Team Canada had a strong start at the beginning of the 2012 Ford World Women’s Curling Championship, winning their first two games.

 

After an 8-7 victory against the United States on Saturday, the team, led by Heather Nedohin of Sherwood Park, defeated China, led by Bingyu Wang 7-5.

 

 

The game was tight, with the first points not coming until the second end. Canada broke the tie, with a score of one.

 

China made it onto the board in the third end, tying up the game. Canada made it a two-point game in the fourth end though, scoring two.

 

The game was back and forth, with both teams holding their opponents to one point per end. Draw weight was a challenge for both teams throughout the game, which was the likely cause of low scoring.

 

China managed to come back in the ninth end, scoring two points off a missed shot. However, Nedohin rebounded in the final end, finishing off China with a single point.

 

The top player on team Canada, based on shot percentage, was Beth Iskiw, with 89 per cent. China’s Jinli Liu led her team with an 84 per cent shot percentage.

 

That evening Canada faced another undefeated team in Switzerland, with Mirjam Ott as their skip.

 

Canada still had trouble with draw weight during this game, their shots not going where they wanted them to.

 

Despite this in the first end they still managed to get two points off of Nedohin’s shots.

 

Switzerland took the points in the next two ends, stealing one to tie the game up in the third end.

 

Halfway through the game, Canada took a two-point lead with both of their rocks on the outer edges of the house. Switzerland answered back with a tie next end with two points of their own. Both teams split the seventh and eighth end with a point each, and went blank on the ninth.

 

In the final end, Canada stole a victory when Ott’s stone failed to dislodge Nedohin’s rock. Leaving the final score at 6-5.

 

At the end of Draw 5 Canada is the only undefeated team left in the tournament, which continues on until March 25.