Key Highlights
- Canada’s Team Homan narrowly beats Italy in a roller coaster game.
- Team Jacobs outplays Italy to secure last stone for the medal round.
- Curling tournament features intense competition and self-officiating.
- Team Homan’s success rate and shooting percentage analyzed post-game.
Canada’s Team Homan Bounces Back with Thrilling Win
Cortina d’Ampezzo, Italy — The game was a roller coaster for Canada’s Team Rachel Homan against Italy. With the hammer in the 10th end and trailing by three points, Stefania Constantini stepped into the hack and threw a takeout that tied it up. But Homan had an answer in extras, guiding the hammer to victory with a crucial shot.
The team is now in a three-way tie for second place heading into the final day of round robin play, needing a win against Korea to secure their playoff hopes. Coach Heather Nedohin described the game as “emotional,” acknowledging the girls’ desire to win every millimetre.
Team Jacobs Dominates Italy
In another intense game, Team Brad Jacobs from Canada dominated Italy’s Joel Retornaz. After a strong start that put them up 3-0, the Canadians flipped the script with two in the fourth and steals in the next three ends. Jacobs attributed the win to self-officiating, noting their 12% chance of winning after four ends.
The final score was 8-3 in favour of Canada.
Italy’s frustration was evident as they missed several shots, tossed water bottles, and kicked rocks. They need a win against Switzerland on Friday to keep their playoff hopes alive.
Self-Officials and Analytics
The game also featured self-officiating after a tense tournament marred by the double-touching controversy between Canada and Sweden. In the second end, Jacobs called Retornaz for accidentally moving a red Italian stone while sweeping. Both coaches agreed on sportsmanship as the key to handling such incidents.
Coach Paul Webster of Team Jacobs highlighted how tough their games have been this tournament. “Twelve months ago, we lose that game 95 per cent of the time,” he said, emphasizing the progress made in recent months.
Team Homan’s Success Rate
Rachel Homan’s rink is ranked No. 1 in the world but struggled out of the gate with losses to Great Britain, the United States, and Switzerland. Since then, they have won four games in a row. Their tournament shot success rate was 78 per cent, good for fifth in the round robin. They sit seventh overall in shooting percentage (80 per cent).
Homan reflected on the tournament’s tension, noting that every game has been memorable and tense. “Obviously that game had a couple unlucky shots — the pick in 10, and almost lost it with the pick in 11,” she said.
Round Robin Standings
The round robin standings are tight with Canada, Korea, and the United States tied for second. Italy sits fourth after their loss to Team Jacobs. Switzerland holds top spot, needing a win against the Italians on Friday to secure their playoff hopes in the four-team medal round.
Canada’s victory gives them last stone for the medal round — a crucial win for a team that has struggled with the pregame draw to the button.
They sit second behind Switzerland and qualified with Tuesday’s win over Great Britain’s Team Bruce Mouat, who they would play first in the medal round if necessary.
Team Homan’s performance shows their resilience under pressure, while Team Jacobs’ victory highlights their dominance despite facing a formidable opponent. As the tournament progresses, every game could be crucial for securing a place in the playoffs.
