Sask. falls just short of Scotties final

“I just wish I could just get that end back and a couple of shots back. But it doesn’t work that way. That’s why we play the game of curling, I guess.”

That fourth end miss that Lawton is referring to was her first shot of the end. She missed a quiet take-out eventually leaving Sweeting an easy draw for three.

A turn of fortunes for Sweeting, who had given up a four in the first end against Jennifer Jones in the 1-2 page playoff game.

“It’s definitely better when it’s on your side of the scoreboard than the other,” said Sweeting.

“We got a lucky break. That’s pretty uncharacteristic of Stefanie.”

To Saskatchewan’s credit they didn’t fold after being down three not once, but twice. After the original three-ender they responded with a pair giving Alberta a 4-3 lead at the fifth end break. Sweeting came out with another deuce in the sixth to re-gain her three point lead before Saskatchewan recovered a little with another two.

The eighth end would be blanked, with Alberta forced to one in the ninth. Despite everything going against Saskatchewan most of the day they still had a chance. That chance became even better when Alberta third Lori Olson-Johns flashed on a take-out attempt on a Saskatchewan rock in the four foot.

With Lawton laying two, Sweeting made the shot of the game on her final shot. She froze her shot perfectly putting the Saskatchewan rock in the four-foot forcing Lawton to draw.

“I knew if I chopped it off it would be game over,” said Sweeting, who gave full credit to her sweepers for making the shot.

“They just managed it perfect and I have full trust in them.”

Lawton needed to draw to the pin to send the game to an extra end, a shot that ultimately didn’t even make the eight foot.

“A hair stickier there. There girls just couldn’t drag it there,” said Lawton.

“It was maybe a hair stickier because we hadn’t played that path much.”

Lawton will get to play one more game at the Scotties as she will face Homan again at 3 p.m. on Sunday afternoon in the much criticized bronze medal game.

Considering Lawton didn’t end up playing much this season after the birth of her son Eric, the skip is pretty proud of the way her team played throughout this year and this week, dealing with second Sherri Singler’s injury.

“We just did a fantastic job. I’m so proud of the girls out there, we just worked so hard. It’s a good year, so far,” she said.

Sweeting will get yet another crack at Jones in Sunday’s final having lost twice to her so far this week. That game begins at 7 p.m.

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by Joel Gasson

Sask. falls just short of Scotties final

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