MISSISSAUGA, Ont. — Manitoba’s Kaitlyn Lawes and Kerri Einarson have done battle many a time over the years in their quest for Canadian women’s curling supremacy, but few outings have seen as commanding a result as what took place on Saturday night.
Lawes and her rink of third Selena Njegovan, second Laura Walker and lead Kristin Gordon couldn’t seem to miss a shot right from the opening end and would go on to a 10-2 victory over Einarson in the Page Playoff 1-2 game at the Scotties Tournament of Heats in Mississauga, Ont.
As result, Lawes advances directly to the championship final, while Einarson will now face Alberta’s Selena Sturmay in the semifinal on Sunday afternoon after Sturmay took an 8-4 win over Nova Scotia’s Christina Black in the Page 3-4 game.
It didn’t take Lawes long to get things going against fellow former champion Einarson, third Val Sweeting, second Brianne Harris and lead Karlee Burgess, as they put up a four spot in the first end, got the force in the second and tacked on two more in the third for a 6-1 edge.
Lawes wasn’t done there, either, as she’d rack up steals the next three ends and held a 9-1 lead through six. The teams exchanged single points from there, and would shake hands after eight.
The Page 3-4 game was far closer in the early stages, with Black stealing one in the second and another in the third before Sturmay picked up single points the next three frames to go up 3-2 through six. Black got her deuce in the seventh to regain the lead, but it was all Sturmay from there, as she went up 5-4 with three in the eighth and then stole points the next two ends to secure the victory.
Einarson will now face Sturmay at 12 p.m. Saskatchewan time, with the winner there advancing to face Lawes in the Scotties Tournament of Hearts gold medal final at 6 p.m.
You can catch all the championship Sunday action on CBC and follow along on www.curling.ca.
