Marie Wright and her defending national champions squad of third Gil Dash, second Darwin Bender and lead Moose Gibson opened with a commanding 10-2 win over Newfoundland and Labrador’s Cecilia Carroll before Sask #2 – skipped by Donna Ackerman with Ellis Tull at third, Rodney Pederson at second and Sheryl Pederson at lead – lost 5-2 in a hard-fought battle with Manitoba #1’s Gord MacKay.
Both teams hail from the Moose Jaw Ford Curling Centre, with Lorraine Arguin coaching Wright’s foursome and Lloyd Thiele the coach of Ackerman’s rink.
Wright – a perennial member of Team Canada – got off to the exact kind of start she was hoping for with steals in the first three ends, two of those for three, and a quick 7-0 lead. After Carroll pick up points the next two ends, Wright tacked on another three-ender in the sixth and brought things to an early conclusion with the 10-2 win.
Things were far, far closer for Ackerman in her opener. The first-year skip took an early 1-0 lead with a single point in the second end before Manitoba used the hammer to get that back the next frame. After Ackerman blanked the fourth, the two teams would exchange single points again, this time with MacKay taking one in the fifth and Ackerman one in the sixth.
There the score would remain until MacKay was able to close things out with three in the eighth to take the 5-2 victory.
Both Saskatchewan teams are on the ice for the morning draw Saturday, with Wright taking on Quebec #2 (1-0) and Ackerman facing Nova Scotia (0-1). Wright then plays her third game during the afternoon draw against Ontario #1 (2-0) and a handful of her Team Canada teammates.
The Canadian wheelchair curling nationals run through the medal game on May 1.
