UPDATE: 1 p.m.
Team Canada will play for gold at the 2018 Winn Rentals World Mixed Curling Championship.
Mike Anderson香蕉视频直播檚 team, representing The Thornhill Club in Thornhill, Ont., put together a stellar performance en route to a 7-3 victory over Norway香蕉视频直播檚 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香蕉视频直播檚 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香蕉视频直播檚 10 a.m. PT semifinals, where they香蕉视频直播檒l take on Norway香蕉视频直播檚 Ingvild Skaga 香蕉视频直播� 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.
香蕉视频直播淲e talked about it before the game 香蕉视频直播� there香蕉视频直播檚 a difference between trying to win Canada and trying to represent Canada,香蕉视频直播� said Anderson. 香蕉视频直播淭his is where we feel Canada probably should be, and where the world probably thinks Canada should be, and it香蕉视频直播檚 a bit of a monkey off our back to get there.香蕉视频直播�
But that monkey wasn香蕉视频直播檛 shrugged off easily against the young Scottish team coached by Toronto香蕉视频直播檚 Sean Turriff.
The Scots香蕉视频直播� 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.
香蕉视频直播淭hat was the best stretch of four ends that we香蕉视频直播檝e played all week,香蕉视频直播� said Anderson. 香蕉视频直播淭hey (his teammates) gave me a chance; it was one of those things where you just look at the broom and you know you香蕉视频直播檝e made it the moment you let it go. It香蕉视频直播檚 a really good feeling.香蕉视频直播�
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.
香蕉视频直播淲hat we香蕉视频直播檝e seen with the five-rock (free guard zone) rule so far this week, it香蕉视频直播檚 so easy to spin a deuce (when you香蕉视频直播檙e behind),香蕉视频直播� said Anderson. 香蕉视频直播淵ou can香蕉视频直播檛 afford to take your foot off the gas pedal, and sometimes that香蕉视频直播檚 what happens.香蕉视频直播�
Norway advanced to the semifinal with a 6-4 win over Switzerland香蕉视频直播檚 Mario Freiberger.
Norway defeated Canada 5-4 in their round-robin game last Sunday, thanks to a first-end count of three.
香蕉视频直播淲e owe them one,香蕉视频直播� said Anderson with a smile. 香蕉视频直播淛ust come out strong and see what we can do.香蕉视频直播�
The other semifinal will feature Russia香蕉视频直播檚 Alexander Eremin against Spain香蕉视频直播檚 Sergio Vez. Russia downed Turkey香蕉视频直播檚 Oznur Polat 11-2, while Spain dispatched Germany香蕉视频直播檚 Rainer Sch枚pp 6-4.
The gold- and bronze-medal games are scheduled for 3 p.m. today.
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