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December 1, 2008

TEAM RODRIGUES WINERY 4-3 IN GRAND SLAM EVENT

The 32-team $60,000 Sobeys Slam 2008 concluded Sunday night at the John Brother MacDonald Stadium in New Glasgow with a 7-3 win by Team Larouche (QUE) over Team Lawton (SASK). Both Semi-Finals went an extra end as competition was intense throughout the four days. Team Rodrigues Winery played tough from start to finish with 6 of their 7 games going down to the last rock (two of them in extra ends), and the 7th game was 2-2 playing the 7th end when Team Rodrigues Winery scored a "five".

For the Team of Heather Strong, Cathy Cunningham, Laura Strong, and Peg Goss; this 9th place finish equalled their best ever record for their 4 appearances in the more prestigious "Slam" World Tour Events. Also it gives the Team CTRS (Canadian Team Ranking System) points in all 3 World Tour events this season (and 7 of 8 events since this lineup was decided in the summer of 2007). The Team moved from 32 to 22 from the 6 points earned this weekend.

Heather Strong said, "It was disappointing to be so close to the playoffs and not convert; however, compared to last year, we were in tight scores in every game, including against the Team which went on to win the Sobeys Slam Final." Third Cathy Cunningham added that, "It was great experience to play rock-for-rock against a tremendous field and to have defeated some of the top World Tour teams. I know that our Team has it in us to ‘qualify’, but it just wasn’t in the cards this weekend."

Team Rodrigues Winery was put on the sidelines Saturday night by Marie-France Larouche from Quebec City (the eventual winner); a Team that Team Rodrigues Winery defeated in the 2008 Scotties Tournament of Hearts round robin. Larouche (in 4th on the CTRS list) made a draw for 2 and a 5-4 win after Strong, who had a nice touch all weekend, was deep on a come around with her last rock. Team Rodrigues Winery stole 2 in the 3rd end to open the scoring and was ahead or tied until the last rock was thrown.

The remainder of the Team Rodrigues Winery games unfolded like this:

Game 6: A 5-3 loss to Sherry Middaugh from Coldwater, Ontario, 3-time National Finalist and defending Sobeys Slam Champion. Middaugh (9th on the CTRS list) moved ahead 4-1 with 2 in the 1st and a steal in the 5th before Team Rodrigues Winery scored 2 in the 6th and forced Middaugh to hit with hammer in the 8th.

Game 5: Defeated Julie Reddick from Brantford, Ontario 4-3 by scoring 2 in the 6th and a single on a hit with hammer in the 8th. Seeded 12th in this Event and in 14th place under the CTRS, they are Winners of the Ontario Tour Championship and have 2005 Olympic Trials skip Jo-Ann Rizzo at third on the otherwise young team that distinguished themselves as juniors.

Game 4: A third consecutive win by Team Rodrigues Winery (7-2) over their 2006 Scott nemesis, Team Belisle from Montreal. Strong took control with a steal in the 5th and scored a decisive 5 in the 7th, Eve Belisle coming up light on her final shot. Belisle (13th on the CTRS list), in addition to two Quebec Ladies Championships, is one of only two females to skip in the National Mixed.

Game 3: After Team Rodrigues Winery scored 3 in the 5th to take the lead for the first time, Mary-Anne Arsenault from Halifax (second on the 5-time Canadian Championship and 2-time World Championship Colleen Jones teams) came back with a 2 and was able to trade singles the rest of the way to win 6-5. This was some revenge for an extra end defeat at the 2008 Scotties Tournament of Hearts in Regina. This year Arsenault (30th on the CTRS list) has Scott skip Kay Zink at third and Theresa Breen, from the great Ann Merklinger (ONT) teams of the 1990's, at lead.

Game 2: Despite steals in the 5th, 6th, and 7th, Team Rodrigues Winery needed an extra end for a 7-6 win (their second win in 7 career games) over the current Canadian and World Champion Jennifer Jones Team from Winnipeg, the second seed in the Sobeys Slam 2008. The only scoring by Team Jones (7th on the CTRS list) were 3's in the 2nd and 8th.

Game 1: For the second year in a row, Team Rodrigues Winery opened in New Glasgow against the 4-time USA Champion, 1999 World Silver Medalist, and 2-time Continental Cup Champion, Patti Lank of Lewiston, New York. However, this year (and for the second time in 5 days) Team Rodrigues Winery came out on top 5-4 in another extra end game. The oddity of the match saw a blank in the final end when Strong with hammer chipped out a USA rock that was partially buried and the only rock in the circles.

Team second, Laura Strong said that, "Our schedule this season was developed to get the best competition available to us, and this week saw us match up well against some great competitors". Lead, Peg Goss added that, "We have nine days to work on some aspects of our game in our home club before departing for Ottawa and our final World Tour event for this season".

In St. John's, Team Rodrigues Winery plays in the Mens RE/MAX Superleague at the RE/MAX Centre where they have 5 wins in their 7 games played to date. Information on all the up arrowmainland events contested by Team Rodrigues Winery for the last several seasons is available from on the Team’s Web Site ( www.teamstrongnl.com ).

 

November 26, 2008

SOBEYS SLAM STARTS TOMORROW IN NEW GLASGOW

Team Rodrigues Winery, for the second consecutive year, opens the 2008 Sobeys Slam at the Bluenose Curling Club in New Glasgow against the Patti Lank foursome, a 4-time USA Champion, 1999 World Silver Medalist, 2-time Continental Cup Champion, and a very successful World Tour team. It is also the second matchup of the two teams in 5 days, the team of Heather Strong, Cathy Cunningham, Laura Strong, and Peg Goss having defeated the Americans 5-3 in Brantford, Ontario Saturday; although Lank prevailed 7-3 in their first matchup last November.

Lead Peg Goss explains that "we are expecting a great match-up as we are such closely ranked teams" (Team Rodrigues Winery is ranked 15th, one place higher than last year for this event and the team from Lewiston, New York is seeded 18th, one place lower than last year).

The first game starts 8:30 (9:00 am in Newfoundland) with the second game, win or lose, being 4:00 at the John Brother MacDonald Stadium in New Glasgow with the winner and loser respectively playing the winner and loser of the game between Jennifer Jones (Team Canada & World Champions from Winnipeg) and Nancy McConnery (3-time Scotties Tournament of Hearts representative from Truro).

The Sobeys Slam, now in its second year, was voted by the curlers as the best World Tour event of 2007-08. This jewel of the World Ladies Curling Tour in Atlantic Canada is the first ever Grand Slam Event to come east of Manitoba although the Players Championship season finale was hosted at Mile One Stadium in St. John’s in April. The format for the Sobeys Slam is a 32-team triple-knockout seeing 8 teams go to a sudden-death playoff where a total of $60,000 is on the line, making it the richest event on the 2008-09 calendar.

This will be the sixth time that Team Rodrigues Winery has participated in the Sobeys World Tour Cashspiel and they were the 2005 Champion as well as a 2002 Finalist. They finished 9th last year, the same as they placed at the Casinos of Winnipeg Slam last month. The familiar surroundings for the Team are among the reason for optimism that they will continue their success so far this year, which includes a 5th place finish at the Sun Life Financial Classic in Brantford last weekend.

Third of Team Rodrigues Winery, Cathy Cunningham, said that, "Coming off a good weekend, we are looking forward to some arena play and good conditions at the Curling Club in New Glasgow. We like the planning put into this event by the local committee, and of course the field of talent again this year is superb." Skip Heather Strong added that, “We look forward to competing in the ‘Sobeys’ each November. We keep that weekend open and we always enjoy this opportunity to play against the top ladies teams in the world, just before we head into the playdown season. We are confident of great ice conditions and many knowledgeable, enthusiastic fans being there to enjoy the curling. The hospitality that we have always experienced in New Glasgow has been second to none."

Second Laura Strong states that "The first goal is always to qualify (for the Playoff Round of 8 teams) but essentially we would like to take it a step further, which would be a great accomplishment in a field of the best World Tour teams on the Tour". In addition to Jones (#2), Strong, and Lank, other top seeds in this event include:

According to Goss, "These teams have a wealth of Provincial, National, and World curling experience, and any team in an event of this calibre is a force to be reckoned with."

