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s "Dr. Jack" and a "77" to honour
Rachel Homans champion curling rink will have a different look next season. Calgary Flames Shirts . Longtime second Alison Kreviazuk is leaving the Homan team next month after deciding to move to Sweden to be with her boyfriend. Joanne Courtney of Val Sweetings rink will join Homan, lead Lisa Weagle and third Emma Miskew next season. Kreviazuk will close out her 13-year run with Homan at the April 15-20 season-ending Grand Slam Players Championships in Summerside, P.E.I. "Its been something that Ive been considering for a while," Kreviazuk said Tuesday in an interview from Ottawa. "But I gave my team the heads up a couple months ago and just gave them the idea that this was something I was thinking of, so they may want to consider their options. "Theyve made an extremely great choice with Joanne. I think shes going to be a perfect fit for the team." The announcement was made two days after the Homan rink won silver at the world championship in Saint John, N.B. The Canadian side dropped a 9-5 decision to Switzerlands Binia Feltscher in the gold-medal game at Harbour Station. "It definitely didnt affect our performance," Homan said. "If anything, we wanted it that much more." The Ottawa-based team won the Scotties Tournament of Hearts for the first time last year and went on to win bronze at the 2013 world championship in Riga, Latvia. Kreviazuk has spent the last decade curling with Homan and Miskew while Weagle joined the team four years ago. "Ali is an amazing curler and such a wonderful person, shes difficult to replace," Weagle said. "But I think in Joanne weve found someone who is a phenomenal curler and in my opinion, the best womens sweeper in the world. I think that she will be a good fit for our team. "It will be different but were excited about what the next four years have in store for Team Homan." Kreviazuks peers voted her the winner of the Frances Brodie Award for sportsmanship at last weeks world championship. The 25-year-old also won silver at the 2010 world junior championship as the teams alternate. "I think our progress is what was so tremendous," Kreviazuk said. "Every year we kept improving. Each year there (were) new opportunities. It was such a pleasure to play with (them). "Every year there was something to celebrate." Kreviazuk, who worked at a car dealership for two years before becoming a full-time curler this season, has yet to make a decision about her curling future. Her boyfriend, Fredrik Lindberg, plays second for Swedish skip Niklas Edin. Sweden won Olympic bronze at the Sochi Games last month and took the world title last year in Victoria. "Obviously were sad that shes leaving but Im really happy that shes made a decision that makes her happy," Homan said. Courtneys rink finished second to Homan at the national championships last month in Montreal. The 25-year-old from Edmonton plans to live in Ottawa during the curling season. "We feel Joanne is a great fit with our team and someone who shares our team goals and passion for the game," Homan said. "It will be a big change but we are excited that she has decided to join us for the next Olympic cycle." Sweetings team reacted to the news on Twitter. "Surprised and unfortunate to see her go but we wish Joanne the best of luck with (at)TeamHoman .curling," the team said in a tweet. Courtney has also represented Alberta at two Canadian Interuniversity Sport national championships. "I was honoured to be asked to join Team Homan," she said in a statement. "I have played against them on numerous occasions so I know what kind of talent they bring to the table. I know I have big shoes to fill in replacing Alison and I cant wait to get on the ice with them to start preparing for next season. "I had a wonderful run with Val, Dana Ferguson and Rachelle Pidherny and I cant thank them enough for our seasons together." Courtney spent the last three seasons with the Sweeting rink, which is ranked 10th on the World Curling Tours order of merit. The skip was surprised when Courtney broke the news to her over the phone Monday night. "I didnt see it coming, especially based on conversations that had taken place within the team after the Scotties," Sweeting said from Vegreville, Alta. "I dont know when the offer came to her but it is what it is. When opportunities like that come around in curling, you have to take them. We understand, it happens. "Its unfortunate for us in this particular moment but all we can do is look forward and keep building." Sweeting added her team will take some time before deciding on