Einarson scores one in 10th, steals in extra end for 4-3 victory in gold medal final
MISSISSAUGA, Ont. — Kerri Einarson is once again on top of the Canadian women’s curling world.
Einarson and her Team Canada foursome of third Val Sweeting, second Shannon Birchard and lead Karlee Burgess defeated Manitoba’s Kaitlyn Lawes, third Selena Njegovan, second Laura Walker and lead Kristin Gordon 4-3 in the Scotties Tournament of Hearts championship final on Sunday afternoon.
It’s the fifth title for Einarson, Sweeting and Birchard, the first for Burgess.
Einarson came into the contest with the definitive advantage in finding success at the Scotties, having won four straight championships beginning in Moose Jaw in 2020 through the 2023 tournament in Kamloops.
Lawes, of course, is also no stranger to winning on the national stage, having won the 2015 Scotties in Moose Jaw, 2018 world championship and the Olympic gold medal in 2022, all playing third for Jennifer Jones.
The teams met twice earlier in the tournament, with Lawes prevailing 9-4 in the round robin and then 10-2 in the Page Playoff 1-2 game.
Things started out well for Einarson in the gold medal game, as she picked up the first point of the night in the second end when Lawes came up light on a draw to the four foot.
Manitoba blanked the third end, and after Lawes made a nice double with her first shot in the fourth, had a chance for the first deuce of the game. Einarson made it difficult by drawing behind cover to sit shot, and Lawes would try a hit and roll, only to wreck on the guard and give Canada another steal and a 2-0 lead.
An angle runback takeout on Einarson’s final shot of the fifth got Canada out of trouble, but left Lawes with a double takeout for the blank, and she’d make it to keep it a 2-0 game heading into the break.
A rare miss by Einarson on a takeout on her final shot of the sixth finally set Lawes up for her deuce needing to draw full 12 foot, and she’d do just that to make it 2-2 through six.
The seventh saw Lawes sitting two frozen together top eight foot, and Einarson’s double attempt with her final rock would get one, only for the second to hang on by a millimetre on the edge of back 12 foot. That was a steal of one for Manitoba and a 3-2 Lawes edge with three ends to play.
The teams spent the eighth end exchanging rocks in the front of the house, and Einarson would eventually end up with a hit and roll for the blank that she’d make, retaining the hammer in the ninth.
Lawes made a nice hit and roll behind cover back eight foot with her final shot of the ninth, and Einarson would get a nice touch-weight take-out for the blank and hammer in the final end.
The 10th shaped up well for Lawes as she sat four across the house at Einarson’s final shot, and she’d make a brilliant angle raise takeout off a guard to sit full four foot, score one and send things to an extra end.
It all came down to Lawes final stone, with Einarson sitting on the button, Lawes top four foot for second shot and top eight foot for third shot, with all of it behind cover. Lawes decided to attempt a difficult double raise takeout with her last shot but came in a touch thin, giving up the steal of one.
And with that, the celebration was on for Einarson and her Gimli, Man.-based foursome.
It was the second game of the day for Einarson, who had to pick up a win in the semifinal against Alberta’s Selena Sturmay on Sunday afternoon. Canada roared out to a 7-3 lead at the break and scored five in the ninth to take a 12-5 win.
Einarson and crew will now represent Canada at the BKT World Women’s Curling Championship running from Mar. 14 through Mar. 22 at WinSport Event Centre in Calgary.