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Quarterfinal Fields Begin to Take Shape at the
Grey Power Players’ Championship
Howard, Ferbey, Kleibrink, Bernard, Jones, Scott
and McCarville all advance to the playoff round
of the season’s final Capital One Grand Slam of
Curling event
Howard earned a berth in the quarterfinals after
defeating Wayne Middaugh (Midland, Ont.) 7-3
while Randy Ferbey (Edmonton, Alta.) upset top
ranked Kevin Martin (Edmonton, Alta.) 6-5.
In the women’s draw, Jones rallied to defeat
Crystal Webster 6-5, Scott slid past Michelle
Englot (Regina, Sask.) 8-7 and McCarville
squeezed past Sherry Middaugh (Coldwater, Ont.)
5-4.
Earlier today, Kleibrink advanced to Friday’s
playoff round with a 10-4 win over Jones while
Bernard powered past Middaugh 8-2.
Team Ferbey jumped on Martin to start their game
as fourth Dave Nedohin made a long run back to
score three points in the opening end.
After Martin rallied to tie the game at 5-5
heading into the final end, Nedohin made a draw
to the button on the game’s final shot for a
one-point victory.
“Most games that we play – some have been
blowouts – but this is typical of us,” added
Ferbey. “Tied up coming home. Normally (Martin
has) last rock but this time we had last rock.
Dave made a couple good shots in the last end
and that was the difference.”
Howard picked up his third consecutive victory
of the tournament after scoring four straight
points in the middle ends to pull away.
Tied at 2-2 through three ends, Howard took a
commanding lead in the fourth frame after
executing a hit for three points. The 2007
World Champion then added a one-point steal in
the fifth end to extend his advantage to 6-2.
Despite the losses, both Martin and Middaugh can
still advance to the quarterfinals as long as
they win one of their possible two remaining
games.
In this evening’s women’s action, Jones remained
in the hunt for her third Players’ Championship
title in four seasons after emerging from a hard
fought battle with Webster.
Trailing 3-1 after four ends, Jones grabbed her
first lead of the game in the fifth after
executing a takeout for three points.
In the final end, Jones sealed the win after
Webster’s triple takeout attempt only removed
one stone, allowing the reigning Canadian
champion to score two points without throwing
her final stone.
Earlier today, Jones faced off against Kleibrink
with her first opportunity to advance to the
quarterfinals.
The top seed in the women’s draw, Kleibrink
broke open the game in the fifth end after Jones
inadvertently picked her own rock on a two-point
runback attempt. Jones’ miscue allowed
Kleibrink to steal three points for a 5-1
advantage.
“As long as I crossed the base a little bit we
were good,” said Kleibrink, referring to the
game’s final shot. “If I hit it too high, it
might go over top. (Jones) made the best shot
she probably could. That was a really good
place to put (her final rock).”
Bernard won her third straight game after
forcing Middaugh into consecutive three-point
steals.
“We just kept locking stuff in on the
four-foot,” said Bernard describing her first
three-point steal. “She really had nothing.
She just about made that shot though and she
could have got it for one with the long hit and
roll. It was close.”
Bernard was able to steal another three points
in the fourth frame after Middaugh’s final draw
slid into the back of the house.
The Grey Power Players’ Championship represents
the final opportunity for teams to earn points
towards securing a direct berth into the 2009
Canadian Olympic Trials event or a spot into the
2009 Canadian Olympic Pre-Trials tournament.
The Grey Power Players’ Championship is also the
final event where Canada’s men’s and women’s
teams to earn points towards the Capital One
Cup.
Featuring a $170,000 purse, the Capital One Cup
is a points-based competition that awards each
curling team a point value based on their
performance during each 2008-09 Capital One
Grand Slam of Curling event. Following the
conclusion of the Grey Power Players’
Championship, the top men’s and women’s teams in
the Capital One Cup standings will each receive
a $50,000 (CDN) bonus. The second and third
place men’s and women’s squads will each receive
$25,000 (CDN) and $10,000 (CDN) respectively.
For a complete overview of this evening’s
results, click
here.
For a complete overview of the men’s tournament
bracket for the Grey Power Players’
Championship, click
here.
Featuring the top 16 men’s and the top 16
women’s teams from the 2008-09 season, Friday’s
draw times for the Grey Power Players’
Championship are set for 10:00 a.m., 1:30 p.m.,
5:00 p.m. and 8:30 p.m. MT respectively.
The top eight teams to advance through the
knockout rounds will qualify for the
tournament’s quarterfinals. The women’s
quarterfinals are set for Friday, April 17 at
8:30 p.m. MT while the men’s quarterfinals will
take place on Saturday, April 18 at 4:30 p.m.
MT.
As the official television broadcaster of the
Capital One Grand Slam of Curling, CBC
Television will air the women’s final on
Saturday, April 18 at 1:00 p.m. MT and the men’s
final on Sunday, April 19 at 10:00 a.m. MT.
Additionally, on Saturday, April 18, CBC’s
digital channel bold will present live coverage
of the men’s quarterfinals at 4:30 p.m. MT and
live coverage of the men’s semi-finals at 8:00
p.m. MT.
The men’s and women’s draw of the Grey Power
Players’ Championship features a total purse of
$100,000. Each tournament’s winning team will
receive $25,000.
Held annually since 2001-02, the Capital One
Grand Slam of Curling is a series of eight
premier men’s and women’s events that boast
Canada’s deepest and strongest curling fields.
The Capital One Grand Slam of Curling is one of
a select few events that are tied to the
Canadian Curling Association's qualifying
process for the 2010 Olympic Winter Games in
Vancouver. Through their performance in the
Capital One Grand Slam of Curling events, rinks
can earn points towards securing a berth at the
2009 Canadian Trials or the 2009 Canadian
Pre-Trials event.
About Grey Power
Grey Power is the industry leader in providing
auto and home insurance to mature Canadians.
Grey Power recognizes it takes years of skill
and experience to achieve a good driving record
and rewards that experience with substantial
savings through the Experience Advantage™. With
Grey Power, Canadians not only save on their
insurance but also get superior service and
expert advice. Grey Power products are provided
by Trafalgar Insurance Company of Canada, which
is part of ING Canada, the country's largest
provider of automobile, home and commercial
insurance.
About Capital One
Located in Toronto, Ontario, Capital One has
offered Canadian consumers a range of
competitive MasterCard® credit cards since 1996,
when the company first introduced the Platinum
MasterCard® in Canada. Capital One Canada is a
division of Capital One Bank, a subsidiary of
Capital One Financial Corporation of McLean,
Virginia (NYSE: COF).
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