Hi everyone, this is Domino as promised updating the blog about game 8 even though we have to wake up early for the very important Washington game at 8 am (Eastern Time). Here's the website if you need it to watch the live stream: http://www.mogulus.com/bondgirlscurling
So Marissa did give a little teaser about this game in her blog about Illinois. It indeed was a Hollywood ending. With a little bit of pain, suffering, disappointment, and nervousness, we overcame with a happily ever after with a score of 10-9 in the 11th end.
So forgive me if some of the information was incorrect...Things are a little fuzzy since we were so intensely involved with the game.
It was a rough start in the beginning with North Dakota in true curling fashion scored 2 points with the hammer in the first end. We came back and scored one in the 2nd end. We tried so hard to score more, but we couldn't pull it off. We ended up stealing 1 more point in the 3rd end and 4th end. I'm sure some fantastic things were going on this end...a lot of supersweeping and a lot of draws. North Dakota scored 2 in the 5th end. They did have a chance to score 3, but I think their draw crashed on a guard. There was a lot of drawing to the button behind the guards, and there were a few attempts at hit and roll. After the 5th end, I was totally not paying attention that we were allowed to go on break. (Hehehe, It seems I remember my awful moments quite clearly.) Marissa gave us a really great prep talk. She told us to keep calm, and that we were doing great, and as always to have fun.
After a very tough 6th end, North Dakota scored another one making the score 5-3 ND. In the 7th end. We used some back guards and kept drawing into the button and then try to protect them with guards. North Dakota was able to peel the guards away, but we just kept putting them back. Some of ND's take outs and draws missed, and we took advantage of that. At one point, there were 3 rocks in the button, and there was no way that North Dakota could take them all out. I think they were able to hit one of them out, but in the end, after Marissa's last shot, we were lying 3, and took the lead (6-5 CA). North Dakota scored another 1 point in the 8th, tying it up. In the ninth end, we pretty much did the same thing as the 7th end. We took advantage of the rocks in the back of the button, and drew on top of them as well as draw behind the guards. Jennifer Lindsay did 2 really beautiful draws behind the guards. Cindy overwhelmed them with her freeze against a yellow rock in the back 4th area. Marissa threw a guard up, and they I think peeled it away. We took advantage of missed takeouts and draws. And Marissa had to draw into the house to try to score 3. At first, I thought that her rock would be a little light and would end up as a guard, but she said, "No, you can bring it in. I believe in you. Super Sweepers!" Something like that in a more excited and encouraging, but yelling curling fashion. So we swept our hardest, and pulled that rock right in there. The power of Super Skips!
The 10th end was a really tough end, and I know Marissa is really hard on herself about it, but it definitely made things exciting. I threw my rocks through for my first 100% for that end!! It was fun just lopping the rocks through, and North Dakota put a guard and one in the house. There were a lot of really great take outs, and the we ended up missing a couple of take outs. We had to make North Dakota run out of rocks, but they were able to place 3 in the house, and Marissa with shot rock just missed taking 1 of them out. It became another tie game, and it put us into extra ends. That's the way things go.
In the 11th end, I missed both my shots, after Marissa stressed the importance of the corner guards in our break in between ends. FAIL! For some reason, especially towards the end of our game, I was throwing rocks through the house or over compensating and the guards don't end up where they needed to be. I'll definitely work hard on that. I told myself that if I couldn't throw those darn guards, I will sure as hell sweep! I feel that all of us try to put our best effort in the sweeping, and tonight I felt like we did sweep, and pretty well. This end was an intense game of seeing who could draw behind a guard first and then protect it. It was good that we had the hammer coming into this end. I think it was Cindy and Jen who put rocks in the house, and all Marissa had to do for her first rock was to throw a guard...I could be in the wrong order, since it is getting late. I remember North Dakota trying to draw in...Honestly, I couldn't watch most of this half. I was incredibly sick to my stomach with anxiety and nervousness. I'm sure all my teammates were feeling the same thing. Well, in the end, North Dakota couldn't do it, and we took the 1 point for the win.
It was an incredible feeling to finally have the game over. I know some people on the team were shaking as well as myself. The best feeling though was walking into the viewing room, seeing all those people clapping and cheering because it was probably an intense game to watch for them as well. We all hug each other and Liz and Joe as if we had won the Olympics or something. I think that for all that it's worth, winning a third game exceeded our expectations. In this game, we stuck in there, try to calm each other down when things got tough (10th end), supported each other to get the stones where they needed to go, and yelled really intensely to get that extra chi POWER to sweep and sweep hard. I am PROUD to be part of Team Bond Girls and all of our accomplishments. North Dakota always put us on our toes and did not make this an easy win, but I think we got a lot out of this game and all our other games.
I know it's late, John. I wouldn't be able to sleep anyway.
One more thing, together, us Bond Girls, need to gather up everything we've gone through and learned with each throw, each end, each game, against each team, and make it all come together for this really tough Washington game. It's going to be good!
Tune in for our live feed just in case you missed it at the top:http://www.mogulus.com/bondgirlscurling
Forgive my spelling and grammar. No time to proofread! Going to sleep and signing off - Domino
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