Scotland’s Team Carson put in a super-long shift on their first day of competition at the World Junior Championship in Cortina, but it was a hugely rewarding one as they came away with dramatic wins against the USA and Korea.
On their third appearance at the event, having won three consecutive Scottish Junior Championship titles, teenagers Orrin and Logan Carson, Archie Hyslop and Charlie Gibb had to sit out the opening day of the event, but more than made up for it as they charged into action in a free-scoring encounter with the USA.
Starting with the hammer (last stone advantage), they scored two at the opening end only to concede three at the next and when that sequence was repeated over the next two ends, the Americans held the upper hand.
When they then forced the Scots to a one at the fifth they looked to be in complete control, leading 6-5 with the hammer as the second half of the match got underway and looked set to convert that into victory when they led 10-7 heading down the ninth end. 
Even when the Scots then levelled the match with a three at the ninth end, the USA looked set to wrap things up when Orrin Carson prepared to play his final stone at the 10th end with three opposition stones and none of his own team’s in the house.
However, he squeezed it through a narrow port into the perfect spot to count shot stone behind a guard and ask a question that American skip Wesley Wendling was unable to answer as his attempted tap back pushed his own stone too far to give Scotland the 11-10 win.
“It wasn’t our ideal performance against the USA, but we managed to grind out a good game, which gave us a lot of confidence going into game two against Korea and it’s been a really good day for us,” said Orrin Carson.
If that had not been a sufficiently tense encounter, the Scots’ meeting with Korea proved even more so as they came from behind twice, but then missed their first opportunity to close the game out.
Starting with the hammer, the Koreans scored two at the opening end, then stole at the second to lead 3-0, only for the Scots to respond well with a three at the third.
They then forced their opponents to take one at the next and twos at the fifth and eighth ends, either side of forcing the Koreans again at the sixth and a blank at the seventh put them in a strong position, 7-5 up with two ends to play.
A third force meant they had both the lead and last stone advantage down the last, but Orrin Carson uncharacteristically came up short with his attempt to draw into the eight foot rings to win the match, allowing Korea to steal and take it down an extra end.
They were then put under further pressure, but Carson held his nerve to produce a tap back with his final stone to clinch a 9-7 win that completed a highly satisfactory day’s work.
“I was a little disappointed not to make the eight foot draw in 10, but we knew that as long as we left the same shot or a relatively straightforward shot we’d have a good chance again at the extra end and we’re glad we managed to get that one over the line,” he said.
A one game day awaits for the Scots on day three of the event, but it will be another challenging one as they take on Norway’s defending champions Team Hostmaelingen who have also won their first two matches.
“Conditions are really good out there and we’re getting to grips with it now, so hopefully game by game we’ll get a lot a stronger and by the end of the week we’ll be in the position we want to be in,” said Carson.
“Norway are a very good team, but as we’ve been reminded today, every team at these Championships is really good, so we’ll treat it just as any other game, we’ll go in to it trying to get a quick start and trying to get the better of them.”
The World Junior Curling Championships runs from 12-21 April.
Watch streamed games on The Curling Channel.
Schedule:
Sunday 13 April
Session 2
Scotland – USA 11-10
Session 3
Scotland – Korea 9-7(EE)
Monday 14 April
Session 4
Scotland – Norway
Tuesday 15 April
Session 6
Scotland – Denmark
Wednesday 16 April
Session 7
Scotland – Italy
Thursday 17 April
Session 8
Scotland – Japan
Friday 18 April
Session 10
Scotland – Canada
Saturday 19 April
Session 12
Scotland – Germany
Sunday 20 April
Semi finals
Monday 21 April
Final and bronze medal game
Team Scotland
Orrin Carson
Logan Carson
Archie Hyslop
Charlie Gibb
Jake MacDonald