Quarter Finals in Focus

Local blogger Louise Edwards reports on the quarter final action:

The 8 quarter finalists took to the ice at 9am this morning while other competitors were no doubt taking the opportunity for a well earned lie in to ease their sore heads from last night.
Great to see 3 ladies teams making the Sunday stage of the competition, joined by the Welsh and English men and 3 Scottish men's rinks.
 
MacDonald v Fleming
Unfortunately for the girls this game got off to a bad start with Ewan and his team stealing 3 in the opening end. The next end the men continued to pile on the pressure and Hannah was forced to draw for her one before conceding a two and a subsequent steal of two in the fourth. At 7-1 the girls decided to call it a day.
 
Macleod v Gray
This game seemed to have a lot of stones in play from the start, with Scott taking on a number of run backs and angles to try and keep the ladies from running away with the lead. Lauren played a very nice shot in the 6th end, scraping (and nudging) past a shot at the front of the house to take another 2 and a convincing lead - full credit to her sweepers for a lot of effort on that one! Scott attempted a difficult raised split for three in the seventh end but unfortunately only scored one and the team shook. #girlpower
 
MacDougall v Aitken
The first half of this game was a tight affair with scores of one keeping the game close. A pivotal two from the English men when already one up, followed by some effective clearing by the team meant the young Aitken side were run out of stones playing the last end.
 
Taylor v Meikle
Momentum in this game swung between sides, with Taylor taking a big three in the sixth end. The seventh end was blanked leaving the Welsh men requiring a score of two to take the game into an extra end. After Adrian's first stone in the last end, the team lay three (one top four and two in the back eight all on the centre line), Taylor, took on the double for the extra just missing the run back and left Meikle a nose hit for the win - which he duly made.