Jefferson Hagen / MacEwan Athletics
LEDUC – Off on a few shots by an inch here and an inch there, the MacEwan Griffins missed a chance to firm up a playoff spot on Monday afternoon at the Canadian Colleges Athletic Association curling championship.
In a death-by-a-thousand-cuts affair, the Griffins rink of skip Ashton Simard, third Erin Wells, second Andie Kurjata and lead Sara Fraser gave up four points on three separate steals to lose 6-3 to the Camosun Chargers and fall back into a five-way tie for second place at 3-2 in the standings.
"We came out flat and got behind early and just couldn't claw our way back," said Simard.
The costly moment for the Griffins at the Leduc Rec Centre came in the third end when they gave up a steal of two to fall behind 3-0.
"It was the same scenario where the skip hit one of our rocks and spun in perfectly behind the corner guard," said MacEwan coach Tom Kitagawa of the rock luck that helped the Chargers in the contest – also apparent on an unbelievably fortunate double peel shot in the 10th that buried a rock in the four foot.
"They hit our rock and tapped it over. Then we had to throw a draw and it was in an area we didn't know well and it was heavy."
Simard then came up light on her final stone of the sixth end, turning a possible two-pointer into a steal of one for Camosun.
MacEwan's final real chance to rally back came in the eighth end when they played it near flawlessly, putting up a bunch of guards before Wells buried one on the back four foot and Simard put a button-biter behind the wall, too. Camosun skip Taylor Reese-Hansen missed an attempt to get to the button on her first shot and Simard tried to block the hole, but threw it two feet too heavy, leaving a shot for the Chargers skip. She dropped it right on the button to effectively end the game.
"That was the time we put some pressure on them," said Simard. "If my second one comes a little lighter, we might have had a different (outcome), but it was a little late."
Essentially it was Reese-Hansen – a Canadian Junior Nationals participant earlier this winter – who didn't allow the Griffins back into the game, curling an incredible 85 per cent.
"She threw the rock well, but she also read the ice really well," said Kitagawa. "She knew exactly where it was going to break."
The Griffins face Red Deer College (also 3-2) in the Monday evening draw (9 p.m.) in a rematch of the Alberta Colleges Athletic Conference final, won 6-2 by the Queens. MacEwan's afternoon loss makes the evening draw much more important.
To make the semifinal will require at least one more win from the Griffins in their final two games and possibly two.
"We've just got to forget about it," said Simard. "Each game's new. If you miss a shot, just forget about it and start fresh."
RDC also moved to 3-2 in the standings after a 10-5 win over NAIT (3-2) on Monday afternoon.
Whoever reacts better to the ice conditions will likely come out on top on Monday night.
"It will be interesting to see how the ice reacts," said Kitagawa. "From what I've seen, the fourth game of the day – because of the number of games that continue to be played on it – the ice curls a little harder. So, that means your throws have to be a little better, but it works both ways."
