Curling: Canada steals way into playoffs

Canadian Press

3/24/2006 12:54:51 AM

GRANDE PRAIRIE, Alta. (CP) - Kelly Scott has been dreaming of winning a gold medal for Canada at the Ford World Women’s Curling Championship but Hollywood couldn’t have written a better script Thursday as she battled back for a thrilling overtime win over Norway.

After giving up steals of two in the fourth and fifth ends to Dordi Nordby, Canada was trailing 8-4 after eight. But with the crowd at the Canada Games Arena chanting ”Go Canada Go” Scott scored three points in the ninth and stole a single point in the 10th to tie the game 8-8. Nordby missed on an angle raised takeout with her final stone giving Canada a 9-8 victory and fourth place.

”We snuck in. It’s good, it’s nice and very rewarding for a very tough week,” said an exhausted Scott.

”They never give up, those fans. Even when we were doubting it, they aren’t and we really do appreciate how they’ve stuck by us all week.”

It appeared Canada was going to be part of a four-way tie for the final playoff spot but the win means Scott will meet Andrea Schoepp in the three-versus-four game Friday evening.

Scott, who ended the round robin 7-4, failed to show the form she had at the Scott Tournament of Hearts and admitted to the pressure of playing on Canadian soil.

”There is added pressure. There’s added focus and there’s spotlight and we’ve always been a team that flies under the radar,” added Scott.

”Nobody knew who we were until December and it’s been a long week having that on us every moment we step on the ice. Not that we dislike it but it’s different.”

Schoepp finished at 8-3 after a 9-5 win over China.

”At least one game more to play,” said Schoepp, who added two 18-year-old’s to her team this year.

”I remember about three weeks ago they said to me `do you think we won’t come last, maybe we can make it to 11th or 10th place?’ I told them we still have a chance at the semis if everything works out. They said `you are stupid, you are crazy’ - and I was right.”

Debbie McCormick of the United States and Olympic gold medallist Anette Norberg ended the round robin tied for first place with 10-1 records. Sweden get the first place nod because of a win over the U.S. in the roundrobin.

The two teams will meet in the one-versus-two game in the Page playoff system.

Norberg, who beat McCormick in the round robin, doesn’t plan to change her game plan.

”We’re not going to do anything special. We know we have to keep up our game and play well,” Norberg said.

”It doesn’t matter who we are playing. We have met them before. They are quite a regular team and they don’t do anything unexpected.”

The winner advances to Sunday’s final while the loser will play in the semifinal on Saturday.

”Anette’s a great team-we respect them but we also know we can beat them,” said McCormick.

”We had a really close game against them in the round robin. We really want to win that game but we also know we have a cushion so we won’t feel too much pressure.”