BEAUSEJOUR – The third time was the charm for East St. Paul’s Kerri Einarson who beat the Granite Curling Club’s Kristy McDonald 7-4 in nine-ends to win the 2016 Manitoba Scotties Tournament of Hearts.
Einarson was playing in her third straight provincial women’s curling championship game. She lost to Jennifer Jones in 2015 and Chelsea Carey in 2014.
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McDonald opened the scoring in the second end with a hit and stick for two points. Einarson later replied with a deuce of her own in the fourth. McDonald tried for a double takeout with her last skip stone of the frame but jammed. Einarson capitalized with an easy hit to even up the game 2-2. McDonald though jumped back in front before the break with a hit and stick for a deuce.
Einarson once again made it a brand new game in the eighth end by pulling off a takeout for two to tie it 4-4. She then took her first lead in the ninth with a steal of three. McDonald’s runback attempt failed after Einarson tucked her last onto the four foot behind a handful of guards. Einarson then ran McDonald out of rocks in the ninth to capture her first provincial women’s curling title
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Einarson and McDonald both secured first place in their pools with identical 6-1 records before entering the playoffs. McDonald qualified for the championship game with a 7-5 victory over Einarson in Saturday’s 1-vs-1 page playoff. Einarson set up a rematch by slipping past St. Vital’s Shannon Birchard 8-3 in Sunday morning’s semifinal.
Einarson along with teammates Selena Kaatz, Liz Fyfe and Kristin MacCuish will now represent Manitoba at the 2016 Canadian Scotties Tournament of Hearts in Grand Prairie, Alberta from February 20-28.
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