaps the wait was too long.

Englot will have to fight her way back from the 'B' event, beginning Thursday afternoon with a game against Sherrilee Orsted.

Lawton, Englot Advance To Provincials

From SaskCurl.com:

(Dec 24) The Saskatchewan Curling Association announced Tuesday that Stefanie Lawton of Saskatoon and Michelle Englot of Regina have earned automatic berths into the Scotties Women's Provincial Championship. The two teams earned the highest points on the Canadian Team Rankings System to advance. Lawton had 34 points while Englot had 30. Lawton and Englot will compete in the Provincial Championship in Swift Current, January 28th to February 1, 2009 under a new 12 team format.

I'll keep you posted.