Cunningham also explained that, "We use all the event we compete in as preparation for our upcoming playdowns to the Scotties Tournament of Hearts. It is important to play as many highly competitive games as possible to gather as much experience as we can." In St. John’s, the Team plays out of the RE/MAX Centre.

up arrowThe web site for the Sobeys Slam 2008 can be accessed from the Schedule Page of the Team Rodrigues Winery Web Site ( www.teamstrongnl.com ).

 

November 24, 2008

STRONG PLEASED WITH ONTARIO TRIP

It was mixed emotions yesterday for Team Rodrigues Winery at the Sun Life Financial Curling Classic in Brantford, Ontario as they were eliminated by a last rock 6-5 loss to an upstart Ottawa Valley cashspiel team skipped by Jacqueline Harrison.

The Team of Heather Strong, skip; Cathy Cunningham, third; Laura Strong, second; and Peg Goss, lead made the playoffs in the 32-team Ladies Section on Saturday with their fourth consecutive win in the Event; a thrilling 5-4 victory over the Debbie McCormick foursome from Madison, Wisconsin (a 10-time USA Champion and 2003 World Champion with 2 Olympic Games, a 2006 World silver medal, World Junior credentials, Continental Cup appearances, and several World Tour Event Championships on their resume). Down 3-1 at the half way point, a steal in the 6th and 2 with a last-rock draw in the final end eked out the win for Team Rodrigues Winery.

But in the Quarter-Final, Strong explained "It was the competition’s turn for last-end drama. Strong explained, "We had good control of the game and a 5-3 lead on the strength of 2 in the 2nd and a steal in the 7th. I was proud of how tough our Team played throughout the weekend against some top teams. Three in the final end is just one of those things that happens in curling; it just bit us at a bad time." It was the first 3 given up by Team Rodrigues Winery on the weekend, in fact the Team gave up only two 2's in the 5 games.

Second, Laura Strong, agreed that "Our defence was very strong this week" (World Tour Statistics show their 83% "force efficiency", see Attachment 4, was second best amongst the 32 teams). "Even when teams were looking like they were going to get multiple points, Heather made several clutch last rock shots to force them to a single. By qualifying out of Section A, we had 25 hours off before starting the playoffs which can be a challenge, where the teams you come up against are still playing and building momentum. I think we dealt with the layoff well though. Spectators commented that it was a well-played game by both teams".

In addition to Canadian Team Ranking System points, Team Rodrigues Winery won $4,000 (equalling the second highest winnings for the foursome) while Harrison was assured $6,000 with the victory and went on to lose the Final to Marie France Larouche from Quebec City. It was the 6th time that Heather Strong has skipped a team to 5th in an event hosted in Ontario. With $47,000 in total prize money, the Sun Life Financial Curling Classic is the most prestigious event on the World Tour in Ontario this season, attracting a high number of the better teams in central North America including six premium USA teams.

The linescores for all of the Team’s games are attached. In addition to the win over McCormick (that ran Heather Strong’s record versus USA teams to 8-1; 9-1 over international teams) Team Rodrigues Winery had a 5-3 win over Patti Lank from Lewiston, New York (another USA Champion with 6 international events to her credit and the only USA team to have defeated Strong), an extra-end 6-5 win over the 2-time Quebec Championship Eve Belisle team from Montreal, and an opening-game 9-4 win over a Hamilton, Ontario team skipped by Stacey Brandwood.

Upcoming competition for Team Rodrigues Winery comes in the Mens SuperLeague at the RE/MAX Centre, however, they will have just two days back at work before heading to the Sobeys Slam in New Glasgow. The Club Ladies Championship will start in early January. It will decide the teams to represent the Club in Eastern Zone Play which will qualify representatives up arrowfor the Provincial Scotties Tournament of Hearts from which the champion will represent Newfoundland and Labrador in Victoria, BC in February in the National Scotties.

 

November 20, 2008

TEAM RODRIGUES WINERY TO PLAY IN BRANTFORD CASHSPIEL

Ontario has been kind to Provincial Ladies Championship Teams skipped by Heather Strong. They have placed 5th in prestigious events in Ontario cities on 5 occasions; in the World Womens Tour Event in London, 3 times at the World Tour Event in Ottawa, and at the 2006 Scott Tournament of Hearts where they had 7 round-robin wins before losing a tie-breaker. Also current team members Cathy Cunningham and Peg Goss made it to the Final of the Scott Tournament of Hearts in Kitchener-Waterloo in 2003.

Team Rodrigues Winery, which includes skip Heather Strong, third Cathy Cunningham, second Laura Strong, and lead Peg Goss play their first game in the Sun Life Finacial Invitational Curling Classic (the premier Ontario Cashspiel for the 2008 World Tour Season) at 11:30 am (1:00 Nfld. Time) Friday at the Brantford Golf & Country Club. They face off in the 32-team $47,000 triple-knockout Bonspiel against an experienced cashspiel team skipped by Stacey Brandwood, the only team entered from Hamilton, Ontario, which have played together for many years and have their names on several provincial championship banners.

Skip Heather Strong says that, "Our goal for all World Tour events is to qualify for one of the 8 playoff spots that will play a single elimination starting Sunday evening". Lead, Peg Goss, adds that, "Getting off to a good start will certainly be the way to ensure we make the playoffs in this very talented field".

Some of the premier teams entered in the Sun Life Finacial Invitational Curling Classic that will be going all out to win are:

· Cheryl Bernard of Calgary who has already played 7 World Tour Events this season and is ranked second. Their history of play against Team Rodrigues Winery is deep and includes a win at the 2007 Scotties Tournament of Hearts in Lethbridge.

· Patti Lank of Lewiston, New York has a World Championship and two Continental Cup (Team North America) wins amongst her six international appearances; she has had extensive success on the World Tour and defeated Team Rodrigues Winery in the opening game of the 2007 Sobeys Slam.

· Debbie McCormick of Madison, Wisconsin, 10-time USA Champion and 2006 World Silver Medalist who is a former World Champion, a World Junior competitor, and a two-time Olympic competitor defeated by Team Rodrigues Winery at the Casinos of Winnipeg Classic/Slam last month.

· Suzanne (Gaudet) Birt, the current (& 5-time) PEI Champion, 2-time National Junior Champion, 2001 World Junior Champion, and winner of the round-robin in the 2003 Scott Tournament of Hearts. Birt and Strong have met up many times over the past decade in World Tour and National play.

· Bingyu Wang of Harbin, China who was a 2008 World Finalist and has played extensively on the World Tour the last two seasons (including 5 events already this season and an 8-7 defeat in Saskatoon by Team Rodrigues Winery in 2007). Team China is currently ranked 5th on the World Tour.

· Marie France Larouche of Quebec City, the 3-time and current Quebec Champion, 1999 Canadian Junior Champion, 2004 Scott Tournament of Hearts Finalist, and Olympic Trials participant. They were defeated by Team Rodrigues Winery at the 2008 Scotties Tournament of Hearts in Regina.

Third Cathy Cunningham said that, "We’re ready to play as many games as it takes to qualify against these great teams. Our first tournament was a success in our minds and we plan to continue with the same strategy this weekend. The experience we gain with each tournament is equally important to our overall goals."

Team second, Laura Strong, said that, "This event is being hosted at 3 local clubs; the Brantford Golf & Country Club, the Brant Curling Club, and the Paris Curling Club; we will be looking to improve on reading ice at different clubs and being able to adapt quickly." Curling fans and Team followers can link to the Event or World Tour web sites from the Team up arrowRodrigues Winery Web Site in order to view biographical information and to follow along with scores being automatically updated.

 

October 27, 2008

TEAM RODRIGUES WINERY EQUALS BEST EVER FINISH AT A SLAM EVENT

With $62,000 in prize money in the 32-team Casinos of Winnipeg Slam at the Fort Rouge Curling Club in Winnipeg, the richest ever prize package at a Womens World Tour Event, it would have been a good time for Team Rodrigues Winery to break through with their first championship win at a World Tour Slam level event.

