Roundup: Constantini completes comeback to lift Frontier over Northern

TORONTO — Welcome back, Stefania Constantini. 

After a quick trip home to Italy for a prior commitment, Constantini returned to Rock League action Friday for Frontier Curling Club’s final round-robin match against Northern United. 

Trailing by four points with the hammer coming home, Constantini drained back-to-back draws right to the pinhole that helped her team tie it up and force a shootout. 

Constantini drilled one more draw to the back of the four-foot circle to secure not only the 7-6 victory in the game but also a 2-1 win in the match. 

“I think this game was really interesting to play,” Constantini said. “I enjoyed it and yes, we were down in the scoreboard, but we still worked together as a team. I think we really did great teamwork out there.

"Also in the last end, I think my teammates really brought the stone in the perfect position, so we really made it together and this is so, so good.”

Frontier GM Chris Plys and Northern GM Christoffer Svae played a little gamesmanship when making their lineups, setting up an Olympic rematch in mixed doubles between silver medallists Cory Thiesse and Korey Dropkin and gold medallists Isabella and Rasmus Wranå. The Swedish siblings emerged victorious again with an 11-3 rout to put Northern ahead in the match.

That had a trickle down effect on the other lineups as Northern (third place, 3-2, 3.5 points) needed a new women’s skip and slotted in Giulia Zardini Lacedelli, who handles vice skip duties for Constantini on their tour team. 

“Usually she's my third, so for sure it was weird to have her on the other team, but I think we had fun and both of us are really enjoying the time here,” Constantini said. “I think it's really a chance to also learn from other players, so it's good to play on different teams. Then we will be playing together again and maybe we will bring what we are learning here, so it's good.”

There was also a bit of cheeky trash-talking going on, leading to a funny moment during the second end. As Constantini was preparing to make an open hit for two, Zardini Lacedelli was caught on a hot mic saying, “She’s usually wide here.” Nevertheless, Constantini nailed the shot to show up her friend. 

“I think it's part of the game,” Constantini said with a smile. “It's really, really funny.”

Plys also shuffled his men’s lineup, putting Grant Hardie at skip to go head-to-head against his tour teammate Bruce Mouat. That worked out well as Hardie scored three to start the game and bookended things with a draw to the pinhole to secure four points in the seventh to win 10-4. 

The men's and mixed doubles teams watched the end of the women's game as Constantini placed her first skip stone square on the pinhole. Zardini Lacedelli looked to make a double but could only nudge the shot rock. Already sitting two, Constantini covered the pin again for the two-point bonus.

Constantini didn't need to land on the lid a third time but the back of the four-foot was good enough, as Zardini Lacedelli went first and was short on her draw, stopping at the top of the eight-foot circle.

"Andiamo," said Dropkin.

Frontier’s captain called it “massive” as the franchise entered the day in the basement of the standings and also last in the total points scored column for potential tiebreakers. 

“Every point is huge,” said Dropkin, whose franchise finished round-robin play in fifth place with a 2-3 record. “Obviously coming into Day 5 we only had one point and we're at the bottom of the standings. Scraping together as many Ws as you can out there is important to stay in the game, stay in the competition.

"Tomorrow is going to be huge in the mixed event. Both of those games being worth one point versus each day here being worth one point, so we're still well in it. 

“That was a big win by the men's team and then a huge comeback by the ladies. Just a few beautiful draws in a row by our skipper Stefania on the other side. What is jet lag anyways? She's been through the wringer going back and forth from here to back home and coming out and playing a game like that, making some huge draws to end the game, that's what it's all about.”

Although Constantini hasn’t spent much time with her Frontier teammates, she is feeling welcomed on the American-based franchise and is embracing the support from the fans.

“I was telling them that I am really feeling this U.S. spirit. We are really a big, big family, I can say, so it's so good to also share these good feelings with my teammates and also our fans that are really enjoying the time here with us,” she said.

Andiamo, indeed.

Typhoon takes down Alpine

Typhoon Curling Club earned a 2-1 match win over Alpine Curling Club during the mid-afternoon draw.

Niklas Edin fired a runback to score five in the seventh end to skip the Typhoon men's team to a 9-4 victory over Alpine, skipped by Joël Retornaz, while Tori Koana and Tsuyoshi Yamaguchi defeated Sofia Scharback and Oskar Eriksson 7-4 in mixed doubles.

Alpine captain Alina Pätz skipped her women's team to a 7-3 decision over the Typhoon squad skipped by Anna Hasselborg.

Both teams hold 3-2 records, however, Alpine earned a bonus half point for its 3-0 sweep over Northern on Wednesday. Alpine also edge Northern by one point in the total points scored tiebreaker to place second for Saturday's mixed fours seeding matches.

Shield sweeps Maple to top the table and set up rematch

Shield Curling Club soared to first place with a 3-0 sweep over struggling Maple United in the evening draw.

Captain Brad Jacobs skipped the men's squad to a 9-3 rout over Ross Whyte's crew.

The mixed doubles pair of Marlee Powers and Benoît Schwarz-van Berkel also scored big, winning 10-6 against Jocelyn Peterman and Tanner Horgan.

Shield's Kerri Einarson held on for a 5-4 victory over Maple's Rachel Homan in the women's game to complete the sweep.

The two teams will meet again in Saturday's mixed fours seeding games, as Shield (3-2, 3.5 points) scored 102 total points in its games to also finish first in the tiebreaker, while Maple (1-4, 1 point) holds the sixth and last seed.

Up next

• No. 1 Shield vs. No. 6 Maple, Noon ET 

• No. 2 Alpine vs. No. 5 Frontier, 3:30 p.m. ET

• No. 3 Northern vs. No. 4 Typhoon, 7 p.m. ET

Saturday's matches consist of two mixed fours games, with each game worth one point. The top four teams advance to Sunday's playoffs.