Draw 9, Tuesday Morning, Middle Few Ends

End #4:

But first an update from Sheet B. Adams (NS Skip) looked ant the mess and threw his rock through, scoring one: NS 4, AB 2.

Back on Sheet A, standard opening, but on his first throw, Naugler rubbed the guard and took out his own rock in the rings. But he saves himself with a beauty double to lie two. Mead missed the reciprocal double. Koe missed a hit and stick, rolling out. NT is shot and Man has a rock top 12'.

Stoughton hits and sticks to have two rocks in the rings, and Koe tries the double but jams the top rock on the second one. Man lies one and Stouton has an open draw for two.

NT 3, Man 3

End #5:

As we go to the fifth end, Man is out-curling NT 80% - 73%, with the big difference coming from the leads: Gould (Man) is out-curling Gavin (NT) 100 - 72%.

This end has unfolded with a Man rock in the 4', NT in the 8' and Man guard, all lined up, plus a rock to the left of the centre line that the teams take turns hitting. Until Naugler drifts to the back 12' and Mead taps that one out and sticks around with a back-12 biter. Koe calls for another draw from Naugler, but the rock is open. Either Naugler is missing the broom or Koe is mis-reading the ice. Some of the folks around me say it's a combination of both.

On his first shot, Stoughton is wide of the broom and barely removed the NT shot rock, but also doubled off his biter at the back. Koe's first draw attempt is way light and wrecks on the guard. Stoughton drew beautifully around the guards and lies three, Koe has a tight draw to try to salvage one, but rubs on the guard, giving up a steal of 2 to Man.

NT 3, Man 5

End #6:

After 5 ends, Koe is now curling only 58%. It shows in the score, as Stoughton has improved his % considerably. [I'll start trying to spell Stoughton's name correctly from now on, too -- apologies to him and everyone else]

And on Sheet B, NS picks up 2 to lead Alberta 6-4.

As this end begins, Man again has lots of rocks in the rings. NT freezes to a Man rock in the back 4', which is a puzzling strategy since Man can freeze to that one, which they do, right on the button, and now NT will struggle to score even one, much less two. Naugler removes a centre guard and moves the frozen rocks just a smidgeon. Mead shook 'em up some more, leaving Man lying two. And is Stoughton ever on now, with a beauty draw around an NT guard. Koe answers with a draw to the back of the button, leaving Stoughton with a freeze that will force NT to take one.

Meanwhile on Sheet B, Kennedy made a quad take-out (with a raise involved, too) Wowee Zowee!!!

Back on Sheet A, Koe is light and gives up another steal of two.

NT 3, Man 7

End #7:

Man has lots in the rings again, and NT is struggling with trying to set up guards, hoping to have a big end, but Man keeps removing the guards and still has two counters.

And on Sheet B, Adams is giving Martin good game, as Martin didn't quite roll enough with his last shot and took only one. NS 6, AB 5.

On Sheet A, NT has regained a bit of an advantage in this end, tapping back some Man rocks. But then NT put a rock on the back 12'. Stoughton hits it and sticks. Man has shot rock in the top side 4' plus two rocks in the back 12' . NT is second shot in the back 4'. Koe removes the shot rock and rolls over to the side 8', lying two. Stoughton hits that and rolls to the button. Koe picks it out but can't save the shooter, scoring one.

NT 4, Man 7