Barb (Kirkness) Spencer with her Sister, Darcy Robertson came up big in a Qualifier last night to prevent that from happening. Spencer and Robertson were 1984 Canadian Junior Champions and 1986 and 2003 Manitoba representatives in the Scott Tournament of Hearts. They got out to a 3-0 lead and used hammer in the final end to defeat Team Rodrigues Winery 6-4 to advance to the Playoff Round today. Still, the team of skip Heather Strong, third Cathy Cunningham, second Laura Strong, and lead Peg Goss can be proud of some great curling in a very tough field to finish 9th and be the only team east of Manitoba left standing for the Draw #14 game against Spencer. Also they earn their first Canadian Team Ranking System (CTRS) points for battling past some premium World Tour teams (that included a World Champion, two Manitoba Champions, a USA Champion, a Saskatchewan Champion, a National Junior Champion, and a career World Tour icon).

Heather Strong said that "I am proud of the way we played this weekend, given the fact that we are just two weeks into our season and playing many teams who have been playing for 5 to 6 weeks already. Our losses were tight scores and our wins were convincing." The field included 14 of the 17 teams ahead of Team Rodrigues Winery in World Tour points as of the end of last season (and 13 of the top 14) plus arguably the best teams from Sweden and the USA. The outcomes and highlights for games 1 to 5 are:

up arrowEvent statistics are available on the Asham World Tour Web Site available from the Schedule Page or Links Page on the Team Rodrigues Winery Web Site www.teamstrongnl.com

 

October 23, 2008

TEAM RODRIGUES WINERY ENTERED IN GRAND SLAM EVENT

Winnipeg has been an important site for Heather Strong led curling teams, including her start with her Sister, Laura, at the National Junior Championship in 1997. And it is back to Winnipeg on Thursday for Team Rodrigues Winery as they play in the Casinos of Winnipeg Slam at the Fort Rouge Curling Club. Heather Strong said, "I’m not sure what to expect this weekend; we are sufficiently experienced against the top teams now and we hope to break through soon with a championship win at the World Tour level. Every game is an opportunity to improve as we set out to defend our Provincial Championship in January."

Team Rodrigues Winery third, Cathy Cunningham, said that "We will all need to be at the top of our game to have a winning record amongst these very experienced teams, twelve of which have won national championships. Our goal will be to qualify for the Championship Round on Monday."

The four top-seeds are:

• Kelly Scott (BC), 2-time Canadian Champion and World bronze and gold medalist; she also won the Canadian Junior Championship for Manitoba when she was Kelly MacKenzie.

• Stephanie (Miller) Lawton (SASK), the current Canada Cup Champion and another former national junior champion who is ranked 4th in the World by the Canadian Curling News.

• Jennifer Jones (MAN), current Canadian and World Champion who also won the 2005 Scott in St. John’s with her famous last shot (another former national junior champion).

• Shannon Kleibrink (ALB), who shared the Torino Olympics spotlight with the Brad Gushue Team, winning a bronze and who represented Alberta in the Scotties Tournament of Hearts in 1993, 2004, and 2008.

Team Rodrigues Winery opens 9:00 am (11:30 in Newfoundland) Friday against the Janet Harvey Team from Winnipeg. Strong and Harvey are within 4 places of each other on the Cummulative Canadian Team Ranking System over the past 2 years, resulting in a well matched opener. It will be the first of two games on Friday in the triple-knockout elimination. up arrowThe evening game for Team Rodrigues Winery will either be against Kleibrink from Calgary or Kim Link from Winnipeg.

 

September 22, 2008

TEAM RODRIGUES WINERY ANNOUNCES 2008-09 SCHEDULE
HIGHLIGHTS ARE TWO GRAND SLAMS AND THE CANADA CUP QUALIFIER

After another busy summer of off-ice conditioning and fine-tuning their approach for play on the World Tour, Team Rodrigues Winery today announced that they intend to play in at least four high-profile mainland events; events that will have the Team in the curling spotlight throughout the 2008-09 World Tour season.

Team skip, Heather Strong, said, "We are fortunate to enjoy cooperation from great sponsors such as Rodrigues Winery, Harveys Home Heating, Natural Newfoundland Nutraceuticals, and Travellers Inn and affiliates. This has allowed us to register for:

• the Casinos of Winnipeg Classic; a $50,000 32-team World Tour Grand Slam Event starting Oct. 24,

• the Sun Life Financial Invitational Curling Classic in Brantford, Ontario, starting November 21st,

• the Sobeys Slam Curling Classic in New Glasgow (voted "best event of 2008-2009" and "richest event on the 2008-2009 Tour") starting November 27; with $60,000 it is the richest event on the 2007-08 Tour,

• the John Shea Insurance Spiel in Ottawa, this ladies 48-team Canada Cup Qualifier starts in Ottawa on December 11."

These four events represent the busiest World Tour season ever for Team Rodrigues Winery which includes Peg Goss as lead, Laura Strong as second, and Cathy Cunningham as third. Cunningham explained that, "This schedule is as much as our business leave will allow, and it will enable us to get a wealth of competition with other elite teams on the World Tour. Consistent exposure to the curling talent in those events is essential for our continued development in this sport."

In addition to the four above events, Team Rodrigues Winery will also play in local cashspiels and weekly play in the RE/MAX Center SuperLeague, in order to sharpen the Team’s skills with a view to returning to the Scotties Tournament of Hearts in Victoria, BC in February.

It is through winning either the Scotties or the Canada Cup that Team Rodrigues Winery has the best chance of entering play to decide Canada’s Team for the 2010 Olympic Winter Games. Lead, Peg Goss, added that, "There is no doubt the Olympics is one of our major focuses this year, but World Tour points are helpful to qualify for events as well, such as the Canada Cup and the Players Championship" (as played at Mile One Complex in April 2008).

Team second, Laura Strong, advised that, "It is nice to have earned respect with solid outings in all our events last season, but these very high-calibre fields mean that we will have to play our best to be successful again on the World Tour this year." Complete team rosters are up arrowattached for Winnipeg but rosters for the other events and the teams for Brantford are not yet available.

 

March 18, 2008

Jones' win sends Strong to sidelines

ROBIN SHORT
Telegram Sports Editor

Jennifer Jones walked a tightrope with Heather Strong for the second time in less than two months yesterday, and just as she did at the Scotties Tournament of Hearts in February, the reigning Canadian and world champ skirted a freefall to squeeze out a win against the St. John's skip.

Jones 7-6 victory Thursday afternoon knocked Strong from the Tylenol Players Championship. Strong, Cathy Cunningham, Laura Strong, and Peg Goss finished at 0-3. "A couple of execution errors killed us," Strong said afterwards.

Trailing 4-2 after three ends, Jones got one in the fourth and then stole a pair of points in each of the fifth and sixth ends. Strong managed one in the seventh and appeared to have sent the game into an extra end with a steal of two in the eighth.

However, a measurement indicated one of Jones rocks were closer to the button than Strong's leaving the Newfoundlanders counting only one. "We caught Jen missing a couple of shots, but when they missed, we tended to follow up with a miss of our own," Strong said. "We had our opportunities to win, but didn't seal the deal."

At the Scotties, Strong led Jones 7-5 in the 10th end of their round-robin game. But Newfoundland ran into time clock trouble, leaving Strong scrambling to make her last shot which was heavy. Jones, holding hammer, had an easy takeout for a game-ending three-ender.

"When teams like that make a mistake, absolutely, you have to jump on them," Strong said. "I thought there were more uncharacteristic misses by them today and we needed to take an extra second and make sure we followed up with a make of our own. We let them off the hook a little bit."

Early exit from the Players aside, Strong was satisfied with the new-look team's 2007-08 season. The group finished 7-4 at the Scotties, losing a tie-breaker to - you guessed it - Jones. On the World Curling Tour, the foursome registered a semifinal placing at a Saskatoon, Sask. event and reached the quarters in an Edmonton bonspiel.

"This was our first year as a team and on paper, we knew we were good curlers but we had no idea whether we'd gel," she said." We had a lot of fun through the season which is another measure of success that needs to be factored in. You spend so much time together, you have to enjoy each other's company.

"We won a lot of cash this year. Top 16 in Canada, nothing wrong with that." Prior to their uniting this year, teams skipped by either Strong or Cunningham had won 10 straight provincial women's championships.

Despite the obvious connections - Heather and Laura are sisters and Cunningham and Goss are first cousins, "but they're like sisters" - there was no "us" and "them," on the team.

