Draw #11: The Battle of the Unbeatens, the later ends

End 8. Meanwhile China conceded to France, 10-3 after 7 ends, Denmark conceded to Sweden 9-3 after 7 ends, and Korea conceded to Germany 8-3 after 8 ends. So CA vs SC is the only game still in progress.

This is an odd end. Brewster has the hammer but keeps putting up centre guards, and Stoughton keeps peeling them, a reversal of the usual roles and strategies. Finally SC goes into the rings, but quite deep (back 8'). Double raise by Mead removes the SC rock on the rings and freezes to the SC rock in the back 4'. Drummond draws/freezes a bit heavy and bumps open a bit. Stoughton runs that rock out of the rings nad pushes the other back to the corner 8'. Canada is 1-2-4. Brewster's draw taps the CA rock to the back 4' but is open again. CA is now 1-2-5. With his last rock, Stoughton taps that rock out of the rings and CA is 1-2-3. Brewster decides to try to avoid giving up a steal by drawing to the button, which he does successfully. CA 5, SC 3.

End 7. Time out for some repairs to the hogline-violation-detection-mechanisms in a couple of SC rocks. According to Curlcast, Steve Gould (lead, CA) is curling 100%!

As happened earlier, there were two SC rocks in front of two CA rocks. Mead doubled them off. This time Drummond peeled one CA rock and nearly froze to the other at the back side of the button. Mead removes all those as well as his shooter, but leaves a SC rock at the back corner of the 12'. Brewster draws to the opposite side, back corner of the 12' to split the rings. Stoughton freezes to that rock and is shot rock. Brewster draws in front of that rock, forcing Stoughton to draw for one. CA 5, SC 2

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As one might have guessed, after five ends, Canada is out-curling Scotland, but only by 89% to 86%, and that is mostly due to Brewsters early misses on his draw attempts. At the same time, Stoughton's percentage is only 80%.

End 6. I've missed a bit of this end because some other members of the media blocked my view for a few stones. Canada has a rock in the rings and two on the side, one biting the 12'. SC has a rock in the 12', too. Mead inadvertently empties them all aside from a CA rock back of the button. Drummond freezes to it, but Mead removes them both, along with his shooter. The house is now empty, with essentially no guards. SC is set up to blank the end again. Drummond guards, and Stoughton hits and sticks on the guard by mistake. Brewster draws around the guard but slides to the back 12'. Stoughton corner freezes to that rock to be shot rock. Brewster isn't even considering a draw for one. Well, maybe a draw down to the corner of the CA rock, using it as backing... Oops, he wrecks on the guard, but rolls into the rings and barely hangs around to score one. CA 4, SC 2