After putting together a miracle comeback in their opening game, things didn’t go quite as well for the Penny Barker foursome in their second contest at the elite PointsBet Invitational curling tournament.
Barker and her Moose Jaw Curling Centre rink of third Christie Gamble, second Jenna Enge and lead Danielle Sicinski dropped a 9-4 decision to Manitoba’s Kailtyn Lawes in the Elite Eight at the single-elimination event in Fredericton on Friday.
The tournament is a high-profile Curling Canada competition featuring 16 of the best men’s and women’s teams on the World Curling Team Ranking System, featuring $50,000 in prize money for both events and a first-of-its-kind win-or-done format.
The Barker rink -- defending Viterra Scotties provincial women’s champions -- won their opener in dramatic fashion over Ontario’s Hollie Duncan, scoring three in the 10th end for a 10-9 victory.
Things were back-and-forth in the early going of the Elite Eight against Lawes, who led 3-2 through three ends and 5-4 through six. The Winnipeg-based foursome picked up a single point in the eighth, though, and a steal of three in the ninth would put things away, knocking Barker from the tournament.
The good news is the local foursome will have a bit of cash in their coffers for the start of the season -- the PointsBet format saw each qualifying rink receive $5,000 for entering in addition to $3,000 for a first-round win.
You can follow along with the remainder of the PointsBet Invitational at www.curling.ca/2022pointsbetinvitational.
