Scotties Semi - Ontario - Saskatchewan

It is starting soon!

END #1: Saskatchewan has the initial hammer. Ontario go into the house and SK decide to play the cleaning game. Once again we are seeing long misses early. And the normal open-house exchange of rocks. The exchange was made a bit more complicated by an Ontario back-biter but Kim Schneider fixed that handly. Holland blanks as intended.

END #2: Ontario comes into the front four-foot behindtheir guard (SK rock back in the four-foot),center SK guard. SK sits on top of Ont rock. Ont puts a rock angled off that most recent SK rock. SK peels front guard - still these teams are not lacking for aggression! Ont pop up a center guard. SK pop one Ontario rock out of the house. Ont pop an SK rock out. This may well really be fun! Kim Schneider puts a rock in the four-foot but it is open and inviting a nasty double. Which Ontario makes with delight (actually a triple). In the end SK take the one they are forced to take.
1-0 SK

END #3: I missed much of the early action but just saw Ontario remove three front SK rocks. Amd then attention drifted. Sorry!

So at the end of END 4:
3-2 SK

END #5: SK are filling the house behind a little front cover, with the help of at least one ontario small error. Miskew puts a rock on the button in the midst of many SK rocks. SK put a rock up in front of it. Ontario pop it back a bit but it remains live. SK puts a shot rock on the nose of the Ontario rock on the button. Ontario plan a rather nutty runback; it achieves at best a small fraction of its goals, but mostly removes Ontario rocks in the house. SK decide to toss another rock onto the button, as Ontario has a raise still possible. And that is a beauty! This has largely neutralized the Ontario raise. Well, we will see. Homan misses completely and Saskatchewan steal two.
5-2 SK

END #6: Sorry - forced to reboot by the most stupid piece of software on the planet, that seems unable to be updated without a reboot - Acrobat Reader. How does Adobe get away with this crap?
OK where are we? SK have three rocks cuddling the button. Homan going to blast. And she gets one - a very good shot if not a great outcome.
5-3 SK

END #7: Warring still with Adobe (because of curling!) I am still trying to figure out what is going on. SK have two rocks in the house, Ontario two up front. Miskew gets rid of one SK rock in the house. Lots of possibility up front for Ontario. SK put another rock into the back of the four-foot and all the commentary is negative. Ontario do not quite find the pocket created, coming up a little short. Kim Schneider bumps the Ontario rock, but there is still a mix around the four-foot. SK has the counter. Homan moves rocks but not obviously helpfully. SK toss another rock into the four-foot, and nobody seems to feel good about it. And I see why - it gives Homan a pocket for a steal. And she takes the opportunity with a lovely shot. Holland's pick attempt leaves Ontario a steal of one!
5-4 SK

Let me say these have been two really attractive curling matches today.

END #8: OK maybe I have been bad, basically mentally conceding this to SK. But I am back. Let me just say the eighth end is interesting. Shot is SK but there is quite the little army of Ontario rocks around it. Generally the house is open. Kim Schneider cleans up big time leaving one of each team's rock in play in the house.
Exchanges occur. Holland removes all Ontario rocks! Homan clears the house and Holland blanks. What great play!
5-4 SK

END #9: Once again I have been distracted, partly because I think SK have this in the bag. But Homan is making the end really interesting. She has rocks in the fron twelve-foot, and now a guard. SK do a tap to make one of their rocks the counter but things remain interesting. Miskew makes a nice tap-back and Ontario count one. Kim Schneider corrects that, removing all Ontario rocks that mattered. OK except for one, counting, and Ontario add one. Oopps. Schneider leaves Ontario an interesting opportunity. Oh my Homan almost makes it perfect but she rolls just a tad too far. It is still a challenge for Holland. And, as she has so often been, brilliant! Homan misses and leaves an open draw for two, and she makes it.

I hate seeing Ontario dismissed but I also think Saskatchewan deserved the final, even more than that!

We will see Rachel Homan and team again!

Well whoops! It is not over!

End #10 I think as an old coot I was being rational. And we will soon be into rock countdown.
SK win, as I assumed.