UPDATE: 1 p.m.
Team Canada will play for gold at the 2018 Winn Rentals World Mixed Curling Championship.
Mike Anderson乌鸦传媒檚 team, representing The Thornhill Club in Thornhill, Ont., put together a stellar performance en route to a 7-3 victory over Norway乌鸦传媒檚 Ingvild Skaga in the semifinal on Saturday morning.
ORIGINAL: 9 a.m.
Just two wins separate Team Canada from a first-ever gold medal at the Winn Rentals World Mixed Curling Championship.
Mike Anderson乌鸦传媒檚 Canadian team from the Thornhill, Ont., Curling Club needed an extra end to turn back previously undefeated Robin Brydone of Scotland 8-5 in quarter-final play Friday night at the Kelowna Curling Club.
With the victory, Anderson, vice-skip Danielle Inglis, second Sean Harrison, lead Lauren Harrison and coach Jim Waite advance to Saturday乌鸦传媒檚 10 a.m. PT semifinals, where they乌鸦传媒檒l take on Norway乌鸦传媒檚 Ingvild Skaga 乌鸦传媒� the lone team to have beaten Canada this week in Kelowna.
READ MORE: Team Canada opens World Mixed Championship with victory
And, suggested Anderson, some of the pressure that accompanies wearing the Maple Leaf at a world championship is now off with a berth in the final four.
乌鸦传媒淲e talked about it before the game 乌鸦传媒� there乌鸦传媒檚 a difference between trying to win Canada and trying to represent Canada,乌鸦传媒� said Anderson. 乌鸦传媒淭his is where we feel Canada probably should be, and where the world probably thinks Canada should be, and it乌鸦传媒檚 a bit of a monkey off our back to get there.乌鸦传媒�
But that monkey wasn乌鸦传媒檛 shrugged off easily against the young Scottish team coached by Toronto乌鸦传媒檚 Sean Turriff.
The Scots乌鸦传媒� nerves showed early as Canada took an early lead by stealing single points in the first three ends, and forcing Scotland to one in the fourth.
乌鸦传媒淭hat was the best stretch of four ends that we乌鸦传媒檝e played all week,乌鸦传媒� said Anderson. 乌鸦传媒淭hey (his teammates) gave me a chance; it was one of those things where you just look at the broom and you know you乌鸦传媒檝e made it the moment you let it go. It乌鸦传媒檚 a really good feeling.乌鸦传媒�
But Scotland, which won the world title last year in Champ茅ry, Switzerland, by beating Canada (both countries had different lineups last year), hung tough. The Scots forced Canada to one in the fifth and seventh ends, and scored deuces in the sixth and eighth ends to force the extra.
In the ninth, Brydone put his last rock-draw on the button behind a centre guard, but Anderson made a precise angle-raise takeout to remove the Scottish counter and score three for the victory.
乌鸦传媒淲hat we乌鸦传媒檝e seen with the five-rock (free guard zone) rule so far this week, it乌鸦传媒檚 so easy to spin a deuce (when you乌鸦传媒檙e behind),乌鸦传媒� said Anderson. 乌鸦传媒淵ou can乌鸦传媒檛 afford to take your foot off the gas pedal, and sometimes that乌鸦传媒檚 what happens.乌鸦传媒�
Norway advanced to the semifinal with a 6-4 win over Switzerland乌鸦传媒檚 Mario Freiberger.
Norway defeated Canada 5-4 in their round-robin game last Sunday, thanks to a first-end count of three.
乌鸦传媒淲e owe them one,乌鸦传媒� said Anderson with a smile. 乌鸦传媒淛ust come out strong and see what we can do.乌鸦传媒�
The other semifinal will feature Russia乌鸦传媒檚 Alexander Eremin against Spain乌鸦传媒檚 Sergio Vez. Russia downed Turkey乌鸦传媒檚 Oznur Polat 11-2, while Spain dispatched Germany乌鸦传媒檚 Rainer Sch枚pp 6-4.
The gold- and bronze-medal games are scheduled for 3 p.m. today.
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