"We had to work hard at that. We were aware that was a possibility," Strong said. "We formed this team in April of last year and through the summer that was the major focus, getting it out of two partners and getting it to four team players.

up arrow"We're always aware of that, and making an extra effort to car pool differently ... certain things like that. "It worked well."

February 25, 2008

Strong constitution
Newfoundland skip not dwelling too much on what ifs from last week

KENN OLIVER
The Telegram

Team StrongJennifer Jones’ Manitoba rink ran off eight straight wins to finish off the Scotties Tournament of Hearts and win the Canadian women’s curling championship in Regina. But Jones’ turnaround would not have been possible had the result of a single game — and not one involving Manitoba — had been different.

Heather Strong and Sherry Middaugh joked, after the fact, that had Middaugh’s Ontario rink allowed Strong’s entry to win their matchup in Thursday’s final round-robin draw, Jones would have been left out of the playoff picture. What’s more, Strong would have claimed second place and the second-life reward that came with it.

But it was Middaugh who defeated Strong to claim second, leaving Newfoundland at 7-4 and a tie-breaker date with Jones, who had stayed alive by winning her last four round-robin games. Manitoba won the tie-breaker and three more in the playoffs on a march to her second national women’s title in four years. "But that’s curling," said Strong. "We could start it all over tomorrow and have an entirely different result."

In fact, if Strong and teammates Cathy Cunningham, Laura Strong and Peg Goss chose to dwell on the what ifs, they could spend a lot of time thinking about their round-robin loss to Jones in the 12th draw; in the final end of that game, with Newfoundland leading 7-5 and Jones holding the hammer, Strong set herself in the hack for her final rock with only seconds remaining on the team’s 73-minute game clock. Released just before time expired, the rock travelled too far, allowing Jones an easy takeout to score three, take the match and avoid a fifth loss which would have kept Manitoba out of the playoffs.

"I was completely rushed in that delivery," admitted Strong. "But we’ve been behind on time in the past, I’ve made those shots with no time on the clock like that before. I had the chance to execute again and just didn’t execute. We made it hard on ourselves by running the clock down, but it still wasn’t the only reason the shot was missed."

The eight-time Scotties Skip said that instead of relying on her own shot calling instincts, she kept looking for consensus from the team. After the game, her teammates and coaches reminded her to “assume the role of skip and just call the game.”

"I do a good job of that normally, but for whatever reason I just let that get away a little bit and started polling my players before calling shots. That’s something the clocks have been established to prevent. “We learned a lesson that day."

Strong said she wasn’t truly aware how desperate for time team Newfoundland was.She notes, as skip, she tends to focus more on calling the game, the shots and personally executing on the last two throws of each end. She said the team’s front-end took responsibility for the dwindling time.

"We’re all going to make mistakes, and collectively, we make fewer mistakes than most teams.Every now and again, something slips like that," said Strong, whose rink didn’t finish a game with less than 10 minutes on their clock through the remainder of the tournament.

But for those who would choose to keep coming back to the round-robin loss to Manitoba, Strong suggests its negative effect was later cancelled out by a win Newfoundland shouldn’t have registered.That was a victory over Nova Scotia, claimed when Newfoundland stole a point in the extra end. In that one, Nova Scotia skip Mary-Anne Arsenault missed an easy shot, opening the door for Strong’s winning steal. It was the third time Newfoundland won with a stolen point in the 11th.

"We didn’t deserve to win that game, in my opinion, and pulled it off. So it balanced out a game I felt we were deserving of winning and didn’t pull off," Strong said. And in any case, Strong notes, Newfoundland had later opportunities to alter its fortunes with wins over Ontario Thursday, or, in Friday’s tiebreaker against Manitoba. However, she said her rink was undone due to lack of execution on its part and the momentum of the opposition.

"In the final round-robin game against Ontario, as well as the tie-breaker against Jennifer, we were just kind of slipping on the execution front and we came up against two really strong, up arrowhot teams building momentum at the end of the week," said Strong. "As we were coming down a slope, they were heading up."

 

February 22, 2008

Strong looking for a break
Newfoundland, Manitoba meet today for final playoff berth

BRENDAN MCCARTHY
The Telegram

Team StrongIt will be keeping up with Jones, Round 2, for Heather Strong today at the Scotties Tournament of Hearts national women's curling championship in Regina.

Strong and her St. John's rink of Cathy Cunningham, Laura Strong (Heather's sister) and Peg Goss take on Manitoba's Jennifer Jones at noon, Newfoundland time, in a tie-breaker game to determine who will earn the fourth and final berth in the playoffs, beginning this evening.

Strong's Newfoundland and Labrador entry and Manitoba each had 7-4 records at the end of round-robin play Thursday night, leaving them tied for fourth. Whichever team emerges triumphant from the tie-breaker will face Marie-France Larouche of Quebec (8-3) at the start of the Page playoffs, with the winner of that game advancing to Saturday's semifinal.

Today's other playoff match-up features first-place Shannon Kleibrink of Alberta (10-1) and second-place Sherry Middaugh of Ontario (9-2), with the winner going directly to Sunday's final and the loser taking the other semifinal slot.

The situation would have been dramatically different for the Newfoundlanders had they beaten Ontario in the 17th and final draw Thursday. With a win, Strong, making her fourth straight appearance at the Scotties and eighth overall, could have claimed the No. 2 seed, and the second chance that goes with it.

But Middaugh prevailed 8-5, leaving Strong with a path that will have to go through Jones and Larouche.

Strong certainly would have wanted to avoid the tie-breaker, but can't be totally disappointed at the prospect of a rematch with Jones, who handed the Re/Max Centre (St. John's Curling Club) rink a gut-wrenching defeat on Wednesday.

Newfoundland was leading that game 7-5 in the 10th end, with Jones holding the hammer.   But Strong and Co. were also experiencing an unwelcome rush - their time clock was running out.

Each team is allotted a total of 73 minutes of playing time for a game, but as Strong readied herself to throw her final stone in the end, there were mere seconds left on the clock. She rushed the shot and missed badly. With her final rock, Jones had an easy takeout to score the three points Ontario needed for the win.

However, Newfoundland bounced back for a 7-5 win over host Saskatchewan Wednesday night and began Thursday with an 8-7 victory over Nova Scotia.   The latter came on a steal on an extra end, marking the third time this week that Strong had won with a stolen point in the 11th end.

She held last-rock advantage to begin Thursday's game against Middaugh, and scored two points after blanking the opening end. But then came a succession of ends that saw Ontario score two with the hammer, while Newfoundland only managed a single point when it had last rock.

Middaugh sealed the win with a steal of two in the eighth.

The result gave Jones - who had a bye in the final draw - a chance to play today.

"We weren't looking as much to eliminate Manitoba as it was to get second place,' the even-keeled Strong told the Regina Leader-Post.   "Hopefully we'll come out firing on all cylinders and it will be a fun game that goes down to the wire.'

This is the first time Kleibrink has skipped Alberta to the playoffs in three appearances at the national championship.

"Everyone says 'oh, she's the inexperienced one' but what I think is I've never had these kind of horses behind me," Kleibrink said. "I don't remember having to make any kind of a circus shots this year.

"Really, if I can just play decent, we have a good chance."

Kleibrink has been better than decent as she led all skips in shooting percentage.

Today's tie-breaker, and Page playoff games (4:30 p.m., and 9:30 p.m., NT) will be broadcast on TSN.

Saturday's semifinal (1 p.m., NT) and Sunday's championship game (2 p.m., NT) will be carried on CBC.

Two-time defending champion Kelly Scott finished at 5-6.

"I think that shows the strength of the field, that yes, there were teams that were supposed to do better, but the teams that were in the middle, the dark horses, are just as talented," said Middaugh, who has taken Ontario into the playoffs each of the four times she's skipped up arrowthe province at the Canadian championships.

