Val Sweeting releases a stone during her win over Rachel Homan. (Michael Burns/CCA)
If there was any doubt in your mind about how Val Sweeting would meet the competition at the Roar Of The Rings, there shouldn't be now.
Her nine end, 10-3 win over reigning Canadian national champion Rachel Homanin the opening draw of the Canadian Olympic Curling Trials is surprising. Not surprising that she was able to win (although considered to be at least a mild upset). But that she and teammates Dana Ferguson, Joanne Courtney and Rachelle Pidherny won so easily is shocking.
Their solid play, along with Team Homan's struggles, combined to make it an opening draw blowout. It leads to two questions: Is Sweeting for real? And, how does Team Homan bounce back after losing a game in such resounding fashion? After all, Homan's squad is used to laying that kind of a numbing beating on opponents, not the other way around.
Considered by many to be the longest shot on the board (including me, I must admit) on the women's side, Sweeting took advantage of a wobbly start to the competition by Homan (who curled an eyebrow-raising 60%) and her crew.
Sweeting, the 26 year old skip who curled for Alberta at the 2010 Scotties Tournament of Hearts, made the trials the hard way, picking her way through a tough pre-trials field last month and beating Kelly Scott in the game that scanned her ticket to Winnipeg. That win was impressive, including a cool draw in the tenth to score one and close out a 6 -4 win. Sweeting was tops again in draw one at The Roar, throwing 86% on the day.
Sweeting's skills and resume back up a potential claim to an Olympic berth, and a resounding first draw win over a top-seed will only add to her team's confidence. This team was singled out by at least one fellow-competitor (Sherry Middaugh) as one to watch out for, before this tourney began. "Even though they may not be a known name to a lot of people, we've certainly known them the last few years," Middaugh told the Midland Mirror last week. "They are a young team who has worked hard at the game. They are very athletic - they are currently one of the best sweeping tandems we have in ladies curling."
The presence of Amber Holland - added to the team as alternate - is likely a boost, too, a move that was endorsed by TSN commentator Russ Howard during the broadcast of Sweeting's crusher over Homan. "She's certainly a mentor to this young team and I think it was a brilliant move to bring in somebody with that type of experience," he said.
So, Sweeting gets on an early roll while Homan tries to dig out. The young Ontario skip rarely cracks a smile when she plays, but she did Sunday, just after one of her delivered stones ticked an opposing stone out front and then the shot stone in the four-foot, totally burying a Sweeting counter. Not a contented smile, of course, but a smile that likely said 'just one of those days.'
"I'm impressed with their attitude," said Howard, of the Homan rink, "but I'm also worried. They're not playing well."
Getting a better feel for the ice is operation number one for Homan, who fought draw weight feel all afternoon, including a draw against two in the 8th end that didn't even make the house.
She can take some solace in the fact that Jennifer Jones hogged a draw before her game against Chelsea Carey, then rebounded to take a 10-2 decision that included a tasty 6-spot in the 6th end.
Homan takes on Renee Sonnenberg in Monday's morning draw and that will be a tall order (as most of these games are, actually) what with Sonnenberg coming off an 8-6 win over Heather Nedohin. Sweeting will try to keep it going in her game against Stefanie Lawton, another top seed who fell on Sunday, losing 5-3 to Middaugh.
Message received, clearly: Do not take Val Sweeting lightly.
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