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