Homan, Jacobs each take Game 1 in best-of-3 Olympic curling trial finals
CBC
Challenging ice conditions were a complication Rachel Homan managed to overcome Friday at the Montana's Canadian Curling Trials.
The hurdle presented by her opposition's steady play was one she nearly didn't clear.
Homan's top-ranked team from Ottawa barely survived a nervy 5-4 victory over the plucky Halifax rink skipped by Christina Black in the opener of the best-of-three women's final at Scotiabank Centre.
"We knew it would be a battle and it was," said Homan's second Emma Miskew.
Down two with hammer in the 10th end, Black had a chance for a multi-point end but settled for a single. With five rocks in the four-foot ring, she tried to bump multiple stones but couldn't nudge a Homan rock from the side of the button.
Game 2 is Saturday afternoon. Game 3, if necessary, will be played Sunday afternoon.
The Calgary rink skipped by Brad Jacobs beat Matt Dunstone's Winnipeg team 9-8 in the men's final on Friday night.
Dunstone trailed early but came back with a four-ender in the fifth and drew for two in the ninth end for an 8-7 lead. He flashed a double-takeout attempt with his final shot in the 10th end to give Jacobs a pair for the victory.
The men will play Game 2 on Saturday night and Game 3 - if needed - on Sunday evening.
With mild, drizzly weather outside the venue in the afternoon, an ice surface that was frosty at times and inconsistent at others made things difficult for both women's teams.
Black started well with an opening blank before making a come-around to the button that forced Homan to tap for one. Homan stole a point in the third when Black was light with a draw against three.
"The ice kept changing and (it was) tough to keep up with, but I thought we stayed really tough together," Homan said. "I thought we made a ton of shots and we were as precise as we could be."
Another steal followed in the fourth when Black's angle-raise was wide. However, the Halifax skip put a charge into the hometown crowd of 6,920 in the fifth end when she made a draw against three to get a point on the board.
"We just gave up those two single-point steals and you just can't let them get a lead," Black said. "They're so good. So it's like we need to keep the game just a little bit closer tomorrow and just give ourselves a better chance to pull it off."