a replacement. Flames Jerseys China . Although Olivetti, a qualifier, had 13 aces, he failed to force a single break-point chance on Gasquets serve and lost his own three times. Gasquet next plays third-seeded Jerzy Janowicz of Poland, who won had 18 aces in a 6-2, 6-4 win against seventh-seeded Edouard Roger-Vasselin of France. Flames Jerseys 2020 . Hoefl-Rieschs exit — from the downhill course into safety nets, then airlifted from the slope by helicopter — left Anna Fenninger of Austria favourite to win her first giant crystal trophy one month after becoming an Olympic champion. HOUSTON -- Dwight Howard had 22 points and 14 rebounds, and Jeremy Lin came off the bench to score 21 points and help the Houston Rockets beat the Portland Trail Blazers 108-98 on Wednesday night to avoid elimination. The Trail Blazers lead the first-round series 3-2 entering Game 6 on Friday in Portland. A basket by Damian Lillard got the Trail Blazers within two points before James Harden stepped back and swished a 3-pointer to make it 103-98 with about three minutes left. The shot brought the crowd, which was clad almost completely in red shirts emblazoned with the words "Clutch City" on them, to its feet. That started an 8-0 Houston run to close it out. Harden finished with 17 points and seven assists. Houston finally slowed down LaMarcus Aldridge, limiting him to eight points, after he averaged 35.3 points in the first four games. Wesley Matthews led the Blazers with 27 points and Lillard added 26. Lin got extended minutes on Wednesday night with Pat Beverley dealing with an illness. Beverley had five points in 21 minutes. The Rockets led by as many as 17 points in the first half. Portland cut it to one point three times in the fourth quarter, but never went back on top. Terrence Jones added a basket for Houston after the big 3 by Harden before Howard got after Aldridge on the other end. He blocked his short jump shot, sending it out of bounds. Portland got the ball back and Aldridge got the ball again, but he badly missed a shot with Howard in his face as the shot clock expired, leaving Aldridge yelling for a foul. The Rockets were up by nine early in the fourth quarter after four quick points from Lin before Portland used an 8-0 run, with the first four points from Nicolas Batum, to cut the lead to 91-90 with 7:39 remaining. Back-to-back 3-pointers by Matthews cut Houstons lead to 62-58 early in the third quarter. He added 12 more points in the period to finish with 18 of Portlands 29 points. Howard and Lin carried the Rockets in the thirdd, combining for 18 points. Custom Calgary Flames Jerseys. . Howard had 10 and Lin scored the rest, including a long two as the shot clock expired with Lillard right in his face. Matthews, who was 4 for 5 from long range in the third, made two 3-pointers within 20 seconds late in the quarter to cut Houstons lead to two points. But Lin finished off the quarter with a three-point play to make it 82-77 entering the fourth. Robin Lopez received a flagrant-1 foul when he fouled Howard in the air while fighting for a rebound and pulled him to the ground by the shoulders on the way down. Howard made one of two free throws to stretch Houstons lead to 74-68 with three minutes left in the quarter. Houston led by three after one and used an 11-0 run to start the second quarter and go up 41-27. Jones scored the first four points in that span and rookie Troy Daniels capped it with a 3-pointer. The Trail Blazers had six turnovers while the Rockets built the lead and didnt score until a pair of free throws by Aldridge with about nine minutes left until halftime. Howard picked up his third foul soon after that and went to the bench. Portland scored the next five points to get within seven but the Rockets used a 10-0 spurt to push the lead to 51-34. Lin had a reverse layup and a 3-pointer during that run. The Trail Blazers ended the first half with a 14-5 run, with eight points from Lillard, to cut the lead to 56-48 at halftime. Aldridge had just six points at halftime after sitting out about half of the first quarter after getting his second foul. NOTES: The Trail Blazers wore patches on their jerseys to honour Hall of Famer Jack Ramsay, who died on Monday at 89. Ramsay coached the team to an NBA title in 1977. The plaid patch has the words "Dr. Jack" and a "77" to honour the championship team. The Blazers will wear the patch for the remainder of the post-season. ... Hall of Famer Hakeem Olajuwon watched from a courtside seat. ... Chandler Parsons added 20 points for Houston. ' ' '
- Created: Jan 14 '20
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