 

February 20, 2008

Saskatchewan in winter is vacationland for Strong

REGINA
ROB VANSTONE
CanWest News Service

Heather StrongHeather Strong is enjoying her winter getaway in tropical Regina.
“This is our vacation,” said Strong, who is back for an eighth time and fourth straight year as skip for the Newfoundland and Labrador entry at the Scotties Tournament of Hearts.
“I think that we’ll save the exotic locations for retirement. I don’t think I’ll see a sandy beach for the next little while.”
Strong says forgoing vacations to the sunny south is just one of the sacrifices needed to curl at this level.
“We invest a lot of time and money to play here,” said Strong, who is the provincial director of Newfoundland’s Terry Fox Foundation.
“It’s a real honour to represent your province. (Tournament sponsor) Kruger Products takes such good care of us, so all those factors put together are the reason we love playing in this. We wouldn’t trade it for anything in the world.”
But there are tradeoffs to be made. To curl at an elite level, the sport cannot be approached as a form of recreation.
“There’s the practice regime, and the teams you see here are only a fraction of those that put in the same amount of effort and just came out on the wrong side of the inch,” Strong said. “There are a lot of high-calibre curlers in Canada who are making that sacrifice.
“Having said that, it is obviously a lot of fun or we wouldn’t choose to sacrifice finances and our time with our families to play this game.”
Strong is curling in Regina for the third time at a major Canadian Curling Association event.
In 1995, she competed at the Canadian junior curling championships when they were held at the Callie. Three years later, she made her Scotties debut when the event was held in Regina.
The latter event doubled as a homecoming celebration of Sandra Schmirler’s team, which won Canada’s first Olympic curling gold medal at the 1998 Winter Olympic Games in Japan. The 1998 Scotties attracted 154,688 spectators — by far the highest figure in the history of the event.
“I don’t think you can compare (this year’s Scottie) to 1998,” Strong said. “That’s in its own ballpark, in my opinion, but in terms of the talent here, it’s as high-calibre curling as I’ve ever seen. There’s 16 rocks on every sheet so, in that respect, all Scotties are going to be the same. We’re just as excited to be here as we were in ‘98.
“That (1998 Scotties) had some unique elements going for it, so it’s tough to compare that to any other, but this Scott is fantastic and we’re having fun so far.”
How do the curlers ensure that they are having fun while involved in intense competition for a coveted national title?
“It’s an important balance to strike,” said Strong, who curls with Cathy Cunningham, Laura Strong (Heather’s sister) and Peg Goss.
“It’s a whole event, so you do have to spend some time with the spectators. You have to spend some time enjoying the atmosphere and experience, because there’s only one team up arrowthat’s going to leave here as Canadian champions, so you want to make sure that all 12 teams enjoy themselves along the way.”

 

December 17, 2007

TEAM RODRIGUES WINERY ENDS WORLD TOUR SEASON ON A POSITIVE NOTE

Sunday morning, Team Rodrigues Winery from the Re/Max Centre in St. John's was one of only eight Teams alive in the 46-Team $68,000 Diversified Transportation Canada Cup Qualifier at the Saville Centre in Edmonton.

None of the ten teams from BC, Quebec, Y/NWT, or the Maritimes qualified for the "final eights"; and gone were such big names in the sport as Sherry Anderson, Cathy King, Alison Goring, Colleen Jones, Heather Rankin, Karen Porritt, Renee Sonnenberg, Amber Holland, Jolene McIvor, Crystal Webster, and Shannon Kliebrink (Canada's representative in the last Olympics).

After impressive victories over PEI's Suzanne Gaudet (9-2) and Winnipeg's Karen Porritt (7-5), Team Rodrigues Winery had a 4-0 record and was one of 3 teams that qualified for the playoff round through Section A (undefeated). This marked only the second time in 10 years on the World Tour that a team skipped by Heather Strong has made the playoffs through Section A; and the outcome was similar. In December, 2003 there was a first-game-of-the-playoffs loss to the 7-time Quebec Champion Chantal Osborne Team.

Sunday they ran up against the eventual champion (just as in the Quarter-Final of last years Canada Cup Qualifier in Ottawa). Team Rodrigues Winery stayed with Cheryl Bernard, the current Alberta Champion from Calgary, for 7 ends. Losing at that time 4-3, and having to take some chances to generate offence, afforded Team Bernard the opportunity to steal three points to take the game. Team Bernard went on to defeat Stefanie Lawton (SASK) and Sherry Middaugh (ONT) for the $12,500 first prize.

Heather Strong, skip of Team Rodrigues Winery , said that, "I'm extremely proud of our Team's play at Edmonton, and I'm extremely appreciative of the work by Bas Kavanagh and support from our sponsors that contributed to this placing. Still, we're disappointed to have again been so close to a Canada Cup berth and to have lost out. We have to hope that it is only two of these (Quarter-Finals) that you have to lose before breaking through in a Canada Cup Qualifying Game." (Strong lost two World Tour Event Finals before winning the 2005 Sobeys Curling Classic in New Glasgow, her only out-of-province World Tour win.)

Lead, Peg Goss, explained that, "There is incentive to represent our club, province, and sponsors in the best possible way every time out; we just want to perform as we are capable in everything we enter." Cathy Cunningham, the Team Rodrigues Winery third, commented, "It's great to qualify for the Playoffs and come 5th when you're seeded middle of the pack in the largest (46-team) World Tour event of the season".

Team second, Laura Strong, said, "This is a great confidence booster; we must use this experience and focus now to be highly competitive in the club, provincial playdowns, and in whatever the future may bring". In St. John's, the Team plays weekly in Re/Max SuperLeague Curling where they currently have a 6-3 record.

The 4-0 start by Team Rodrigues Winery at Edmonton involved some impressive play in the following games:

Team Rodrigues Winery also takes advantage of this opportunity to bring Christmas Greetings to one and all. Heather Strong says that they, "Wish a very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year to all the media and our Sponsors, fans, supporters, followers, competitors, organizers, officials, and volunteers. While we'll be raising a glass or two of Rodrigues wine with up arrowfamily and friends over the Holidays, we hope all will join us in drinking responsibly over the holidays."

 

December 12, 2007

LOCAL TEAM OFF TO CANADA CUP QUALIFIER IN EDMONTON

Skip Heather Strong says there’s a great deal at stake for Team Rodrigues Winery in their third World Tour appearance this season; the Diversified Transportation Canada Cup Qualifier that starts today - Wednesday at the Saville Centre in Edmonton. She explains that, "Playing in an Olympic Trials puts you in very exclusive company and to do that now pretty well requires a team from Eastern Canada to either win a Scotties Tournament of Hearts or win a Strauss Canada Cup; it is no longer possible to play enough World Tour Events to finish at the top of the money list."

"We play a sampling of the best competition we can find to develop our game to a point where we can break through and win a Scotties or Canada Cup, and this is our opportunity to finish in the top four in order to play in the Canada Cup February 27 - March 2, 2008 in Kamloops." As the Team explains on their Web Site, they are very appreciative of their wonderful Sponsors headed by Rodrigues Winery, Travellers Inn, Harvey’s Oil Limited, and Kent Building Supplies, who "assist greatly in our pursuit of excellence. Without them our participation in the World Curling Tour would not be possible, and our ability to compete at a high level would be lacking in important competition against other elite National and International curling teams."

Seeded middle of the pack in the field of 46 premium teams, a top-four finish is a tall order. However, Team Rodrigues Winery finished 5th in the same circumstance last year. The Team opens 5:30 pm today against the Jerri-Pat Armstrong Team from Cranbrook, BC. Armstrong has been amongst the top BC teams each of the last several years and, this season, has Christine Keshen from Shannon Kleibrink’s Olympic Bronze Medal Team throwing last rocks. Team third, Cathy Cunningham, said that, "We have never seen Team Armstrong on the Tour, so she is a bit of an unknown quantity to us".

Team lead, Peg Goss, added that, "With so many top teams entered it will be tough games from start to finish." However Team Rodrigues Winery is no stranger to many of these teams, having played already this year against nine of the top contenders; Sherry Anderson (twice), Cheryl Bernard (twice), Stefanie Lawton, Amber Holland, Karen Porritt, Meredith Harrison, Kerry (Koe) Galusha, Suzanne Gaudet, and Colleen Jones.

Second, Laura Strong, confirmed that, "There are about 30 teams capable of winning this Event. The big prize and major incentive for all will not be the $12,500 for the winner but the potential berth in the Olympic Trials to be played December 2009 to decide Canada’s entry in the 2010 Olympics in Vancouver-Whistler".

