World Junior Curling Championships: WOMEN: Round-robin Session 9: Scotland 2, Sweden 6
by Mike Haggerty in Flims
The listing was posted by Royal Caledonian Curling Club
The Scottish women’s campaign ended on Thursday afternoon with a 2-6 defeat by Sweden.
This was a game that Lauren Gray’s team never really got hold off, and their misery was worsened in the second half when Anna Sloan had to come on to replace injured lead Caitlin Barr.
Sweden opened with a single in the first, which the Scots matched in the second end. Sweden scored one more in the fourth for a 2-1 lead but the turning point came in the fifth when Gray’s draw against two Swedish stones was heavy and through, giving up a steal of two.
In the sixth, Gray had a difficult pick-out attempt for two but narrowly missed and had to settle for one. Sweden responded with a single shot in the seventh and, with the Scots blanking the eighth looking for the big score that would bring them back into the game, Sweden forced the Scots into settling for one in the ninth, but Gray’s tap-up attempt was short and instead Sweden stole another single for a 6-2 lead.
The Swedes ran the Scots out of stones in the tenth, to bring the campaign by Lauren Gray, Claire MacDonald, Tasha Aitken, Caitlin Barr and alternate Anna Sloan to an end.
Scotland ended up sharing the same won two, lost seven record as Germany but, having lost to the Germans, ranks tenth overall.
Normally this result would involve Scotland in the European Junior Challenge for a place in next year’s Worlds line-up, but with the WCF now confirming Scotland as next year’s World Juniors host nation (without yet specifying the exact venue) a Scottish women’s team qualifies under the host nation arrangement. However, with five other European nations ranking ahead of them, Germany will be involved in the European Challenge.
The Page Play-off line-up is now determined, with Canada, who lost their unbeaten record to Switzerland, playing second-placed Sweden in the 1 v 2 game; and USA and Switzerland playing in the 3 v 4 game, both on Friday evening.
The Page Play-off line-up is now determined, with Canada, who lost their unbeaten record to Switzerland, playing second-placed Sweden in the 1 v 2 game; and USA and Switzerland playing in the 3 v 4 game, both on Friday evening.
RESULTS
WOMEN: Round-robin 9: USA 6, Russia 5; Scotland 2, Sweden 6; Switzerland 8, Canada 6; Germany 8, Czech Republic 10; France 6, China 5.
Final standings:
1. Canada won 8, lost 1
2. Sweden 7-2
3. USA 6-3
4. Switzerland 6-3
5. Russia 5-4
6. France 3-6
7. China 3-6
8. Czech Republic 3-6
9. Germany 2-7
10. Scotland 2-7.