CurlingZone: Homan stays alive to set up sudden death match with Korea

When she needed it most, Rachel Homan (Photo: Anil Mungal) came in clutch to key her Canadian side alive.

By: Cameron Sallaj

It's a massive win for Canada in the penultimate draw of the women's round robin in Cortina. With their Olympic dreams on the line, the team came up big to take down Italy's Stefania Constantini 8-7 in an extra end.

It wasn't the best performance from the Canadian team of Rachel Homan, Tracy Fleury, Emma Miskew and Sarah Wilkes, as the team curled a week-low 75 percent across the eleven ends. Still, it was enough to clinch the victory and move Canada to 5-3 in the standings.

Starting without hammer, Team Canada quickly flipped the last stone advantage by taking two in the second end while forcing the Italians in the first and third. Homan then added one to the board in the fourth before Constantini executed a double for the blank in five.

Facing two on her last rock in six, Constantini came up light, allowing Canada to open up a three-point lead. The game was far from over, however, as after taking one in seven, Constantini drew to the pin with her last rock in eight to set up a steal, reducing the deficit to just one.

In nine, Homan needed a spinner to the button to score a second point, a shot she executed to perfection, regaining Canada a three-point lead coming home. In ten, however, a miss on Homan's first rock opened the door for Constantini to hit for three on her last stone, tying the game at seven all and sending the match into an extra end.

With their playoff chances on the line, Rachel Homan drew the four-foot circle against one Italian counter to keep the Canadian team alive, defeating Italy 8-7 and improving the team's record to 5-3.

The win by Canada sets up a sudden death showdown against South Korea's Gim Eun-ji in the final round robin draw. Both teams currently hold 5-3 records and need a win to secure their playoff spot. A loss by Canada will eliminate them from the event while South Korea could still qualify, however, will need a poor last stone draw by Great Britain in their final game.

In other scores, Switzerland's Silvana Tirinzoni clinched the second of four playoff spots by taking three in the tenth to eliminate Denmark's Madeleine Dupont 6-4. The win moves the Swiss team to 6-2 and secures them either second or third place while the Danes are eliminated at 4-5.

Great Britain's Rebecca Morrison kept the momentum going from her highlight reel shot to defeat the United States earlier in the day, downing Japan's Sayaka Yoshimura 9-3 and evening her team's record to 4-4. In their final game, Great Britain will play Italy (2-6), a game that should they win they more than likely advance to the playoff round.

Finally, Sweden's Anna Hasselborg locked up first place in the group by routing China's Wang Rui 9-4. Sweden, at 7-2, are guaranteed first place while China fall to 2-6.

Olympic Women's Standings - Draw 11

Q Sweden (Hasselborg): 6-1
Q Switzerland (Tirinzoni): 6-2
United States of America (Peterson): 5-3
Canada (Homan): 5-3
Republic of Korea (Gim): 5-3
Great Britain (Jackson): 4-4
Denmark (Dupont): 4-5
People's Republic of China (Wang): 2-6
Italy (Constantini): 2-6
Japan (Yoshimura): 1-7

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