• Win (skip)
• Sheet 4 (N)
• Blue Rocks

Keep sticking with blue rocks is the lesson I guess. Good game, a comfortable win in the end but one of those games that felt closer than the scoreboard at certain times.

Stole two to start, the other team demonstrating how just being a foot or two deep on a draw can kill you, since we were able to freeze on top of them. I didn't have much to do on my shots, but I made an absolute dagger of a clutch draw the next end to turn a score of 2+ against us into another stolen point.

I made one strategy call that I wouldn't have made years ago. Not sure if it was "correct" or not, but just reflects my changing strategy and experience. The situation was that we were up by three without hammer. The other team had a rock on the button, and we were right on top of it (but not frozen), good enough to make it very hard for them to score a second point. They did have one available draw path to get that second point, but it was pretty tough. The natural call would be to guard against this draw.

However, what they also had available, albeit a much tougher shot to execute: a low percentage double takeout. But the double takeout would have been for at least three points, maybe a fourth or fifth, because they had other rocks around the perimeter.

Now, the draw would be much easier for the other skip to make. If I just like, didn't throw my rock at all, I suspect he would still try the draw over the low-percentage double. But the thing is, if I threw the guard perfectly to block that draw, well, then he'd have no other choice but to try the big hero shot. And if he made it, then the whole game turns around.

So I decided to guard the shot that could really screw you, even if it is not a likely outcome, and leave them with a shot that is more makeable but is limited to at most two points, leaving me with a one point lead. By doing so, I'm betting that we can out play them enough to maintain that lead in the long run. If I thought our opponents were a much better team than us, then I would probably guard the draw instead, because with better teams you need to take every point you can get and gamble on them not capitalizing.

Notes

• Early game, so fast-ish ice like you'd think
• Coming toward the glass, left side of the sheet, had a fudgy or flat spot where rocks would just die and crash like crazy
• Otherwise, seems like the new club normal where anything out to the 12-foot line hangs up on a ridge if it's at all heavy
• Noticed nothing about the rocks

Stats

Weekend

• C Draw, 5 Seed
• Record: 2-0
• Point total: 16
• Draw standing: 1st (tied)

Men's

• C Draw, 1 Seed
• Record: 2-0
• Point total: 16 (14 prorated)
• Draw standing: 1st (tied)