Staff
Although she missed qualifying for the championship pool at the M&M Meat Shops Canadian Junior Curling Championships in Fort McMurray, Alta., Fort Frances native and former Muskie skip Tirzah Keffer won’t be finishing off the week on a quiet note.
Keffer, who now attends school in Thunder Bay, led her Northern Ontario foursome to a convincing 17-1 triumph over Nunavut’s Sadie Pinksen in her opening game in the seeding pool last night.
The seeding pool, which is new to the junior ranks this year, consists of the six teams that missed out on the championship pool and will help to determine the rankings for next year’s national championship.
Keffer, who is joined on her Port Arthur Curling Club team by third Sheree Hinz, second Megan Westlund, and lead Rachel Camlin, missed making the championship pool after losing a tie-breaker game to Carina McKay-Saturnino (Northwest Territories) 10-5 on Tuesday night.
Earlier Tuesday, the Northern Ontario squad lost to Sarah Dumais (Quebec) 6-5 in an extra end, which left them tied with Quebec and the Northwest Territories for the final transfer spot in Pool ‘B’ with a 2-4 record.
Dumais later won a second tie-breaker game over McKay-Saturnino to earn the spot in the championship pool.
Keffer will be back in action tonight against Carolyn Suley (Newfoundland and Labrador).
The women’s final is set for Sunday at 5 p.m. (MST), with the winner going on to represent Canada at the world championships Feb. 28-March 10 in Sochi, Russia.
