Stefania Constantini, Italy\u2019s skip, returned to the Rock League in Toronto on Thursday after a grueling 16-hour journey back from Italy. Her presence was felt immediately, as if she had never left.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe had her jersey out with us while she was away,\u201d said teammate Grant Hardie. \u201cAnyone struggling with draw weight touched Steffi\u2019s jersey. It\u2019s great that she stepped up and delivered when we needed it.\u201d<\/p>\n
Constantini\u2019s return was perfectly timed for Frontier Curling Club. The team improved to 2-3 on the week with a 2-1 win over Northern United on Friday that hinged on the women\u2019s game.<\/p>\n
Down 6-2 entering the seventh end, Constantini took control. With the hammer, she faced a crucial draw to the button for four points, aided by a rule that awards two points if a stone covers the pinhole in the final end.<\/p>\n
While longtime rivals Bruce Mouat and Yannick Schwaller, now on Northern United together, huddled to discuss strategy on one side, Hardie and GM Chris Plys collaborated on the other.<\/p>\n
Constantini executed the shot perfectly, forcing a draw-to-the-button tiebreaker \u2014 which she also nailed. The crowd of hundreds erupted in applause louder than any moment all week.<\/p>\n
Frontier turned a potential loss into a critical victory, keeping its playoff hopes alive.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhen you\u2019re part of this league, moments like that are what you play for,\u201d Hardie said. \u201cChris and I felt confident Stef would place it right.\u201d<\/p>\n
Nic Sulsky, CEO of The Curling Group, which owns Rock League, echoed this sentiment.<\/p>\n
\u201cThat\u2019s the kind of moment you want at any great sporting or live event,\u201d Sulsky said. \u201cEveryone there and watching experienced something really special.\u201d<\/p>\n
That meaningful connection between players, fans, and standings is exactly what Sulsky envisioned when launching Rock League a year ago.<\/p>\n
Despite some technical and broadcast challenges over the first five days, including multiple videoboard tweaks, Sulsky believes the energy on the ice has been the biggest win.<\/p>\n
\u201cYou can fix tech, broadcast, venue issues\u2014but if the format wasn\u2019t great and curlers didn\u2019t buy in, it wouldn\u2019t work. The format\u2019s awesome, and the curlers have fully embraced it,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
The standings tightened further Friday afternoon when Typhoon Curling Club improved to 2-3 with wins in men\u2019s and mixed doubles over Alpine Curling Club, dropping Alpine to 3-2.<\/p>\n
In an all-Canadian clash that night, Brad Jacobs\u2019 Shield Curling Club swept Rachel Homan\u2019s Maple United with wins of 9-3 in men\u2019s, 10-6 in mixed doubles, and 5-4 in women\u2019s, moving into first place.<\/p>\n
On Saturday, teams will be seeded for mixed fours games, each worth one point. The top four teams will advance to Sunday\u2019s semifinals, followed by the championship match. The winning team will walk away with US $100,000, with lower payouts for other teams.<\/p>\n
Sulsky described the week as exhilarating, exhausting, exciting, and thought-provoking, but ultimate success will be judged in the boardroom.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe’ve been upfront about raising capital,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
There have been promising signs behind the scenes, including a threefold increase in new American Rock League Instagram followers, likely boosted by ESPN+ streaming.<\/p>\n
However, attendance hasn\u2019t met expectations yet.<\/p>\n
\u201cNaysayers point to that and say the league\u2019s flopping,\u201d Sulsky noted. \u201cBut early draws in curling events aren\u2019t usually packed. It\u2019s a reality between expectations and perception.\u201d<\/p>\n
Concerns about competitiveness after an intense Olympic season and recent world championships have largely eased.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe curling world doesn\u2019t really care about the worlds right after the Olympics,\u201d Sulsky said. \u201cCurlers don\u2019t win much money there. This league offers cash, something new and exciting\u2014and it\u2019s a short format.\u201d<\/p>\n
Winning over the curlers themselves was a crucial first step toward attracting financial investment.<\/p>\n
Despite a long season and a recent trip to Cortina, Rachel Homan of Maple United is focused.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe\u2019re practising as much as possible, learning each other\u2019s throws, tweaking things. I expected every top athlete to want to win every match,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n
The competition has been fierce, with curlers monitoring other sheets constantly. Alpine\u2019s Alina Patz has had the unusual experience of winning her individual rematch against Anna Hasselborg but losing as a team.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt feels different. First you\u2019re like, \u2018Yeah, I won.\u2019 Then, you remember we lost as a team. We\u2019re still learning and improving. I think at this stage we can beat any team,\u201d Patz said.<\/p>\n
With just six draws left, the outcome remains wide open.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe puzzle pieces are coming together,\u201d Sulsky said. \u201cEarly signs show evolution, growth, and change.\u201d<\/p>\n
In Friday\u2019s Rock League action, Typhoon Curling Club bounced back with a 2-1 win over Alpine Curling Club.<\/p>\n
Alpine\u2019s Alina Paetz got off to a strong start, defeating Anna Hasselborg 7-3 in the women\u2019s game. But Niklas Edin led Typhoon to a 9-4 win over Joel Retornaz in men\u2019s play. Typhoon secured the overall victory when Tori Koana and Tsuyoshi Yamaguchi beat Sofia Scharback and Oskar Eriksson 7-4 in mixed doubles.<\/p>\n
After being swept 3-0 by Northern United on Thursday, Typhoon improved to 3-2.<\/p>\n
With files from The Canadian Press.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
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