Team Rodrigues Winery knows that they will have to knock off some heavy-weights on the Canadian ladies curling scene in order to make the playoff round of 13 teams; however Strong has finished 5th in the equivalent Ottawa World Tour Event on four occasions over the last 8 seasons (1999, 2001, 2003, and 2006). Elimination games continue Thursday, Friday, and Saturday with the final played Sunday afternoon.

Heather Strong explains that, "our Team hopes for consistency in our effort at Edmonton which is an important last test before the Provincial Championship at Bally Haly Curling Club in January". In St. John’s, Team Rodrigues Winery plays out of the Re/Max Centre where it has up arrowa 6-3 record in SuperLeague. Game results and real time score updates will be available from the link on the Schedule Page of the Team’s Web Site.

 

December 3, 2007

TEAM RODRIGUES WINERY 4-3 IN GRAND SLAM EVENT

LADY CURLERS DISAPPOINTED NOT TO QUALIFY FOR PLAYOFF ROUND

LOCAL TEAM TAKES SOME SATISFACTION FROM PRESTIGIOUS CURLING SPIEL

The 32-team $54,000 Sobeys Slam 2007 concluded Sunday night at the John Brother MacDonald Stadium in New Glasgow.   There were a series of ups and downs for the Team of Heather Strong, Cathy Cunningham, Laura Strong, and Peg Goss. They finished in 9th place with a 4-3 record; one win better than the previous Grand Slam appearance for Team Rodrigues Winery (in Winnipeg in Oct. 2006).

Heather Strong said, "It was disappointing to be the last team eliminated from the playoffs, and to not be in contention in that game; however, it was great experience to play tough against a great field and to have all six of our other games go down to the last rock. I know our Team had it in us to 'qualify', and it just wasn’t in the cards this weekend."

Team Rodrigues Winery was put on the sidelines by a team that defeated them in the Scotties Tournament of Hearts round robin from the previous year. Their 7th game was an 8-2 loss to the team skipped this year by Meredith (Doyle) Harrison, a team that combines the talents from three different World Junior medal winning teams. The second for Team Rodrigues Winery, Laura Strong, explained that, "We are particularly pleased with our win in Game #4 against 3rd seed Cheryl Bernard from Calgary". Strong took Bernard by a 5-4 score, and this team also defeated Strong at the Scotties in Lethbridge in February.

The remainder of the games unfolded like this:

Game 1: A 7-3 loss to Patti Lank from New York, 4-time USA Champion.   Team Rodrigues Winery, needing 3 to tie, was unable to convert on a high-difficulty final stone.

Game 2: Defeated Sarah Rhino of NS (a young team that has played together for 11 years) 6-5 in an extra end despite Team Rodrigues Winery being behind 3-1 and 4-2.

Game 3: Second consecutive win by Team Rodrigues Winery (6-4) over Amber Holland from SASK; Team Holland also was ahead 3-0 until giving up 3 in the 4th end, and a steal in the final end.

Game 5: The team skipped by Colleen Jones, which combines athletes from 3 provinces, made a difficult rock to score two in the final end for a 6-5 victory over Team Rodrigues Winery.

Game 6: The best offensive game for Team Rodrigues Winery was an 8-5 win over a very experienced World Tour team skipped by Janet McGhee from Ontario. The Team from the Re/Max Centre in St. John’s scored 3 in the first end and 2's in the 4th and 6th on route to the victory.

Team third, Cathy Cunningham said that, "Our schedule this season was developed to get the best competition available to us, and this week saw us match up well against some great competitors. Lead, Peg Goss added that, “We have nine days to work on some aspects of our game in our home club before departing for Edmonton and our final World Tour event for this season".

In St. John's, Team Rodrigues Winery plays in Re/Max Superleague Curling at the Re/Max Centre where they have 4 wins in their 6 games played to date. Information on all the up arrowmainland events contested by Team Rodrigues Winery this season is available from the Schedule Page on the Team’s Web Site.

November 28, 2007

TEAM RODRIGUES WINERY AT SOBEYS SLAM IN NEW GLASGOW THIS WEEK

NORTH AMERICA’S BEST COME TO ATLANTIC CANADA FOR THE FIRST TIME

Team Rodrigues Winery starts competition noon Thursday at the Bluenose Curling Club in New Glasgow against a very successful international team.    For their first game, the Team of Heather Strong, Cathy Cunningham, Laura Strong, and Peg Goss has drawn Patti Lank from Lewiston, New York (a 4-time USA Champion, 1999 World Silver Medalist, and 2-time Continental Cup Champion).   Fans are expecting a great match-up as Team Rodrigues Winery is ranked 16th for this event and Lank is seeded 17th.

The Sobeys Slam 2007, starting Thursday, November 29, is the first ever World Ladies Curling Tour Grand Slam Event to come to Atlantic Canada.   The format is a 32-team triple-knockout seeing 8 teams go to a sudden-death playoff where a total of $54,000 is on the line.   The event will also be played at the John Brother MacDonald Stadium in New Glasgow.

This will be the fifth time that Team Rodrigues Winery has participated in the Sobeys World Tour Cashspiel and they were the 2005 Champion as well as a 2002 Finalist. The familiar surroundings for the Team are among the reason for optimism that they will continue their success so far this year, including a third place finish at their October World Tour event (in Saskatoon) and their 14-5 record in local play this season.

Skip of Team Rodrigues Winery, Heather Strong, said that, "We are looking forward to some arena play and we especially like the planning put into this event by the excellent local committee; however, there are aspects of this event that will be new territory for us. The field of talent this year is unprecedented, this Stadium has never had curling ice before, and the World Tour has moved to 8-end games for Grand Slam Events."

Elaborating, third Cathy Cunningham explained that, "playing 8 ends is a shorter game requiring a subtle mindshift that our competitors have already experienced and that we need to adjust to quickly".   Team Rodrigues Winery lead, Peg Goss, said that, "the goal is always to qualify (for the Playoff Round of 8 teams) and this would be a wonderful honour in a field of the best World Tour teams on the Tour including five of the top seven 2007 money winners". Teams are coming from throughout North America to play in this event, including teams from the prairies (12), Ontario (6), Quebec (2), the Maritimes (9), and the USA (2).   According to Goss, "These other teams have a wealth of Provincial, National, and World curling experience."

"The Team’s secondary goal," explained second, Laura Strong, "is to use this Event as preparation for club, zone, and provincial playdowns in December and January".   In St. John’s, the Team plays out of the Re/Max Centre where either Cathy Cunningham or Heather Strong has been on the Provincial Scotties Tournament of Hearts Championship Team for 17 of the last 20 years.   Peg Goss and Laura Strong each have four Provincial Ladies Championships to their credit.

The web site this year for the Sobeys Slam 2007 can be accessed from the Schedule Page of the Team Rodrigues Winery Web Site ( www.teamstrongnl.com ).   In New Glasgow, up arrowthe Team will be staying at the Country Inn (902) 928-1333.   The final game is scheduled for Sunday evening.

October 31, 2007

STRONG PLEASED WITH SASKATOON COMPETITION

The members of Team Rodrigues Winery brought back from the 32-team Colonial Square Classic at the Nutana Curling Club in Saskatoon a distinct message of satisfaction and accomplishment. It was the first World Tour event with the new team lineup, and the Team of Heather Strong (skip), Cathy Cunningham (third), Laura Strong (second), and Peg Goss (lead) are holding their heads high to have come out of such a field with a 6-3 record.

All losses were to teams that ‘qualified’ for the playoff round (final 8) and the Team was amongst the leaders in several statistical categories, both offensive and defensive. They were eliminated Monday afternoon by Team Lawton who won their Semi-Final 6-3, the same score by which Lawton won the Final over Edmonton’s Cathy King. “The greatest satisfaction from the Event was that our play was a fine team effort and we were able to generate points when we needed them against the World Tour leaders” said Heather Strong.

Team Rodrigues Winery won $3,500 for their 3rd place finish from the Event pot of $31,000; Team Lawton won $9,000. “The cash is not the important thing,” said third Cathy Cunningham; “It is to get so many quality ends (89) of curling over a 4-day period.” The Team also won both extra-end encounters; 6-4 over Ros Stewart and 8-7 over Samantha Yachiw, both from Saskatoon. Lead Peg Goss added that, “This weekend was a tremendous experience and an important step in our Team’s on-ice development.”

