The Manitoba-based teams of Jennifer Jones and Kerri Einarson both locked up playoff spots at the Canada Cup in Estevan, Sask., on Friday.
Team Jones defeated the Winnipeg-based Allison Flaxey rink 7-4 in the morning draw, and added a 9-6 victory over Casey Scheidegger in the afternoon to clinch a playoff position. Jones sits in a share of first place with a 5-1 record with one round-robin game remaining. Jones takes on Laura Walker in their final preliminary game on Saturday morning.
Team Einarson is also atop the standings with five wins and just one loss. They beat Scheidegger 8-5 in draw 7, and then sewed up a playoff berth with an 8-5 triumph over Walker. Their final game before the playoffs is against Chelsea Carey.
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Rachel Homan currently sits in the third and final playoff position at 4-2, but Scheidegger and Carey remain in playoff contention. The Winnipeg-based teams of Flaxey (1-4) and Darcy Robertson (1-4) have both been eliminated from the playoffs.
It was a disastrous event for Reid Carruthers with Mike McEwen playing skip. They suffered losses to Matt Dunstone and Brad Gushue on Friday to conclude the round-robin without a victory. They are headed home with a 0-6 record. Brad Jacobs’ rink is the only men’s team to clinch a playoff berth so far.
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The first place team in the round-robin advances directly to Sunday’s championship game, with the second and third place finishers to meet up in Saturday’s semifinal.