Canada's skip Rachel Homan delivers a stone during World Women’s Curling Championship action against the United States in Sydney, N.S. on Sunday, March 17, 2024. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Darren Calabrese
SYDNEY, N.S. – Rachel Homan improved to 3-0 at the world women’s curling championship with a 10-6 victory over the United States’ Tabitha Peterson on Sunday.
Canada entered the contest having earned 7-6 and 7-4 victories over Sweden and Denmark on the opening day of the tournament Saturday.
Homan’s rink is one of three teams that remain undefeated, with Italy and Switzerland each at 2-0.
Sitting atop the tournament leaderboard, the Canadians will look to make it four straight victories when they take on Norway on Monday.
Without last rock for the first time in the tournament, the Canadians found themselves on their heels early on with the U.S. securing a double in the first end to go up 2-0. It was the first double Homan’s rink surrendered, and the first time it had trailed in a game at any point in the tournament.
That lead didn’t last long, though, as Canada took advantage of its first hammer of the game in the second end to thread the rock through a busy right side of the sheet to nudge the U.S. out of the eight and score a double of its own, tying the game at 2-2.
The third end saw the U.S. answer right back, as Peterson perfectly executed a hammer throw while facing two to sneak her stone into the button and earn a single.
But Canada came rolling back to restore its lead in the fourth end. Taking advantage of a miscue from the U.S., Canada used a perfectly thrown hammer to knock the Americans’ rock completely out of the house and earn a double to flip the score back in its favour at 4-3.
The fifth end brought the fireworks, as a gutsy throw by Homan to set Canada up for another double was undone by a hammer from Peterson with just the right touch on it, sneaking past Canada’s rocks and landing directly into the button for a single.
After it appeared that Canada would only exit the sixth with a single after some smart placement by the Americans, Homan knocked the U.S. out of the house, earning Canada a sorely needed double that put them back ahead 6-4.
The Americans rebounded swiftly in the seventh, as a measurement awarded them a double and sent both teams to the eighth deadlocked at 6-6.
Canada then blew the game open with a triple to earn its biggest lead of the day at 9-6. After Canada managed its first steal of the game in the ninth, the Americans could not respond, conceding the game.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published March 17, 2024.