Other scores for Team Rodrigues Winery were a 10-6 win over Teryn Hamilton (Lethbridge), a 9-5 loss to Karen Porritt (Winnipeg), a 7-5 win over Tracy Streifel (Saskatoon), an 8-7 sea-saw victory over Bingyu Wang (China), and an 8-7 defeat by Sherry Anderson (Saskatoon) before defeating Team Anderson 8-3 in the Semi-Final.

Team second, Laura Strong, said that, “While we are very pleased with our play this weekend, we have to remain focussed on our primary goal this season, the Scotties Tournament of Hearts.” A win in the Provincial Scotties in January would see Team Rodrigues Winery return to Saskatchewan (Regina) in February as Team Newfoundland & Labrador for the Canadian Championship.

The Team China victory was Heather Strong’s sixth on the World Tour against international competition (Scotland, USA, and China) giving her a 6-0 record. In their next World Tour competition, at the Sobeys Grand Slam Event in New Glasgow, Team Rodrigues Winery opens against Patti Lank, a 4-time USA Champion, World Silver Medalist, and Continental Cup veteran. The win over team Anderson was Strong’s first in four World Tour outings going back to 2001. Anderson is a 4-time Scotties Tournament of Hearts participant (2-time finalist) and Olympic Trials participant who is in third place on the all-time World Tour money list with $320,400 as of January 1, 2007 (only 3 teams have more than $265,000 in winnings).

up arrowIn St. John’s, Team Rodrigues Winery plays out of the Re/Max Centre and participates in Re/Max SuperLeague Curling.

October 31, 2007

Old rivals become new teammates

Strong and Cunningham now on the same side

DARCY MACRAE
The Telegram

It's still early in the curling season, but Heather Strong already likes what she sees in her new team.

Strong is teaming with her sister Laura (second), Peg Goss (lead) and Cathy Cunningham (third) this season, bringing together members of the province's top two women's curling clubs over the past decade.

In the last 10 years, a team skipped by either Strong or Cunningham has won the provincial championship, with Strong representing Newfoundland and Labrador at the last two Scottie's Tournament of Hearts. This season, the rinks have combined, more or less, with the Strong sisters joining forces with Cunningham and Goss, her long-time third.

"It just seemed like a good fit. We have similar goals, similar work ethics, these are important elements in forming a team. It just seemed like a good opportunity," said Strong.

Strong is reluctant to say she and Cunningham were rivals, chuckling at the notion the two were fierce combatants, but she does admit each team knew it would have to go through the other every winter in order to win the provincial crown. However, she said the many big games they played against each other did not create any animosity between the teams, which has helped the four players get along famously so far.

"No, it's gone well, " answered Strong when asked if there's been any tension. "We formed the team in April and worked off ice as a team throughout the summer.

'We had a fair bit of home work done going into the season.'

For the past two seasons, Cunningham was the Strong rink's fifth at the Scottie Tournament of Hearts. This pairing got the province's top two female skips talking about what life could be like if they played together regularly.

"I always knew her as a great shot-maker, but that allowed me to get to know Cathy's personality and I got curious about playing together," said Strong.

The Strong rink, known as Team Rodrigues Winery, played its first World Curling Tour event of the season last weekend in Saskatoon, Sask., competing in the 32-team Colonial Square Curling Classic. Team Strong advanced to the semifinals before being eliminated Monday by the eventual champion, Stefanie Lawton of Saskatchewan.

The rink's only losses at the event were to teams which qualified for the playoff round (final eight), and after returning home Tuesday, Strong said she and her teammates are pleased with how they curled in Saskatoon.

"Yeah, we are. Our ice (in St. John's) just went down at the beginning of October, while a lot of the teams we played had started in August," said Strong. "The goal was to get in as many quality games as we could and to come away with nine games was excellent. The placing on top of that is icing on the cake .

"I was pleased with how we gelled as a team because it really was our first test ... we only played together six times locally. We're going to continue to work on communication. We have to make sure we're all on the same page with every shot called."

Strong was also encouraged by how well the four curlers got along during the trip.

"We're familiar with each other, having played against one another for a number of years. But it was new being on the road together, travelling with the girls. That went really well," said Strong.

up arrowTeam Strong will continue to play locally before its next WCT stop in late November at New Glasgow, N.S.

October 25, 2007

NEW LINEUP TO GET GOOD TEST IN SASKATOON

Team Rodrigues Winery, is scheduled to play their first World Tour game of the new season in the Colonial Square Curling Classic 10:00 am Friday. They face off in the 32-team $31,000 triple-knockout Bonspiel against a yet unnamed opponent. Play will continue through the weekend and the final will be played on Monday.

Heather Strong, skip of Team Rodrigues Winery, says that, "Our goal at each World Tour event will be to qualify for one of the 8 playoff spots. This is an excellent field and the event will be a good test for our new team lineup."

Lead, Peg Goss commented that, "We are really looking forward to having the opportunity to put all of the work we've been doing with Bas to the test". Bas Kavanagh is the Team's Sports Psychologist and adds that, "We have worked hard on our mental game in the off-season and it's great to finally be able to test those skills now in a high-stakes event".

Strong’s foursome will need to get off to a good start to make the playoff round because this Event is so very deep in talented teams. In addition to the expected quota of top contenders from Saskatchewan, Sherry Middaugh will have her team there from Ontario, Team China will be there preparing for Olympic competition, and several premium teams are entered from Manitoba and Alberta.

There are 23 teams entered with national experience; teams skipped by Middaugh, Cathy King, Michele Englot, Kerry (Koe) Galusha, Karen Porritt, Tracy Streifel, Cathy Trowell, Jolene McIvor, and Darcy (Kirkness) Robertson to name a few, as well as the two home-town favourites, Sherry Anderson and Stephanie Lawton. Cathy Cunningham, who plays third for Team Rodrigues Winery, explained that, "all teams with Scott Tournament of Hearts experience (such as King, Lawton, and Galusha here at Mile One Stadium in 2005) are well-known as fierce and successful cashspiel and World Tour competitors". Lawton is also the 2005 Winner of the Colonial Square Curling Classic; Middaugh won in 2004.

While none of the Newfoundland team members have been to Saskatoon before, play in Saskatchewan is not new. Team Rodrigues Winery had a 3-3 record at the 2006 Cuets Schmirler Charity Classic World Tour Event in Regina and Heather Strong skipped her first games at both the National Junior and at the Scott Tournament of Hearts in different Regina venues. The Scotties Tournament of Hearts returns to Regina in February 2008 and it will be a goal of all the teams entered in the Colonial Square Curling Classic.

Curling fans, sports writers, and Friends-of-the-Team can follow action in the Colonial Square up arrowCurling Classic through the Event Web Pages which can be accessed off the "Schedule" Page of the Team Rodrigues Winery Web Site.

September 24, 2007

TEAM RODRIGUES WINERY ANNOUNCES 2007-08 SCHEDULE

Team Rodrigues Winery has been busy this summer with off-ice conditioning to fine-tune their approach for the upcoming World Tour season. They intend to play in at least four high-profile mainland events; events that will have the Team in the curling spotlight throughout the season.

Team skip, Heather Strong, said, “We are fortunate to enjoy cooperation from great sponsors such as Rodrigues Winery, with whom we have just agreed to a 2-year extension, and Travellers Inn and affiliates. This allows us to register for:
• the Colonial Square Classic in the ladies curling hotbed of Saskatoon, a $31,000 32-team event,
• the Sobeys Curling Classic in New Glasgow, one of 4 Grand Slam Events this World Tour Season, and
• the Diversified Transportation Spiel in Edmonton, the ladies 48-team Canada Cup Qualifier in order to get competition from other elite teams on the World Tour. Consistent exposure to the wealth of curling talent in those events is essential for our continued development in this sport.”

The three above events, as well as weekly play in the Re/Max Center SuperLeague, are intended to sharpen the Team’s skills with a view to returning to the Scottie Tournament of Hearts in Regina in February.

