New Caledonian Event Finals!

We head back to where we started. Pictou, Sheet 3,  Red rocks. 

Jamming to Firework by Katy Perry...of course. 

1st: Without the hammer for the finals. Away we go. The teams testing out the ice early, weight is iffy to start for both teams. 

Donna lands her second for a guard. Katie has a good hit on her first and rolls to the back 12. 

They sit 2 after second's rocks. 

Cindy's first draw drifts through. Blue is heavy on almost everything. They are struggling early. Her second lightly butterfly kisses a red guard and settles on the back button. 

Blue finally finds line and noses shot rock. Marissa is just wide on her first hit attempt. Girls sit 2, 3 and 4. 

The blue 7 isn't great. Marissa can force to one or steal a bunch. It's s good hit. Blue facing 4 or 5. Rogue Squadron steals 1. 1-0. 

2nd: The girls control the front early. Blue 2 chips in a red. Red sits 2. The girls are really in their game now. Pushing hard on blue. 

Blue makes a few hits. Fighting back now. But misses another one narrow. The girls can put more pressure on here. Cindy to hit: great nose hit. 

Red sits 2 briefly before blue hits 1 out. 

Marissa hits it back, sitting 2 again. Blue 7 rolls too far to the back 12. Girls sit 1. Power sweeping brings Marissa's last rock too deep to the back 8, sitting 2. Rogue Squadron again for 1. 2-0 after 2. 

3rd: Donna hits the house on 1 and guards it up on 2. 

Blue 2 hits and rolls out. Katie is short on her first draw attempt trying to come around their guard. Heat inbound in her second, it removes her first guard. Blue sitting 2 now. 

Cindy with a good double to improve things half way through this end. 

Marissa lining up a run back on shot rock behind their right corner guard...soooooo close. It just misses but opens up the front. Good try girls. 

One more swing at that blue shot rock. Great rock and sweeping. It's a good hit. Rogue Squadron again for 1. 3-0 after 3. 

4th: It's a fairly clean start to 4. Katie has a good hit and stay to split the house to sit 2. 

The girls are really sharp now. Really applying pressure. Katie's magic spell with the Harry Potter wand was a good call it seems. Katie has a draw to the button. Blue hits it out. 

Cindy exchanges hits with the other mate. Then is long on her second, as she pops out to us and says "the old hit then draw combination, bleh".

Marissa with a nose hit to sit 1 open, top 8 left side. And a second hit out there. 

Blue just bites for 1. 3-1 after 4. 

5th: Donna with a great freeze for her first. The next few shots line up towards the center. Now Katie has a hit and roll attempt I think, some kind of hit anyway. It connects removing the back blue stone. (Note: I later learn this this was an epic triple. It was hard to see how great a take out it was so far away)

Katie has a great draw in her second to sit 2 with on buried. All that trading with Tram Ireland is paying off. Good work Katie. 

Marissa calls for a guard in shot rock and it's mostly covered now. Blue 6 just nudges the red shot rock to the back 8. Cindy's s bit lite on her second, possibly still spooked by her heavy draw last end. It ends up guarding the center line. 

Blue sneaks one through a left side port to get something near the back 8 it looks like. Marissa tries to follow but can't quite squeeze through. There maybe a run back for her next one. Why doesn't this club have video screens or mirrors?

A shot for 4 at least. Again so close. Just one inch more Marissa says. Blue steals 1 now. 3-2 after 5. 

6th: That could have broken the game wide open. Oh well. Donna gets her second draw to the top 8 but it didn't come over enough. Blue takes it out but rolls across the house, open on the other side. 

Katie, on her hits all game removes it to clear the house. She finds a spot in the back at to sit shot. Blue is fighting back now, gaining some confidence that last two ends. 

Cindy to peel: hits and rolls out. Open house now with 3 blue guards out front. 

The next blue draws to the back 4 foot. Cindy has a good hit and now red is shot. 

Blue 7 hits and rolls open slightly to our right. Marissa answers with a beautiful tap out to sit 1. Blue responds with another hit: Marissa with a hit for 1. It's wide. Blue steals 1. 3-3 after 7. 

7th: The girls need their mojo back. Here we go. 

Donna has her first rock taken out and her second is too light. Blue has two corner guards on the right. 

Katie is lite on her second. There is a blue and red in the back 12, I think blue is shot. 

Blue 5 stops for shot in the top 4. Cindy chips it out with her first. Then draws to the top 12 on her second. There is a nervous energy here in the crowd. I think it might be harder to watch this game than to play it. 

An over curl on Marissa's first leads to an opportunity to tap up but I can't tell how far the tap went.

Cindy with the line out wide for critical draw. Msrissa needs the 8 foot for 1: it looks good. Phew. Red for 1. 4-3 coming home. 

8th: This is where Rouge will shine (hear that curling gods, here that?). Donna's first rests at the top 4. Good two rocks from Donna to control the 4ft.

A blue double changes that. Katie answers with a hit of her own. Blue gets lucky with a biter out left. It's tough ice out there, Katie flashes by. 

One more swing at it for Cindy. 

A clutch hit for Cindy. Marissa exhales deeply. Blue misses their chip attempt. The girls are trying to draw around. It stays open at the button. Blue hits it. 

I've lost all my saliva. I am so nervous. I'd rather be out on the ice. Marissa hits the blue shot but just rolls out. 

Blue 7 is long. Marissa to draw around. She's through on a heavy draw. Blue needs paint to tie but they are trying to chip in for the win. Blue gets 1. 4-4. Bonus curling. 

Extra End: Blue hogs their first.  Donna sets up in the 12 foot but blue elects not to hit putting up a center guard. Seems like a tactical error but what do I know really. 

Now Marissa will split the house. Donna is just light but it's a good corner option for later if needs be. Blue 3 draws into the top 8 foot. 

Katie knocks it out: Donna pulls back before illegally sweeping the shooter 🙂.

Katie drawing to guard up the red shot rock near the button: she plugs the gap. 

Blue with a fortune miss resulting in a chip in but it's not shot. Red still one. 

Cindy with a nice draw and great sweeping by Donna and Cindy. Blue knocks that out and also rolls out the shooter. 

Cindy draws on the right side now: it plugs the gap well I think. 

Skips rocks -  a good roll in for blue. I can't tell how good though. Looks like it's still up top. Marissa to keep blocking the right side. 

It comes over a little too close to the center. Nothing is getting through the middle. The blue team confers. This is it. 

Blue is narrow.  The girls win the New Caledonian Cup!  California Girls!!

They finish a perfect 3-0 at Pictou. So good, due to the coach I'm sure 😉.