Kerri Einarson of Gimli has won the Masters women’s curling title.
Einarson, third Val Sweeting, second Shannon Birchard and lead Briane Harris, defeated the Rachel Homan team of Ottawa 6-5 in an extra end to claim the Grand Slam of Curling tour victory in Oakville, Ont.
It’s the Einarson’s first Slam title of the 2022-23 competitive season but second of the calendar year. The Manitoba squad won the Champions Cup in early May in Olds, Alta.
CURLING CANADA
Kerri Einarson throws a rock in the final against Rachel Homan Sunday.
The world’s second-ranked team strung together six consecutive victories to reach the Masters final.
Einarson now has five GSOC titles.
She surrendered a count of three in the fifth end to trail 4-3 but posted a deuce in the sixth to lead 5-4.
Homan blanked the seventh end and then, coming home, just missed a circus shot for a couple of points but had to settle for a game-tying single.
Einarson had the hammer in the extra end and made the most of it, making a double-takeout to score one.
The reigning three-time Scotties Tournament of Hearts national women’s champions now have a couple of weeks off for the holiday season before heading to Japan for an event that begins just before the new year.
Einarson then curls in the Slam tour’s Canadian Open in Camrose, Alta., beginning Jan. 10.
In mid-February, Einarson, competing as Team Canada once again, will challenge for a fourth Scotties title in Kamloops, B.C.
— staff