Team third, Cathy Cunningham, explained that, “It is through winning either the Scottie or the Canada Cup that Team Rodrigues Winery has the best chance of entering play to decide Canada’s Team for the 2010 Olympic Winter Games ”. Lead, Peg Goss, added that, “There is no doubt the Olympics is at the forefront of our minds, and a major reason our primary focus is the Scotties and the Canada Cup. Whereas the World Tour points are helpful to qualify for events such as the Players Championship". Goss added, “We have also been working with Sport Psychologist, Bas Kavanagh, to ensure we maintain our focus and dedication.”

There have been two other exciting off-season developments for Team Rodrigues Winery. The Team’s web site ( http://www.teamstrongnl.com ) has recently been updated to reflect the new player combination, and the Canadian Curling News has ranked the Team 15th in the World. The Canadian Curling News is a very respected 51-year old publication and such a ranking is unprecedented for female curlers from this Province. Heather Strong added that, “This is a tremendous endorsement of the potential success for this Team’s new combination.”

Followers of Team Rodrigues Winery should bookmark the site to track their play this season and can access the Canadian Curling News Web Site from the Team’s Links Page. As well, there will be Team Press Releases issued before and after each of these World Tour Events.

Heather Strong was right out of Junior and a rookie Scott skip at the 1998 Tournament of Hearts, the last time it was played in Regina; Peg Goss was selected as the Team’s 5th player up arrowthat year. It is their hope that hard work and destiny will land them all back there again in 2008 for bigger and better things.

April 3, 2007

STRONG AND CUNNINGHAM JOIN FORCES

The Curling Season may be winding down, but Heather Strong today announced today that she will be curling with two new team members next season.   Strong has joined forces with the only other Provincial Champion over the last decade -- Cathy Cunningham.   Heather or Cathy has been on every Ladies Championship Team from this Province going back to 1993, yet they have never played a game together.

Strong’s new lineup will also include Cathy’s long-time third, Peg Goss, and her sister, Laura, will stay with the squad.   Strong said that, “We are all very excited about the potential for this new team.   I expect the added experience, that Cathy and Peg bring with them, to add to our potential for unprecedented success next season.”   She added that, “I like to think that we can gel as a team right out-of-the-gate next season; we are familiar with each others play, and Cathy has proven in the past to be one of the top thirds in the Country, particularly when she played with Laura Phillips.   Also we plan to solidify our best-ever slate of Sponsors.     Big goals require big dollars.   We are ever-thankful for our current Sponsors, including our Title Sponsor, Rodrigues Winery.    Sponsorship support will be the key to our fine-tuning needed to win the 2008 Provincial Championship for a trip to the Scotties Tournament of Hearts in Regina next February.”

Last week it was a new job for Heather Strong; this week it is a new Team.   After eleven years at New World Fitness, Strong has started work as the new Provincial Director for the Terry Fox Foundation.   Said Strong, “Many curlers, from the stars of the game to social players, are great contributors to various campaigns in the fight against cancer.   Cancer research is a cause I am very passionate about, and I am very pleased to be starting a career with, and putting my energy into, province-wide fundraising for the Terry Fox Foundation.”   Anyone wanting to contact the Terry Fox Foundation for anything from volunteering to making a memorial donation can reach her at 576-8428.

Cathy Cunningham was picked up by Team Rodrigues Winery to be their 5th player at the last two National Championships.   Cunningham explained that, “In London in 2006, I got to know Heather as a teammate and I liked what I saw.   Both of our teams have been very close to the National title, and I really think we’re capable of great things now that we’re putting our strengths together”.

Second, Laura Strong, said that, “We are all on the same page in that none of us will be satisfied with anything less than a Playoff spot at the National Championship next year.   Cunningham and Goss have been in that position twice (losing the Final in an extra end to Colleen Jones in 2004) and their experience will be a huge addition to our quest”.   Peg Goss adds that, “Heather’s Team has been ranked among the top 15 teams in the Nation the last few seasons and it is that kind of shot-making, style of play, and consistency I look forward adding to”.

Heather Strong also explained that they were honoured with an invitation to the Players Championship World Tour Season Finale to take place in Calgary later this month.   “With changes to the Team and career, the Players Championship turned out not to be an option for us this year”, said Strong.

Heather Strong was right out of Junior and a rookie Scott skip at the 1998 Tournament of Hearts, the last time it was played in Regina; Peg Goss was selected as the Team’s 5th player that year.   It is their hope that destiny will land them all back there again in 2008.

Followers of Team Rodrigues Winery should bookmark their website http://www.teamstrongnl.com to track their play during the 2007-08 World Tour Season.   The Team expects to announce their schedule of events in September; as well, there will be up arrowthe usual Team Press Releases issued before and after each of these World Tour Events.

February 14, 2007

TEAM NL OPENS AGAINST TEAM CANADA AT THE SCOTTIES

Team Rodrigues Winery from the Re/Max Centre in St. John’s checks in at Lethbridge Lodge before midnight today and becomes Team Newfoundland and Labrador.   Skip Heather Strong explains that, “We are looking to improve on our 5th place / tie-breaker finish from last year”, but she knows it will take a long week of physical exertion and mental concentration to reach the podium.

The Team, which includes third Shelley Nichols, second Laura Strong, lead Susan O’Leary, and 5th Cathy Cunningham, was essentially just one shot short of the podium at the 2006 Scottie in London; that shot a raise-takeout made by Team Ontario on the last shot of the last end of the final draw preventing Team NL from finishing second over the 11-game round-robin.   Strong said, “This would have put us in the page 1-2 game against a team we had already defeated in a chance to proceed to the Final”.   Team NL also plays the same Ontario foursome in the final round-robin draw this year at Lethbridge.

Shelley Nichols is quick to point out that, “We can’t focus on that game until after our tenth; we can’t start looking ahead, just curl our best every outing and let the chips fall where they may.   Right now, our focus is on Team Canada (represented by the current World Bronze Medalist Kelly Scott Team from BC) who we have drawn for the first game on Saturday afternoon.”   TSN has confirmed that this NL / Team Canada game will be the feature for their live broadcast commencing 5:30 NST (4:00 EST; 2:00 MT) on Saturday afternoon.   Team Rodrigues Winery is 0-3 against the Kelly Scott Team.

Lead Susan O’Leary says that, “This game should be a nice perk for our followers who have watched Team Rodrigues Winery games on the internet during the World Tour this fall, and hopefully some reward for our Sponsors and Friends of the Team who have been crucial to our development in the sport”.   (See Attachment #1.)   Eleven million adult Canadians will watch the 2007 Scottie on TV.

Second Laura Strong said that “Winning the Scottie and representing Canada at the Worlds would be a tremendous experience few curlers attain, but this is another opportunity for us to do so.   The big prize; however, is the berth in the December 2009 Olympic Trials to decide Canada’s entry in the 2010 Winter Olympics in Vancouver-Whistler.   To do that now pretty well requires a team from Eastern Canada to either win a Scottie Tournament of Hearts or win a Strauss Canada Cup; it is no longer possible to play enough World Tour Events to gain a berth by finishing at the top of the money list.   We play the best competition we can find on the World Tour to develop our game to a point where we can break through and win a Scottie or Canada Cup.”

Team Coach (and President of the Newfoundland and Labrador Curling Association), Eugene Trickett, said that “last year this Team fed off of the success of Team Gushue’s win at the Olympics in Italy, and this year I am sure they will get inspiration from the Team Devereaux success in the National Junior in St. Catharine’s.   Team Rodrigues Winery has the technical ability, athleticism, experience, and mental focus to break through and win this Province’s first Ladies Championship; the question is:  will this be the year?”

Fans used to seeing Coach Trickett at the side of Team Rodrigues Winery will not see him there this year.   Heather Strong explained that “Eugene has increasing demands on his time in sport administration and for his family; his wife is involved with the Canada Games Mission Staff (which overlaps the Scottie), his Son and Daughter will both be playing in their first curling Provincial in March, and Erica and Stephen have other athletic interests in the summer.   Eugene has been exceptionally good about it and said he would be there for us if necessary, but this year turns out to be a good one for him to have off.”   The Coach of Record in Lethbridge will be the Team’s Sport Psychologist, Erin McGowan, from London; and Team 5th, Cathy Cunningham, will take on additional responsibility with respect to strategy up arrowdiscussions.   Heather added that, “Cathy’s experience was a big factor for us last year, and I have a lot of confidence in her contribution”.