YORKTON, March 19...Marie-France Larouche and her Etchemin Curling Club team from St-Romuald is now the only undefeated quartet in women's play at the Canada Cup, after Draw 6 concluded Thursday afternoon.

Larouche, recent third place finisher at the Scotties Tournament of Hearts in Victoria, remained perfect at 3-0 with an 8-6 decision over Edmonton's Cathy King, the 2006 Cup winner, to sit atop Section B.

A steal of two in the sixth end, followed by a three-spot in the eighth cemented the deal for the 28-year-old skip, who won the 1999 Canadian Juniors in Kelowna, then a bronze medal at the world juniors that year in Östersund, Sweden.

Previously unbeaten Amber Holland of Kronau lost an extra-ender to Shannon Kleibrink of Calgary, 9-8 to fall a game behind Larouche, at 2-1. 

Calgary's Cheryl Bernard broke into the win column with an 8-5 victory over a struggling, defending Cup champion Stefanie Lawton of Saskatoon to move to 1-2, tied with King.  Lawton remains winless at 0-3.

In a key Section A contest, Regina's Michelle Englot knocked Mary-Anne Arsenault of Halifax from the ranks of the unbeaten with a 7-5 win, taking two in the 10th end with her last rock.

The result left four teams with 2-1 marks:  Arsenault, Holland, Kleibrink and Kelly Scott of Kelowna, while Sherry Middaugh of Coldwater, Ontario is 0-3.

In the only men's game, Mike McEwen of Winnipeg rebounded from a disheartening loss in the morning to Edmonton's Kevin Martin, by beating 2006 Olympic gold medallist Brad Gushue of St. John's, 8-5. 

Martin leads Section A with a 3-0 record, followed by Toronto's Wayne Middaugh at 2-1 and McEwen at 2-2.    With the loss, Gushue fell to 1-3, while Russ Howard of Moncton is winless at 0-3.

In Section B, Winnipeg's Jeff Stoughton, at 2-0, has also yet to taste defeat, while chased by defending Cup champion Kevin Koe of Edmonton at 2-1.

Three-time Cup, six-time Brier and four-time world champion Randy Ferbey of Edmonton is next at 1-1, followed by Edmonton's Ted Appelman and Winnipeg's Kerry Burtnyk at 1-2.

The next draw is at 6:00 pm CT.


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