GEORGE MYRER The Chronicle Herald
Published: January 14, 2018 – 8:04pm
Last Updated: January 15, 2018 – 9:38am
Mary-Anne Arsenault of the Dartmouth Curling Club captured her fourth Scotties Tournament of Hearts provincial women’s curling championship with an 8-5 win over Kristen MacDiarmid of the Halifax Curling Club.
The Arsenault rink of lead Jennifer Crouse, second Jennifer Baxter and third Christina Black cruised through the round robin with a 6-1 record.
“I told the girls at the end of the round round robin that I hadn’t experienced this good of a round robin since I used to play with the old girls (world champions Colleen Jones, Kim Kelly and Nancy Delahunt),” said Arsenault. “I dare say this one may have exceeded that. We were very consistent the entire week.
“I’m obviously so proud of my team, we felt really confident throughout the whole week and I’m so happy that we were able to play and win out of our home club.”
The Dartmouth team picked up two in the second and fourth ends for a 4-1 lead, but MacDiarmid closed it to 5-3 by the seventh.
“We started off and blanked the first, trying to get our feet under us to start off and went right at them in the second end and scored our deuce and from then on we just had control,” said Arsenault.
A three-spot in eighth end gave the Arsenault rink and 8-3 lead and insurmountable lead. MacDiarmid scored two in the ninth and Arsenault closed out the final end for the victory.
“They (MacDiarmid) were sort of feeling they needed to steal there and stay within reach and often when that happens and then if they don’t get something in perfect position then the team with the hammer is probably going to score a bigger end.”
The victory earns the Arsenault rink a trip to the Scotties Tournament of Hearts national championship, Jan. 27-Feb. 4 in Penticton, B.C.
