Carey rink captures bronze
For many, today’s competitive world of women’s curling requires juggling the demands of the game, a full-time job, and a family.
Amy Nixon decided being curler, lawyer, and mom was too much and announced she was retiring from the sport.
“I’ve known for a while this year that it’s not a possibility for me to maintain what I’ve tried to do in the game,” she said. “I knew today that this would be my last Scotties game.”
Nixon, 39, has been the third for Chelsea Carey since Carey replaced Heather Nedohin as her skip in 2015.
They joined second Jocelyn Peterman and lead Laine Peters to win the 2016 Scotties and on Sunday at the Meridian Centre, added a bronze medal to their collection.
“I’m the luckiest athlete that I know,” Nixon said with her threeyear-old daughter Kali in her arms. “A lot of people in their curling careers have not had the chance to enjoy the privileges that I had.”
Nixon enjoyed her time with Team Carey but with an advancing career and Kali to take care of, it was simply time to move on.
“I just can’t throw rocks every day anymore,” she said. “I can’t commit to the time it takes.”
“I’ve spent the better part of the last 10 years of my life dedicated to curling. And I don’t have the fire anymore to spend every day at the rink. I’d rather go skiing with my family. I’d rather bake cookies.”
Nixon didn’t inform Carey, who got a bit teary when advised.
“Amy’s a special player,” Carey said. “She’s played a lot of third and she does it so well.”
“She knows what it takes from a shooting perspective and a teammanagement perspective. And we always think alike when it comes to curling.”
Nixon has two Scotties titles, her first coming in 2012 when an alternate for Nedohin. She also won a bronze medal at the 2006 Winter Olympics as a third for Shannon Kleibrink.
PODIUM FINISH
Sunday afternoon’s bronze medal game may have been the warmup act before the evening’s final, but Carey was excited to win the game 7-4 over Krista McCarville’s Northern Ontario side.
“We want to stand on the podium,” Carey said. “At the world’s it hurt not to stand on there.”
“We obviously wanted a different color but we really wanted a medal.”
The teams had more than a momento to play for. The difference between third and fourth are a few CTRS points (47.5 to 36.7) and the $21,900 thirdplace prize money. Fourth-place received $16,900 (Winner receives $209,500 including Sport Canada funding and 60.5 points while the runner-up receives $26,900 and 47.5 points). CTRS rankings will determine the teams in the Olympic Pre-trials, the last-chance qualifier for the December trials in Ottawa.
With Canada lying two in the first but one exposed in the eightfoot, McCarville made the simple hit for one.
Northern Ontario again made things difficult for Canada in the second end, placing two in the four-foot behind cover. After Carey missed on a raise double attempt with her first, she made a perfect draw to the edge of the button to salvage one and tie the game.
After blanks in the third and fourth ends, The rocks returned to the house in the fifth and with McCarville facing one, she drew to the four-foot for her point.
The teams filled the four-foot again in the sixth. Facing two covering the button, McCarville attempted a raise double which left the two counters alone. Carey attempted a double hit and stick to stones at the side of the four-foot and just behind the shot stones and stuck it to get three and take a 4-2 lead.
Playing to the side of the eight-foot in the seventh, Carey made a double to lie two. McCarville’s first came up light. After Carey placed her last to the top of the four-foot to lie three, McCarville’s final draw sailed to the back of the four-foot to give up a steal of two.
The eighth end was played relatively clean but McCarville took advantage of a nicely-placed draw by third Kendra Lilly to split the rings and get two back.
With rocks lined up around the centre of the sheet in the ninth, McCarville drew to the back of the four-foot with her first to sit one. Carey’s first drew just a bit heavy, McCarville’s second ticked off her own in the eight-foot. Carey pushed her own at the top of the four to the button for her one and a 7-4 lead coming home. The tenth-end was not totally drama-free. Lilly placed a nice draw in the eight-foot behind two yellow stones. After Carey’s first failed to freeze, McCarville’s first rested just in front of Carey’s. Carey ended it with a hit.
“We played really well here,” Carey said. “Unfortunately we played our worst game at the wrong time. But that happens.”
“Definitely, they played better,” McCarville said. “They had their struggles yesterday and they didn’t have them today.”
McCarville, Lilly, second Ashley Sippala,andleadSarahPottsweredisappointed after the loss but pleased with a week that saw them finish 8-3 and win the 3-4 game before losing the semi-final to Ontario on Saturday. The Thunder Bay skip felt the CTRS points were important in getting the pre-trial berth.
“We knew coming in that every game we won would get us closer to the pre-trials,” she said.