OTTAWA – There’ll be no return engagement for Jennifer Jones’ St. Vital foursome at the Winter Olympics in February.
Local favourite Rachel Homan defeated Jones 6-3 on Saturday afternoon to eliminate the defending champions and lock up a spot in the final of the Tim Hortons Roar of the Rings.
The Ottawa skip stole a single point in the seventh end and came through with a takeout in the 10th for the win to the delight of the crowd at Canadian Tire Centre.
“We definitely amped it up for that one,” said Team Homan third Emma Miskew. “We knew we had to.”
Homan will next play Chelsea Carey, who advanced straight to Sunday’s championship by finishing first in round-robin play at 8-0.
The men’s semifinal between Winnipeg’s Mike McEwen and Brad Gushue of St. John’s, N.L., was set for Saturday night. The winner will play Calgary’s Kevin Koe in Sunday’s final.
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After an opening blank, Jones delivered a nice freeze to force Homan to a single in the second end. Jones ticked a guard in the third end and Homan stole one for a 2-0 edge.
Jones got on the board with a nose hit for a deuce in the fourth end. Homan answered in the fifth with a hit of her own for two and a 4-2 lead into the mid-game break.
A blank followed in the sixth end and Homan forced Jones to try to hit for a single in the seventh. The Jones stone jammed and spun out to give Homan a steal of one.
“In order to be successful, you have to make the big ones when they matter,” Jones said.
Homan cleared the house in the eighth end and Jones threw her stone away for a blank. In the ninth, Homan came through with a double takeout and Jones was a little heavy on a freeze attempt.
Homan delivered a takeout and Jones settled for a draw for one. The result means there will be new Olympic champions in both team events at the Pyeongchang Games.
Jones won women’s gold at the 2014 Sochi Olympics. The men’s title went to Brad Jacobs of Sault Ste. Marie, Ont., who did not make the playoffs this week.
“Right now, I’m kind of gutted,” Jones said. “It was one of those weeks for us. But I don’t know, once an Olympian, always an Olympian. We’re OK.”
The veteran skip shot 76 per cent on the day. As a team, Jones, third Kaitlyn Lawes, second Jill Officer and lead Dawn McEwen shot 84 per cent overall. It was the fourth straight defeat for the defending Olympic champions after starting the event with five straight victories.
Homan, meanwhile, shot an impressive 93 per cent. Homan, Miskew, second Joanne Courtney and lead Lisa Weagle shot 87 per cent as a team.
Announced attendance was 7,001. The venue has a capacity of 17,000.
Members of Team Jones could still qualify for the Olympics in mixed doubles. The discipline will make its first appearance on the Olympic program at the Feb. 9-25 Games. Canadian players who qualify in team events cannot compete in mixed doubles.
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