REGINA -- Manitoba’s Jennifer Jones is the only team at 2-0 heading into Day 2 of the Scotties Tournament of Hearts.

Jones followed up an 8-2 win over PEI’s Suzanne Gaudet on the Saturday afternoon draw with a 10-4 victory over New Brunswick’s Sylvie Robichaud Saturday night to cap off a perfect opening day for the 2005 Canadian women’s champions.

“I thought we had a really good start to this event. We felt great out there,” said Manitoba second Jill Officer, who earlier Saturday won a two-year lease on a Ford Fusion in the Ford Hot Shots skills competition.

Manitoba scored threes in the first, fifth and ninth ends against a New Brunwick team that was making their national women’s debut on Saturday. New Brunswick heads into Sunday at 0-2.

In other games on the evening draw, Newfoundland’s Heather Strong defeated Northwest Territories/Yukon’s Kerry Galusha 5-4; Alberta’s Shannon Kleibrink beat BC’s Allison MacInnes 6-4; and PEI’s Gaudet beat Nova Scotia’s Mary-Anne Arsenault 9-3.

Galusha needed a bite of the button with her last rock of the tenth end to earn the victory over Newfoundland, but she was just a few inches heavy with her draw and Strong got the game-winning steal. Newfoundland is 1-0, while NWT/Yukon is 0-1.

Alberta trailed 4-2 in the ninth end when Kleibrink, the 2006 Olympic bronze medallist, scored what proved to be a game-winning three-ender over MacInnes. The win gives Alberta a 1-0 record, while BC is at 0-1.

PEI won by a lopsided score in what was actually a close game. A four-ender by PEI in the ninth end busted open what until then had been a two-point game. PEI improved to 1-1 with the victory, while Nova Scotia fell to 1-1.

The Scotties resumes Sunday morning with just two games -- Saskatchewan’s Michelle Englot (0-1) plays Ontario’s Sherry Middaugh (1-0) and Quebec’s Marie-France Larouche (1-0) plays Canada’s Kelly Scott (0-1).

Scott was beaten in her opener earlier Saturday, falling 9-5 to Ontario on the first draw. In other games on draw 1, Quebec beat Saskatchewan 9-6 and Nova Scotia beat New Brunswick 8-4.

Officer said she had no doubt that Scott’s Canada, the two-time defending champions, will rebound from the opening loss and be a force as the week progresses.

“It’s really early in the week and they’re a championship team. I still think they’ll be there at the end of the week,” Officer said.

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