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North Delta’s Team Daniels advance to semifinals at junior curling nationals

The team will face defending champs Nova Scotia for a chance to take on Alberta in the finals
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North Delta’s Team Daniels are representing B.C. at the 2019 New Holland Canadian Junior Championships in Prince Albert, Sask. (Melanie Johnson/Curling Canada photo)

B.C.’s junior women are through to the semifinals after winning a tie-breaker game against Quebec at the national curling championships.

Skip Sarah Daniels lead her team to an 8-6 victory in a do-or-die game Friday afternoon (Jan. 25) at the New Holland Canadian Junior Curling Championships in Prince Albert, Sask.

After a close first half that left the team trailing 2-4, B.C. took control in the seventh end, capitalizing on a few key misses by Quebec that led to a stellar double by Daniels to sit four and take a 6-4 lead.

“We played the game just a little bit cleaner than what we usually do,” Daniels said in a press release after game. “We just wanted to make [our shots] makeable and then when we saw an opportunity we went for it, and in that end we definitely had an opportunity.”

Quebec skip Laurie St-Georges tied the game the following end, but B.C. blanked the ninth to hold the hammer in the tenth, scoring a deuce for the win.

“I think all the preparation that we’ve done throughout the entire season, just trying to stay together as a team no matter what, through bad games, through good games and just trying to get a handle on the ice. That’s why we came out a little bit cleaner this game,” Daniels said.

Daniels, vice-skip Kayla MacMillan, second Jessica Humphries, lead Sarah Loken and coach Katie Witt —who curl out of the Delta Thistle Curling Club in North Delta — will play defending champion Kaitlyn Jones of Nova Scotia in the semifinal on Saturday, Jan. 26 at 9 a.m. PST. Nova Scotia edged B.C. 8-7 during the preliminary round.

The winner will face Alberta’s Selena Sturmay, who earned a buy to the gold-medal game by posting a flawless 10-0 record at this year’s tournament. The final takes place on Sunday, Jan. 27 at 8 a.m. PST.

On the men’s side, Saskatchewan and Manitoba will battle it out in the semis on Saturday at 5 p.m. PST. The winner will go on to face Team B.C., lead by skip Tyler Tardi, who along with with vice-skip Sterling Middleton is hoping to earn a historic third straight national junior title.

READ MORE: Lower Mainland junior curlers will be vying for gold

The winning teams will represent Canada at the 2019 World Junior Championships, happening Feb. 16 to 23 in Liverpool, N.S.

All semifinal and final games will be broadcast live on TSN. The full scoreboard can be viewed at curling.ca/scoreboard.

SEE ALSO: North Delta’s Team Daniels advances to second round at junior curling nationals



sasha.lakic@northdeltareporter.com

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North Delta’s Team Daniels are representing B.C. at the 2019 New Holland Canadian Junior Championships in Prince Albert, Sask. (Melanie Johnson/Curling Canada photo)