The 14-time Canadian women’s curling championship competitor and her rink of third Kaitlyn Lawes, second Jocelyn Peterman and lead Dawn McEwen picked up an 8-7 win over fellow Manitoba competitor Tracy Fleury in the Wild Card play-in game Friday at Mosaic Place.
The contest was just as close as the score would indicate, with Jones needing to draw the four-foot with her final shot in the 10th end to secure the victory.
“I felt really good with the speed all game,” Jones said of the final shot. “The hits were running really straight, and with the speed I wasn’t sure it was as much as I wanted to throw, so I was really happy with where it stopped.
“It was a close game, just like we expected. It was unfortunate we gave up that three, we had a really good game and it felt like the provincial final again, but I’m just happy that we were able to pull it off.”
‘That three’ came in the ninth end, when Jones attempted the thinnest of doubles facing three Fleury counters lined up on the t-line. She was only able to get one and Fleury would draw the four for three and the 7-7 draw.
Jones herself used a three-ender to take control of the contest in the fifth, using perfect weight to chip out a Fleury counter in the four-foot and take a 5-3 edge.
Fleury pointed to that end as one of the turning points in the game.
“You’re playing some of the best teams, it’s going to be tough,” Fleury said. “They got that three ender out there, we struggled with the ice a little, we just didn’t get an early enough of a handle on it early and in the fifth they made a really nice shot to get three.”
Fleury and her rink of third Selena Njegovan, second Liz Fyfe and lead Kristin MacCuish got on the board first when Jones attempted to blank the second end but instead flashed on the open shot.
Jones would draw to the four-foot laying one in the third to take a 2-1 lead, followed the next end by Fleury picking up a deuce of her own to take a 3-2 edge. Jones got her three in the fifth, Fleury blanked the seventh and picked up her three in the eighth to send the contest to the 10th all tied.
Jones will be making her 15th appearance in the tournament, and sadly, the first since her father Larry Jones passed away last year.
“It’s awesome, this is the first one my dad isn’t here, so I know he’s looking down on us,” Jones said while fighting off a wave of emotion. “I never ever dreamed I’d be in one let alone 15. We’re happy we played in one and how that we’re in 15 we’re just as happy that we’re here.”
And being in Moose Jaw – the site of her win in 2015 – is something the St. Vital Curling Club foursome are looking forward to.
“It was a great moment when we won here, it was a tremendous event so we knew it was going to be great,” Jones said. “All the fans who came out, this beautiful building, so we’re happy to come back and we wanted to be able to stay for the week… it’s going to be fun to play in a venue where the fans come out and it’s going to be a rocking environment, so we’re looking forward to that.”
The Scotties Tournament of Hearts main draw starts at 1:30 p.m. on Saturday, following the opening ceremonies at 12 p.m.
